The common 1950’s bungalow (900 SF) has been outfitted with a new kitchen, additional bathrooms and bedroom, and a much needed larger living room. The original house footprint, reflecting the needs of a 1950’s family, required an update of powerful lighting, data, wifi, sound, new kitchen amenities, more space in general for growing kids and dogs. The new addition of spaces wrap around the original house, using the elevation drop - to create taller rooms with lots of natural light. Therefore, the hill part of NOB HILL is used to build voluminous rooms while still retaining the scale of the neighborhood.
The basement is cleaned and prepped for new work! The construction team is installing additional framing, new piping, new plumbing, and new duct work.
UNM CLARK HALL RENOVATION
The beloved John Gaw Meem Clark Hall, known as the Chemistry building, is experiencing a complete renovation of its laboratory facilities, student classrooms and auditorium. The original concrete structure revealed here, articulates the 1950’s era framework and slab condition. The coordination of the structure with the very large fenestration system for its time, is a classic expression of structural elegance in a large open space. The renovation work seeks to preserve its proportional clarity and incorporate today’s technical functionality.
NMT BROWN HALL "OLD MAIN"
This wonderful historic building has the opportunity to be renovated. Its initial stone exterior experienced an unfortunate fire in its early existence. Some of the original cornerstones and north entrance facade elements exist today. The image below is its 1939 WPA executed Spanish Mission styled entrance and facade. Today, beautiful trees grace the historic building to create a central figure on the campus of New Mexico Tech.
DEL NORTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
A new welcome addition to ROSWELL.
DEL NORTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The Del Norte Dragons can look forward to their new school taking shape. This summer, the construction companies, the administrators and hard workers of the community are taking extra care to make sure Del Norte is on schedule and ready for the students. This is a time, we can be grateful for the many people that care so much about education, our students, and the future of Roswell. We are so excited to see DNES be a reality and fixture in ROSWELL, NM!
METROPOLIS MAGAZINE FEATURES UNM SMITH PLAZA!
We are super excited to receive this national attention with our design collaborators: SURFACEdesign and MRWM Landscape Architects. This recognition not only affirms the strength of the design for our beloved UNM, but confirms our commonly held values in the strength of COLLABORATION. We are honored with this moment in the spotlight! We look forward to more opportunities to elevate and uplift the spaces in New Mexico. Our commonly held belief in materiality and its enduring qualities are investments into our culture, place and labor. We seek to incorporate our local traditions with contemporary expressions of architecture.
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
SMITH PLAZA WINS BRICK DESIGN AWARD! →
Thank you Brick Industry Association for this design award! M+Y with Landscape Architects MRWM, and SURFACE DESIGN practice the words of our geist teachers:
“Architecture starts when you carefully put two bricks together. There it begins.”- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
“Even a brick wants to be something. A brick wants to be something. It aspires. Even a common, ordinary brick... wants to be something more than it is. It wants to be something better than it is.” - Louis Kahn
The humble bricks come together to repeat its own measure, its patterns, with the ever presence to adjust its position. These movements in material bring beauty and elegance to textured space of the outside. The brick is the same but different in its ability to modulate the unit for its fullest expression. The brick is common, but rich and impressive by the artful hand/mind of the craftsperson! The brick aspires to be more, just as all architectural projects aspire to be more. It is our designed intention to take common materials, common circumstances and heighten the architectural potential for all buildings!
CHANGE
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ― Leo Tolstoy
Well, we try to do both. In that spirit, we experienced change these weeks in so many ways. We settled into a new reality, if not for the moment perhaps longer, of caution and care for ourselves and our clients over COVID 19. Our world has been made coincidentally larger and overwhelmingly connected AND smaller and forever precious. We are not only our own stewards of health but of the health of others. The compounded crises of our country is an opportunity to reflect upon our individual and collective roles in making the community we desire to see. We see that taking care of ourselves means taking care of and being responsible to our greater selves - our country. Until we see us as the US, we can not confidently move forward. All of us matter and matter greatly. Originally this note was to highlight that we have moved and it is time to be grateful and reflective of all that is ongoing, we are humbled that this is time where we require healing together and create action together to lift up the better parts of ourselves. (Edit: 06.01.2020)
We finally moved our office this last week to 2010 RIDGECREST DR. SE (across the street). We practice fastidiously the values of social distancing but bring our projects and our community closer to us in content, attention and focus. We are constantly seeking change to create a better work environment, better project environment. We anxiously await the change in our culture and community that better leads us to create the change we wish to see in ourselves.
ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL
New additions to the athletic areas of this high school is greatly anticipated. The students and community have waited a long time for the upgraded field facilities. We hope the Fighting Coyotes are finding their new den to their liking!
