Zorro Ranch Blueprints, Floor Plans, and Construction Records
Snapshot
Released architectural sheets identified by Alisa Valdes Rodriguez show portions of the Zorro Ranch main house, including ground floor plans, basement plans, and interior elevations. One sheet bears the stamp of Cooper, Robertson & Partners. Other records describe construction changes, a later pool engineering review, garden drawings, and the buildings recorded by Santa Fe County.
These materials do not form a verified, complete set of plans for every structure at Zorro Ranch. A drawing records a design at a particular date. Establishing what was ultimately built requires comparison with later revisions, contractor records, permits, photographs, and physical evidence.
Key Takeaways
- The released files contain at least three reported appearances of a main house ground floor plan and two reported appearances of a basement plan.
- A 1997 interior elevation sheet bears the Cooper, Robertson & Partners stamp. The New Mexico Survivors’ Truth Commission identifies Bradbury & Stamm Construction as the main house builder.
- Bradbury & Stamm supplemental sketches dated March 1999 and a 2013 engineering review document later construction questions involving the pool area.
- KOAT examined another set of blueprints dated March 3, 1998. That set needs to be compared with the released federal files.
- Later records concern the east garden, communications equipment, repairs, and additional structures. No single blueprint represents the entire ranch throughout Epstein’s ownership.
Main House Drawings in the Released Files
Alisa Valdes Rodriguez’s drawing investigation identifies the following files. Their titles and relationships should be checked against the images, because a repeated sheet number does not establish whether two files are identical copies or different revisions.
| Evidence file | Identified drawing | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| EFTA02674621 | Cooper, Robertson & Partners interior elevations for Gallery 107 and Living Room 108, sheet A5.5, dated October 17, 1997 | Firm stamp, project number, finish notes, revision block |
| EFTA02674622 | Main house ground floor plan | Date, room labels, dimensions, annotations |
| EFTA02725489 | Another ground floor plan appearance | Differences from the other ground floor sheets |
| EFTA01114019 | Additional ground floor plan appearance | Scan quality, marks, revision entries |
| EFTA01114017 | Basement plan | Rooms, mechanical notes, dimensions, references to other sheets |
| EFTA_R1_01956164 | Second basement plan appearance identified in the published investigation | Whether it is a duplicate or a separate revision |
The last identifier uses a different production format from the EFTA links above. Its precise public document location and image should be verified before assigning it a direct Epstein Data link.
What the 1997 Sheet Establishes
The interior elevation sheet identified as EFTA02674621 reportedly bears the name Cooper, Robertson & Partners, a New York address, project number 96042.00, and the October 17, 1997 date. It is evidence of the firm’s design work on the main house. It is not a complete architectural contract or proof that the firm designed every ranch building and later alteration.
The commission’s interim report identifies Bradbury & Stamm Construction as the builder of the main residence and cites EFTA00686274. The architect’s drawings and the builder’s construction records answer related but different questions.
The March 1998 Blueprints Examined by KOAT
KOAT’s blueprint review examined plans dated March 3, 1998 that were provided to its investigative team. KOAT described a ground level with libraries, galleries, an estancia, living space, garage, and staff quarters. Its account also describes a second floor and a basement with exercise, massage, jacuzzi, laundry, and mechanical spaces.
That reporting provides a more extensive description of the house than the small group of federal sheets indexed above. The 1998 plans should be compared by title block, project number, sheet number, date, and dimensions before assuming they are the same revision as any released EFTA drawing. KOAT’s room descriptions are a report on plans it reviewed, not a finding that every room remained unchanged through 2019.
The 1999 Supplemental Construction Sketches
Alisa Valdes Rodriguez’s examination of the construction record describes Bradbury & Stamm supplemental sketches dated March 8, 1999. She reports that their title blocks identify Zorro Ranch and that the sketches summarize owner and design consultant directions.
These sketches matter because they may document decisions made during construction that do not appear on an earlier architect’s plan. Their sheet numbers, contents, and locations within the released files need a separate inventory. Calling them supplemental sketches also avoids treating them as a complete replacement for architectural, structural, electrical, and mechanical drawings.
The commission’s property review reports that the main residence did not exist when Epstein acquired the property and cites county assessor records dating its construction to 1999. The 1997 design sheets, 1998 blueprints, and 1999 construction sketches therefore describe successive stages that should be examined together.
