University of New Mexico - Architecture School Competition

Garrett Smith Ltd. teamed with Rob Wellington Quigley of San Diego as one of three finalists in the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning competition.  The international competition was an 8-week design charrette and presentation for the design of a 68,000 sf building located between one of the major pedestrian gateways and one of the major vehicular gateways to the UNM campus along Central Avenue.  The building includes flexible instructional spaces; computing laboratories and classrooms; resource and media centers; student support areas; model shop; faculty, administration, and staff offices; community outreach program areas; and an auditorium.  The design addressed contextual issues regarding the University’s relationship to the commercial strip along Route 66, future directions in architectural, planning and landscape education, climate responsiveness, technological flexibility, and community presence.

The design team sought to contain much of the program within a large atrium canopy which was designed to demonstrate to students excellence in the application of technologies toward economy, sustainability and climate control.  The atrium affords a flood of natural light into the various flexible instructional and support areas while providing legibility to the complex program.  Modest, standardized materials and local building technologies were employed to demonstrate effective lessons in community and regional design.