UNM CORONADO RENOVATION PHASE 2
Coronado Hall has needed some attention from many years of beloved use. The student Lobos have the opportunities to enjoy the new facilities in the upcoming academic year! We are proud of UNM for their leadership in addressing the issues of washrooms, shower facilities allowing for more privacy and individuality while maintaining everyone’s dignity in student dorm life! @CoronadoHall #GoLobos
NEW POSITIONS @McCLAIN+YU!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are expanding our team.
Position: Intern Architect/Interested Educator
McClain + Yu Architecture & Design is seeking a full-time intern architect with interests in architectural education and developing architectural skills in project delivery to join our lively team at the office and to work with principal in the capacity of teaching at the University. Revit knowledge is desirable though not req'd. Educational teaching experience is desirable though not req'd. Pay commensurate with experience. Please submit cover letter (Letter of interest in the office and interest in architectural education), resume, writing sample and abbreviated portfolio of experience. Contact: info@mcclain-yu.com
Position: Architect/Intern Architect (5 + yrs experience)
Are you ready for a change? Ready for an experience that counts? Ready to move your career forward? Ready to learn and contribute on an accelerated level? McClain + Yu Architecture & Design is seeking a full-time architect or intern architect with 3-5 yrs experience to join our lively team. Revit knowledge is desirable though not req'd. Pay commensurate with experience. Please submit cover letter, resume and abbreviated portfolio of experience. Contact: info@mcclain-yu.com
LANTERNS OF STEEL...
Pascetti Steel of Albuquerque has made a video via drone of the Lantern canopies on Smith Plaza.
UNM FOOTBALL LOCKER ROOM
Here is a skeletal look at the @UNMLoboFB #GoLobos new locker facilities! It sure looks better all decked out here: https://twitter.com/unmlobofb/status/1038446180609474561?lang=en
SMITH PLAZA RIBBON CUTTING
The official opening will be WEDNESDAY AUGUST 29th. 10:00 AM.
NEW MEXICO TECH DATA CENTER
The Data Center is ready and running for the new semester for New Mexico Tech. Faculty, students and staff will benefit from the security and knowledge that data locally situated.
UNM SMITH PLAZA: CAMPUS OASIS IN A DESERT SOON TO EMERGE
Albuquerque, NM. UNM Student Affairs website is very informative of the goals and use of Smith Plaza. The project is wIll on its way. The community of UNM will soon be able to circulate through Smith Plaza. Some elements are being built off-site and brought onto campus. The Plateaus, the Lobo Landing and the Lantern Shades are coming together to create an inviting plaza for outdoor unwinding.
DEL NORTE DRAGONS TO GET NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ROSWELL
Roswell, NM. The plans and planning are coming together to a very refreshed Del Norte Elementary School. The school boasts new circulation, new entry, a new identity. McCLAIN+YU with SMPC are meeting with the community and excited to facilitate the opportunity to bring this new school and campus layout to Roswell. Stay tuned!
Here is a preview the expansive additions and complementary fields for student athletes.
ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL TO EXPAND THEIR ATHLETIC FIELD CAMPUS
Roswell, NM. FIGHTING COYOTES can soon boast of expansive athletic fields campus at Roswell High School. This will be an epicenter for football, soccer, tennis, baseball, field and track, band, festival events. New accessible routes, parking and circulation will be implemented to facilitate concurrent events. Get ready for Friday Night Lights!
McCLAIN+YU VISITS CONSTRUCTION SITES WITH STUDENTS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
In an effort to help build knowledge across Albuquerque's professional groups, McClain+Yu supports and are excited to take students and others on visit of our construction sites. Smith Plaza on the campus of the UNM is taking shape and the brick paver work is beautiful. In the works of Louis Kahn, "You say to a brick, 'What do you want, brick?' And brick says to you, 'I like an arch.' And you say to brick, 'Look, I want one, too, but arches are expensive and I can use a concrete lintel.' And then you say: 'What do you think of that, brick?' Brick says: 'I like an arch.'"
Even the humble brick expresses an ability to be extraordinary. The brick paver work in Smith Plaza is an occasion to celebrate the BRICK!
ENMU NATATORIUM IS FULL WITH ACTIVITIES!
The University pool is a critical addition to campus living and the community at large. We are excited for Portales to be able to re-utilize the campus pool in its full capacity! Hope to take a dip the next time we are down there!
SPRING IS HERE AND NEW CONSTRUCTION SITE SIGN GOES UP!
It's always exciting to see the signs go up and new projects to commence. We are pleased in Socorro another McCLAIN+YU sign goes up for a project. Happy spring!