The Pool and Spa Room Documentation Gap
The 2013 Beaudin Ganze engineering report identified as EFTA01083777 concerns conditions in the ranch pool area. The published investigation of that report says the engineers understood the pool area to have evolved from an original spa room design and found limited documentation of the alteration.
This is a concrete construction question: when was the design changed, who approved it, and what plans governed the work? The answer requires the original spa room sheet, the 1999 supplemental sketches, later pool drawings, permits, invoices, and inspection records. The lack of documentation noted by an engineer does not establish an illicit purpose for the change. alisav.substack.com
Garden and Site Drawings
An April 2016 east garden correspondence file discusses a revised design, a mockup, pricing, and a clean drawing for changes to dimensions. A related file identified as EFTA01182712 lists image attachments concerning wall revisions and placement in the east garden. The correspondence shows active design work, but each attachment needs inspection to establish what the drawings depict and which proposal was approved.
The commission’s property section also describes assessor sketches, guesthouses, outbuildings, a helipad, an airstrip, and a hangar. An assessor sketch helps identify recorded improvements and dates. It is not a full architectural or engineering plan for those features.
Plans Versus the Property as Built
The 2001 ranch projects and tasks list records repairs, construction issues, decorating work, and decisions awaiting Epstein’s approval. Its dated entries can be compared with the earlier plans to identify changes in use or finish.
The commission’s interim report says maintenance, repairs, renovations, and other improvements continued from 1994 through 2019. It has not completed an accounting of the construction and operating records. As a result, the 1997 or 1998 plan should never be presented as a final map of the ranch in a later year.
A room label can identify a designer’s intended use on that sheet. A revision note can identify a requested change. Neither proves the final equipment installed, the activities that occurred there, or the existence of additional unshown spaces. Claims about concealed rooms, surveillance systems, shielding, or underground facilities require independent records or physical findings.
Evidence Appearances
- EFTA02674621 identifies the reported Cooper, Robertson & Partners interior elevation sheet.
- EFTA02674622 identifies a reported main house ground floor plan.
- EFTA02725489 identifies another reported ground floor plan appearance.
- EFTA01114019 identifies an additional reported ground floor appearance.
- EFTA01114017 identifies a reported basement plan.
- EFTA_R1_01956164 is identified in published research as another basement plan appearance; its direct file location remains to be confirmed.
- EFTA00686274 is cited by the commission for Bradbury & Stamm’s role.
- EFTA01083777 identifies the 2013 pool engineering report.
- EFTA00578213 contains the 2001 ranch projects and tasks list.
- EFTA02703081 contains east garden design correspondence.
- EFTA01182712 identifies related east garden image attachments.
What Is Still Missing From the Public Architectural Record?
The identified materials do not establish that the complete Cooper, Robertson & Partners set has been released. A complete inventory would need the cover sheet, drawing index, elevations, sections, structural plans, mechanical schedules, electrical plans, plumbing plans, specifications, and revision history. Comparable records would be needed for the guesthouses, staff buildings, hangar, airstrip, gardens, and later communications installations.
The commission’s interim report also notes that its accounting of construction costs and maintenance is incomplete. County permit and assessor files, architects’ archives, contractor records, and later owner records may fill gaps that keyword searches of the federal release cannot.
Questions for Further Investigation
- Where are the full drawing index and cover sheet for Cooper, Robertson & Partners project 96042.00?
- How do the three ground floor appearances and two basement appearances differ?
- Which 1999 supplemental sketches describe changes to the spa and pool?
- Are the March 1998 blueprints examined by KOAT the same revision as any federally released sheet?
- Which proposed garden changes were approved and built?
- What plans exist for the guesthouses, staff buildings, hangar, airstrip, and later additions?
- Do permits, invoices, photographs, and inspection records confirm the final layout of each building?
Sources
- New Mexico Survivors’ Truth Commission interim report provides the official property and construction overview.
- Alisa Valdes Rodriguez’s architectural investigation identifies the released main house drawing numbers and architect’s stamp.
- Alisa Valdes Rodriguez’s construction investigation discusses the 1999 supplemental sketches and 2013 engineering review.
- KOAT’s blueprint analysis describes the separate March 3, 1998 plans.
- EFTA01083777 identifies the pool engineering report.
- EFTA00578213 contains the ranch construction and maintenance task list.