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Bora Architects has teamed with Albuquerque firm FBT Architects to design a sparkling new building at the University of New Mexico. The McKinnon Center for Management will serve the Anderson School of Management.

鈥淚t’s designed with a lot of glass,鈥� said Michael Tingley, a Bora Architects principal. 鈥淭hey can have events that spill outside. The new building is designed to pair with one of the existing buildings to build a gateway to campus.鈥�

The new building will replace the 50-year-old Anderson West structure, which has served as one of the school’s three main buildings.

鈥淭o fit the building in we had to take down an existing building,鈥� Tingley said. 鈥淲e had to make a case why the (existing) building wasn’t good for the school’s future. (Demolition) opened up a lot of possibilities.鈥�

The result will be a four-story, 61,000-square-foot, L-shaped building. Had the old building remained, the only option would have been to build a box-shaped building in a parking lot.

Demolition 鈥渁lso allowed everyone at Bora to create a much more interesting building,鈥� said Shawn Berman, acting dean of the Anderson School of Management.

Also, without demolition, the new structure would have had to be at least five stories tall. A more expensive crane is required to construct a building taller than four stories, Berman said.

鈥淏y keeping it at four stories we were able to keep more money for the project,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a building that will give us more for the money.鈥�

The biggest advantage of the new building, Berman said, is flexibility. The structure will include an open area that can be used by groups that now must gather off campus.

鈥淎 lot of things have changed in the last 50 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is the emphasis on group work. The current building has no space for groups to meet.鈥�

An open courtyard space will stand between the new building and two others that won’t be demolished. That will allow the school to hold functions that extend outdoors.

鈥淭he existing school has nothing outside of hallways to host things,鈥� Tingley said. 鈥淥ne of the key things at the center of the design is a living room. It will make a hub for all three buildings that make up the school.鈥�

The space will include areas where students can plug in devices and engage in group discussions in a group setting, Tingley said. That flexibility also will extend to classrooms, where furniture no longer will be merely chairs and desks arranged in rows facing a stage.

鈥淲e are getting away from the sage on the stage, so to speak,鈥� Berman said. 鈥淲e will have movable tables that we can put in a circle around the instructor.鈥�

Additional technology will allow students to examine behavioral issues like how emotions impact financial decisions. The school will also have an innovation laboratory geared to help area businesses launch new ideas and technologies.

鈥淭his building will give us more advanced technology,鈥� Berman said. 鈥淚t will help recruit students and faculty. It’s hard to say how it is not going to improve our school.鈥�

Design Beyond Borders is a 91视频 feature offering a look at the projects outside of Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact 91视频 architecture and engineering reporter Kent Hohlfeld at 503-802-7224 or [email protected].