EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING RENOVATION

PORTALES, NM

M+Y worked together with ENMU to renovate the 1934 WPA-era Administration Building, with the primary task being to replace the heating and cooling systems. Because of the historicity of this building, our work required sensitive architectural intervention in the following areas:

1. Woodwork renovation for fan coil removal

2. Provision of shaft enclosure assemblies that linked the basement, floors, attic, and ceiling re-design

3. Selection of amenities in the Main Entry, Regents Room, and President's Suite

4. Careful work with contractors, ensuring cautionary construction work around Lloyd Moylan's historical 1937 murals

5. Accessibility upgrades and design of the building's entrance while preserving its original appearance

In the design process, M+Y met with groups of building occupants to discuss the individualized needs of specific spaces and departments, and we determined that an important aspect of our work is to distinguish between the original construction (which the project sought to preserve) and the accumulation of other layers of ad-hoc building renovation (which had occurred over the course of 80 years).