New Mexico's Best Buildings 2001

New Mexico Business Journal, June, 2001

THIRTEEN BUILDINGS, WITH A combined dollar value of $195 million, earned top awards in the annual Best Buildings competition sponsored by the New Mexico Building Branch, Associated General Contractors, and the New Mexico Business Journal. The buildings ranged from casinos to courthouses; five of the thirteen are publicly owned.

Two of the winning entries, Albuquerque's KiMo Theater and Manzano High School renovations were designated by the judges as "grand winners.

Judges were G.W. "Bill" Stuckman, general contractor, AGC past president and distinguished member; Garlan Bryan, AIA, Albuquerque architect, and Roger Lujan, AIA, Director of Facility Planning, University of New Mexico. The winning contractors, owners and architects were recognized at an awards banquet in May.

Exterior Winner

DEVELOPMENT@25, Albuquerque

Owner: Provident Realty Advisors, Inc.

Architect: Dekker/Perich/Sabatini

General Contractor: Jaynes Corporation

Cost: $11.8 million

Photographer: Michael Barley

Judges' Comment:

"Development@25 is a 49-acre master-planned retail and office park that expanded upon an old abandoned manufacturing plant in the area of what was known in the 1970s as the Albuquerque Industrial Park. This area became the fast- growing office and retail area known as the Jefferson Corridor in the 1990's...The two-story office building incorporates similar forms, materials and colors...The arches were retained and replaced from the original structure and provide a strong, similarly repetitive pattern of structure...The brick veneer was also replaced with a glass curtain wall to open up to interior office areas to excellent mountain and distant views in all directions...Creating a highly visible landmark was important to the owners as was the goal of creating a functional office park... Both were achieved by master-planning the site for future development and creating design guidelines."

Exterior Winner

CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ARID LANDS, Las Cruces

Owner: New Mexico State University

Architect: Van H. Gilbert Architect

General Contractor: Jaynes Corporation

Cost:: $18.6 million

Photographer: Russell Mott

Judges' Comment:

"The new CSDAL administrative, class room, and research laboratory building is an educational and advanced research facility devoted to the study of sustainable agriculture in New Mexico and other parts of the world...The new facility was designed as the final piece in the construction of a master plan concept and anchors the west end of the campus...Set against the dramatic back ground of the Organ Mountains, the con temporary design of the Center is deeply evocative of early Mission Style architecture...The design addresses early cam pus buildings which featured sloped, red clay tile roofs and architectural roof brackets, portals and native stone walls, articulated stucco details and architectural pre-cast features at the entries and window sills...The lighted tower can be seen from nearly everywhere in Las Cruces and shines crimson red to announce victories at sporting events."

Exterior Winner

DOUGLAS HALL, NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY, Las Vegas (for Exterior- Additions to Buildings)

Owner: New Mexico Highlands University

Architect: Lloyd & Tryk, Architects

General Contractor: Franken Construction Co., Inc.

Cost: $4.5 million

Photographer: Andrew Burmeister

Judges' Comment:

Douglas Hall was the first public school in the New Mexico Territory, having originally been built in 1891... The building which is now in use was designed by John Gaw Meem after the original building was destroyed by fire in 1927...The building was used as an elementary school until 1990. New Mexico Highlands bought it in 1994 and renovated it, following State Preservation guidelines... In the process, a three-story addition was added to the west and was connected to the existing building by two-story, 330-ft long glass corridor... Brick was used in the addition to be compatible with but does not duplicate the original...The mansard tile roof was similar but also does not duplicate the original ...The glass two-story connector (and basement level connection) not only clearly separates the old from the new, but is also a primary entrance to both buildings.

Exterior Winner

COMMUNITY BANK, Santa Fe Owner: Community Bank Architect: Archaeo Architects

General Contractor: Harris Builders

Cost: $2.9 million

Photographer: Knight Photography

Judges' Comment:

"The irregularly shaped property is located close to the downtown historic district and adjacent to a former railyard in an area of Santa Fe that is seeing new development intermixed with older structures...This stone and concrete ruin is a fragment of the roundhouse that served the narrow gauge rail line that went directly through the city from 1909 to 1940...Typical railroad materials and graphics are represented to provide a re reading of forms...Actual rail is utilized as a sunscreening device in front of the main lobby's large aperture that over looks the ruin...Cylindrical metal panels around the elevator tower are in reference to the water tanks of the past..."