Construction Begins on Advanced Tri-Services Lab

Construction is underway on the Tri-Services Laboratory Building that will house the N.M. Department of Health Scientific Laboratory Division, the N.M. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Diagnostic Services and the N.M. Office of the Medical Investigator.

Tri-Services Laboratory Building, Albuquerque, N.M. (Rendering courtesy Studio Southwest Architects)

The $86 million building will give the three labs, which have shared a building since 1974, more than double their current space. Adjacent to the University of New Mexico Health Sciences campus in northeast Albuquerque, the 190,000-sq-ft, five-story building is designed to achieve LEED silver by the facility's design firm, Studio Southwest Architects.

Each agency is located on a different level and has a separate entrance and loading dock, but the organizations share a central atrium lobby so that they can come together as needed. The building will be constructed of cast-in-place concrete, pre-cast concrete, metal panels, metal siding, EIFS and glass curtain wall on its exterior. The building will take advantage of its sloping site by incorporating a lower level below grade on one side to house mechanical, electrical and storage functions, while the exposed side on the west of the building will contain a sally port and a main loading dock.

There will be three BSL-3 laboratory spaces in the building, one for each agency. BSL-3 laboratories incorporate very high containment protocols. Other labs throughout the building will be BSL-2.

The largest tenant in the new building, the SLD will occupy about 106,000 sq ft on three levels. The new building will incorporate an advanced air handling system to allow molecular and genetic testing for investigating emerging diseases.

Jaynes Corporation is the general contractor for the project, which is scheduled for completion in May 2010.

WHPacific Designs NMSU Cultural Center

New Mexico State University's new Native American Cultural Center is being designed by WHPacific Inc. as a successful integration of traditional architecture into state-of-the-art educational building design. The Cultural Center, situated on the edge of Regent's Park, was developed out of a need for additional space for the American Indian Program operations and frequent tribal requests for more space and services for Native American students.

New Mexico State University’s new Native American Cultural Center, Las Cruces, N.M. (Rendering courtesy WHPacific Inc.)

Many Native American tribes seek to create schools that are immediately identifiable as belonging to the community, says Terrance Brown, FAIA, WHPacific's project manager. He adds that though the $2.5 million structure belongs to the Native American community at large, the challenge was to weave the most important elements of native cultures into a single form.

The LEED-sensitive design builds on the basic building blocks of Native American culture. The 'Circle of Life', a concept ever-present in Native American cultures, ties the building together and gives it energy and form, says Brown. An art gallery and public space gently curves around an interior dance court which brings the outside in, thus opening the building to 'Father Sky'.

Solstice lines demarking the seasons are noted by bold rugged walls which culminate as support for the gallery ring roof. Overlaying these prominent features are the cardinal directions which anchors the building and marks the entrances. A meditation room is located at the east entry to greet the morning sun and is marked by elements of earth, fire and water.

No general contractor has been selected yet, but the building is expected to break ground this fall with completion by fall 2009.

38-mi San Juan-Chama Pipeline Completed

The final segment of pipeline was completed for the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority's San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project.

The pipeline was installed as part of the final of 12 transmission pipelines which crisscross all segments of the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The 38 mi of pipelines will deliver purified surface water to seven reservoirs throughout the city when the project comes online later this year. Also included in the project are six miles of steel raw-water pipeline that will transport San Juan-Chama water diverted from the Rio Grande River to the Water Treatment Plant now under construction near Montano Road and I-25. Project completion is slated for later this year, with water delivery to homes and businesses expected to begin in late 2008 or early 2009.

To minimize disruption to traffic, the pipeline was inserted in tunnels under major streets and freeways, including I-25 and I-40 (twice). Affected streets included Jefferson, Central, Montgomery, Menaul, Coors, Rio Grande, Carlisle, Candelaria and San Mateo. The pipelines traverse several arroyos as well as the Rio Grande River. Five locally-based engineering companies and seven local and regionally-based contractors were involved in designing and installing the pipelines.

Once fully operational, the San Juan Chama Drinking Water Project will supply between 70 and 90% of the metropolitan area's future water.

To submit project news, events and personnel announcements, please email them to Scott Blair, editor, at scott_blair@mcgraw-hill.com. Include a color photograph or project rendering if applicable.