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The School of Architecture and Planning

Client: University of New Mexico Design Architect: Antoine Predock Architect Executive Architect: Jon Anderson Architect Structural Engineer: Chavez, Grieves Consulting Engineers M/E/P Engineer: Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers Energy Consultant: The Weidt Group Code Consultants: Code Consultant, Inc. Civil Engineer: Jeff Mortensen & Associates Specification Consultants: KG Associates Builders: Jaynes Corp. Cost: $29 million
OPEN STUDIOS The studio spaces are not only open to each other, but also to the first-floor critique bridge, a space with rotating pinup boards and room for classes to gather. "Anything can happen in this space," says Predock. "It is the pulse of an architecture school. Here it's not locked away, it's at the crossroads." The open studios themselves were a conscious change from what the school had before, and a positive one, says Schluntz: "You just sense the intensity. Because of the openness, there is a lot of wonderful engagement that we didn't have previously." OPEN STUDIOS The studio spaces are not only open to each other, but also to the first-floor critique bridge, a space with rotating pinup boards and room for classes to gather. "Anything can happen in this space," says Predock. "It is the pulse of an architecture school. Here it's not locked away, it's at the crossroads." The open studios themselves were a conscious change from what the school had before, and a positive one, says Schluntz: "You just sense the intensity. Because of the openness, there is a lot of wonderful engagement that we didn't have previously." Predock describes the building enclosure as "a big unapologetic wall that has apertures that allow different possibilities." The expanses of glazing allow passersby on the south or north sides of the building to see the activity in what is often a 24-hour building. The openings also allow students to look out, which Predock notes is something "that people in these studios need to, but don't often, do." His client is pleased. "The building responds even beyond my expectations," Schluntz says. "The school and our programs went from virtual obscurity to being the prominent feature on this segment of the campus." "The guts of the building are hanging out, in an instructional sense," says Predock, when describing the building's interior. All systems are exposed, from the massive steel trusses to cable trays that snake along the ceilings, bringing power and network operations to every workstation. The exterior walls--of poured-in-place concrete tinted an adobe tone to match the other campus buildings--are exceptionally thick. The thickness accommodates a plenum that creates airflow in an inductive-air system. South Facade Section Critique bridge as seen from studio space OPEN STUDIOS The studio spaces are not only open to each other, but also to the first-floor critique bridge, a space with rotating pinup boards and room for classes to gather. "Anything can happen in this space," says Predock. "It is the pulse of an architecture school. Here it's not locked away, it's at the crossroads." The open studios themselves were a conscious change from what the school had before, and a positive one, says Schluntz: "You just sense the intensity. Because of the openness, there is a lot of wonderful engagement that we didn't have previously." OPEN STUDIOS The studio spaces are not only open to each other, but also to the first-floor critique bridge, a space with rotating pinup boards and room for classes to gather. "Anything can happen in this space," says Predock. "It is the pulse of an architecture school. Here it's not locked away, it's at the crossroads." The open studios themselves were a conscious change from what the school had before, and a positive one, says Schluntz: "You just sense the intensity. Because of the openness, there is a lot of wonderful engagement that we didn't have previously." OPEN STUDIOS The studio spaces are not only open to each other, but also to the first-floor critique bridge, a space with rotating pinup boards and room for classes to gather. "Anything can happen in this space," says Predock. "It is the pulse of an architecture school. Here it's not locked away, it's at the crossroads." The open studios themselves were a conscious change from what the school had before, and a positive one, says Schluntz: "You just sense the intensity. Because of the openness, there is a lot of wonderful engagement that we didn't have previously."
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Project Details

Project Name
The School of Architecture and Planning
Location
The University of New Mexico
Albuquerque ,
NM ,
United States
Client/Owner
The University of New Mexico
Project Types
Education
Shared by
Devan Maddox ,
Hanley Wood
Project Status
Built

Project Description

Cruising down old Route 66, motorists glimpse an interesting sight: a two-story movie screen attached to a 108,000-square-foot university building. A throwback to the drive-in and a showcase for student video projects, the screen is a calling card for Antoine Predock Architect's new School of Architecture & Planning at the University of New Mexico. The building had to accomplish many objectives: it had to provide a new face for the university along Route 66; complement the campus's ubiquitous Pueblo Revival architecture; and espouse modern design principles. It had to provide instructional space, build community, house a library, and answer the myriad needs of an architecture school.

Predock has crafted an open, unified space, with studios and critique space organized around a three-story well. Balconies, stairs, and a bridge encourage what Predock calls "visual eavesdropping," fostering social interaction and an environment in which students can learn from instructors and each other.

Read the full article: http://www.architectmagazine.com/educational-projects/old-school-new-school-university-of-new-mexico.aspx

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