Archinect - News

Diller Scofidio + Renfro reveal updated CCAT design for the University of New Mexico

2024-10-11T17:05:00-04:00

An update has been provided for the Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R)-led Center for Collaborative Arts & Technology (CCAT) design at the University of New Mexico’s main Albuquerque campus.

The $65 million project is 60,000 square feet in total, establishing a new gateway to campus at Stanford Drive and Central Avenue.

DS+R is working locally with the firm ROMA Architecture on what is the sole new construction realized as part of Studio Ma’s 2021 master plan for the College of Fine Arts.

Image courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R)

Inside the building, a 600-seat multi-purpose performance hall serves students and faculty alongside supportive "dynamic collaborative workspaces." A transparent "Super Lobby" is created by slicing through the three floating volumes horizontally at Level 2. A new, state-of-the-art ARTSLab with an in-house fabrication facility takes its place above it on the third level. These spaces match the design brief...

Former AIA Gold Medalist Antoine Predock passes away aged 87

2024-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

The Albuquerque Journal is reporting Antoine Predock to have passed away on March 2nd at the age of 87.

The architect and long-tenured University of New Mexico faculty member left a mark on the state he called his “spiritual home” over a four-decade career that culminated in the 2006 AIA Gold Medal and a Lifetime Achievement honor from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards the following year.

Predock is best known for creating the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg and a definitive portfolio of public, institutional, and residential designs in New Mexico and the Southwest Region, which was a constant source of inspiration. His work outside of the state eventually garnered the most recognition, notably his design for Austin, Texas’s City Hall, the Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, and the well-admired Petco Park in San Diego.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg. Image: Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Predock also operated an office in Taiwan ...

Get Lectured: University of New Mexico, Fall '23

2023-10-10T11:35:00-04:00

Today, Archinect is continuing our Get Lectured series with a look at the events taking place this semester at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning in Albuquerque.

This Fall’s SA+P public programming has already featured lectures from AIA Arizona President Damon Leverett and Outlaw Capital author Jennifer Tucker. The series will continue on Tuesday, October 17, with a visit from writer and architect Léopold Lambert and will be followed by Black Reconstruction Collective co-founder Felecia Davis on Monday, October 23.

This year’s New Zealand Harkness Fellow Jym Clark will speak on Monday, October 30, followed by a keynote address from the state’s Lt. Governor Howie Morales delivered to attendees of UNM’s Community Engagement Symposium, which opens on Friday, November 3. Finally, the Department of Architecture’s Chair and noted studio:indigenous founder Chris Cornelius will wrap things up for the Fall semester with the ACSA Fellows lecture on Monday, Novem...

Diller Scofidio + Renfro to design a new hybrid arts and technology center for the University of New Mexico

2023-08-08T16:48:00-04:00

Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) has been announced as the architects of a new $65 million arts and technology facility for the University of New Mexico’s main campus in Albuquerque.

Working alongside local practice ROMA Architecture, the firm expects to break ground next summer on the new Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology (CCAT) in line with the university’s two-year-old UNM College of Fine Arts Framework Plan.

DS+R’s Partner-in-Charge for the project, Benjamin Gilmartin, said it will be a "catalyst for the advancement of the arts in New Mexico." His team's collaborative design will reportedly meet the standards for LEED Silver certification while providing students with exhibition spaces, rehearsal areas, and a large concert hall.

The project will be enacted on a vacant site bordering the city’s Central Avenue, therefore creating a new gateway onto the 769-acre campus similar to several other recent arts-focused higher education projects at UPenn, Williams, and Dartmouth...

UNM architecture chair Chris Cornelius offers NYT an insight into how his Indigenous heritage informed his career

2023-03-10T14:42:00-05:00

Just over one year since Chris Cornelius took up his role as the Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of New Mexico, the architect and educator has spoken to The New York Times on how his career was informed by his upbringing and his Oneida heritage.

An enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Cornelius is also the founding principal of studio:indigenous, a design practice that serves American Indian clients. Back in 2017, to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Archinect included Cornelius’s firm in a list of our favorite contemporary practices led by Indigenous architects.

“In our neighborhood, there were no trees or sidewalks,” Cornelius told The Times about his childhood in a federal public housing project on the Oneida Indian reservation. “When I saw how different life was off the reservation, I began to think about how I could make an impact on my environment.”

University of New Mexico announces Chris Cornelius, champion of Indigenous design culture, as new Chair of Architecture

2021-09-10T17:16:00-04:00

The University of New Mexico (UNM) has announced Chris Cornelius as their new Chair of the Department of Architecture. A prominent advocate for the awareness of architecture’s connection with culture, particularly American Indian culture, Cornelius is set to take up the role on November 1st, 2021.

An enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Cornelius is also the founding principal of studio:indigenous, a design practice which serves American Indian clients. Back in 2017, to mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Archinect included Cornelius’s firm in a list of our favorite contemporary practices led by Indigenous architects.

His work has been recognized through numerous honors, including a Smithsonian Institution Artist in Residence Fellowship from the National Museum of the American Indian in 2003, and the 2017 Miller Prize from Exhibit Columbus. He was also among a grou...

Studio Ma has been selected to lead the design for UNM's College of Fine Arts expansion

2021-07-05T19:44:00-04:00

An art school in New Mexico is banking on an ambitious plan that hopes a leading regional firm’s name power will drive a cultural revival in a state holding a pivotal place in the history of American art.

Studio Ma has been tapped to lead the design for the University of New Mexico’s College of Fine Arts new master plan that will incorporate a five-step holistic process to develop an expanded academic facility in collaboration with Albuquerque-based firm Dekker/Perich/Sabatini.

A university press announcement pointed to the studio’s prominence in the field as a reason for choosing the firm University Architect Amy Cobourn referred to as “talented and engaging.”

Arts Lab. Photo courtesy of the University of New Mexico.

Studio Ma has guided the efforts to Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus tower complex, a massive science center at ASU’s original Tempe location, and a graduate dormitory that opened in 2017 at Princeton.

“The University of New Mexico is a locus in the ...

New ACSA President Robert Alexander González pushes for DEI in higher education and shares the importance of community colleges

2021-07-02T14:05:00-04:00

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has announced architect and academic Robert Alexander González as its 2021-2022 President. Not a stranger to the ACSA, González has been involved in the organization's leadership since 2019, serving as the second vice president and vice president in 2020. Now in this new role, he shares, "It's an exciting time to step into the presidency, with access to such a large membership that is continually growing."

University of New Mexico campus building courtesy of University of New Mexico, School of Architecture + Planning

Currently serving as the Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico, González's leadership experience within architectural academia is expansive. Prior to his leadership at the University of New Mexico, he's served as the Director of the Architecture Program at Texas Tech University and the TTU El Paso Regional Site. Beyond his experience in academic program management, rec...

Albuquerque mayor declares June 24th Antoine Predock Day

2021-06-28T15:50:00-04:00

In a surprise announcement, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller declared June 24, 2021 “Antoine Predock Day” – honoring the work of internationally acclaimed architect, Antoine Predock. The declaration came during an event held by the UNM School of Architecture and Planning celebrating Predock’s 85th birthday.

While originally from Lebanon, Missouri, Predock has stated that he considers himself an Alburquerque native. He studied engineering and architecture at the University of New Mexico (UNM), and he eventually established his first studio, Antoine Predock Architect PC, in Albuquerque in 1967.

The AIA Gold Medal-winning architect is a prominent supporter of the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P). He’s designed several projects on the UNM campus, including the Cornell parking structure, the original UNM School of Law building, and George Pearl Hall, which houses SA+P. Predock’s also carried out an array of projects across New Mexico, including the La Luz community, Albuquerque Museum, Rio Grande Nature Center, and Spencer Theater.

Previously on Archinect: Antoine Predock donates property and archives to University of New Mexico

In 2017, SA+P announced the creation of the Predock Center for Design and Research in Predock’s former residence and workspace...

Get Lectured: University of New Mexico, Fall '20

2020-10-09T16:25:00-04:00

Don't miss the University of New Mexico's Fall lecture series as they shift the focus of their 2020-2021 series to virtual conversations. Their conversation series: Contesting, aims to generate an open discourse with students, faculty, and guests as they enter the 2020 Fall term.

Archinect's Get Lectured series highlight's upcoming lecture series and each school's graphic design prowess with eye-catching lecture posters.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

The school shares "in response to the global pandemic and the renewed fights to end racism and structural inequality, the 2020-21 lecture series committee and UNM's SA+P has opted for a 'conversation' series rather than a 'lecture' series. Now is the time for critical dialogue, difficult discussions, and debate." The school will have three virtual events revolving around the topics of Monuments, Climate, and Design.

During the months of October and N...

Architect and educator Robert Alexander González selected as new Dean of University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning

2020-05-13T14:37:00-04:00

The University of New Mexico (UNM) has selected Robert Alexander González as the new Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning.

González comes to New Mexico from Texas Tech University (TTU), where he currently serves as the Director of the Architecture Program and leads the TTU El Paso Regional Site. While at TTU, González has led a variety of school initiatives, including building a new graduate degrees in Historic Preservation Studies and Retail, Hotel, and Institutional Management. González also worked for nine years to "engage TTU in the city’s downtown renaissance, and he hopes to encourage the same kind of partnerships between the SA+P and Albuquerque and Santa Fe, where he currently resides," according to the UNM website.

In a UNM announcement, González writes, “I am excited about joining the UNM School of Architecture and Planning family. I found the School to be unlike any other program with its diverse faculty and staff dedicated to serving a culturally rich regio...

Antoine Predock donates property and archives to University of New Mexico

2017-12-06T15:17:00-05:00

A renowned architect and longtime Albuquerque dweller, Predock recently donated the Downtown property where he once lived and practiced to UNM – the school that helped turn the once-budding engineer into an artist. In the more than 60 years since he matriculated at UNM, Predock has designed projects all over the world [...]. But he has maintained ties to UNM, even designing the building that houses its School of Architecture and Planning.

Get Lectured: University of New Mexico, Fall '15

2015-09-22T13:10:00-04:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2015

Archinect's Get Lectured is ready for another school year. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Our next poster comes from The University of New Mexico, School of Architecture and Planning.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Listed below are upcoming events.

Sept 25
Kim Yao / Principal, Architecture Research Office (ARO) - NYC

Oct 2
Dianne Harris / Dean, College of Humanities, University of Utah - Salt Lake City

Oct 15
Photographic Notes on the Road exhibit: J.B. Jackson, 1955-1989

Oct 16-17
Photo Paysage/Landscape Representation Conference

Oct 30
David Hill / Asst. Professor of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Design & Construction - Auburn University, Alabama

Nov...

Get Lectured: University of New Mexico, Spring '15

2015-01-23T15:22:00-05:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter-Spring 2015

Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session! Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Today's poster comes from the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Unless noted, lectures begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Garcia Honda Auditorium in George Pearl Hall.

Jan 23
Stefan Behnisch / Behnisch Architekten

Jan 30
Alberto Perez-Gomez / McGill University

Feb 6
Nancy Meem Wirth / Preservationist - Santa Fe, NM

Feb 13
Nataly Gattegno + Jason Kelly Johnson / Co-founders, Future Cities Lab, California College of the Arts

Feb 20
Gregg Pasquarelli / SHoP Architects

Feb 27
Martin Stupich / Photographer - Albuquerque, NM

March 6
Ruth Wilmore ...