Lincoln Elementary was awarded AIA's top honor the evening of December 2nd, 2022 at AIA Albuquerque's annual design awards and again for AIA New Mexico on April 28th, 2023.

This new school facility is an entirely new and was constructed on the active campus of its dilapidated predecessor. The school follows key sustainable principles and has become a beloved icon in the Gallup community. The design concept has two key components: a "re-stitching" of the bifurcated site into one seamless campus and "stacked opposites". The rugged environment of Gallup requires a durable and wear-resistant response at the ground level. However, the two-story scheme allows the upper level a fragility and refinement not possible on the ground floor. Inspiration is drawn from the southwestern landscape's color palette and the school's namesake, Abraham Lincoln whose likeness appears on the copper penny, to develop mesa-like, metal-clad striations with a ribbon window. With playful movement in the brise-soleil, it evokes a sense of wonder for its students. The resulting parti is a layering of lightness over strength.

The major design obstacle was a drainage ditch that bisected the school campus which isolated the play area towards the rear. The ditch was eliminated by introducing multiple large culverts with concrete retention components on either end to control water flow. The new site was developed on top of the underground drainage system. This design decision resulted in a number of benefits: 1) it increased site safety for the children and staff; 2) it elevated the new building on a plinth, increasing its visibility from the street; 3) it returned the street side of the site back to the community where new playground and playfield areas would be now adjacent to the public right of way allowing for community use. Jury members of the design awards recognized these efforts noting the following: "This design team was faced with many challenges and rose to them creating a design solution both elegant and functional as it is beautiful. Given a site that divided by a drainage ditch that presented a safety risk to the students, the design turned the liability into an advantage. Containing the required drainage in conduits allowed the school to be elevated on piles at the rear of the site.”

Jurors elaborated to say, “That decision allowed them to incorporate an improved park to become part of the school’s playgrounds while easing access to the school for the adjacent streets for parent and buses. Locating some playground space in front of the school enables their use during non-school hours with neighborhood eyes on enhancing security. The entry plaza is easily identified, easily accessed, and welcoming to the community. The brise-soleil, cut from sheet metal, folded and power coated, became a signature of the façade, a sunscreen and playful element that I can imagine the students love. Its playfulness is undeniable. This school is a great addition to its community.”

Baker A+D is happy to announce that the recently completed NMHU Rodgers Hall was awarded a 2020 AIA New Mexico Merit Award. The jury, chaired by Nate Hudson, AIA, said that "the attention to detail in this space was evident and thoughtful....the jury felt that the architects have masterfully given timeless sensibilities and a subsequent new life to this building for many decades to come." Photos by Patrick Coulie Photography.

Albuquerque, NM – The Jeff Harnar Award recognizes architecture that pushes boundaries and envelopes, and once again Baker A+D has been honored for its contemporary vision. This time, Baker A+D, which also won the award in 2009 and 2011, was recognized for its transformative work on the historic trolley barn at New Mexico Highlands University.

Baker A+D's goal was to celebrate the history of the site through the juxtaposition of modern and historic materials. The interior features exposed stone walls, polished concrete floors, exposed steel structure and a preserved steel barn door. Other custom elements include a laser cut steel map of Las Vegas, NM at the entry and an exterior projection screen integrated into the facade for outdoor teaching and community events. It also includes state of the art studio spaces, classrooms, offices, gallery and display space. The 100-year-old stone structure is now the new home of the University's Media Arts Program and has been officially named the McCaffrey Historic Trolley Barn.

“Throughout this project, we focused on honoring the rich past of the Trolley Barn, Highlands University and Las Vegas, New Mexico while also ensuring the Media Arts Program gained a modern, technology-rich space allowing students to embrace a digital future,” said Mark Baker, Principal of Baker A+D.

The award-winning architecture team for the Trolley Barn project includes Mark Baker, AIA, Tomas Sanchez, RA, Christine Williams, RA, Richard Pham, and Nicole Zollner with contributions from Neil Werbelow and Nick Rienstra.

The Harnar Award, sponsored by the Thornburg Foundation, comes with a $10,000 prize for Baker A+D. Other notable Harnar Award winners include Foster + Partners (London), SHoP Architects (NYC), Rick Joy (Tucson) and Antoine Predock (Albuquerque). The jury chair and lecturer for this year’s Harnar event was Marc Tsurumaki, a principal at Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis (LTL) Architects in New York, NY.

The Jeff Harnar Award for Contemporary Architecture was created by Garrett Thornburg in 2007 to honor the memory of Santa Fe, NM architect Jeff Harnar and help continue his groundbreaking work in the area of contemporary design. In 2018, the Jeff Harnar Award has been expanded to include The Jeff Harnar Award for Unbuilt Work in the categories of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

After almost a year of planning and construction, 505 Central reopened its doors as a mixed-use development in August of 2017. It has historically served as single-use, shifting primarily between office and commercial use, but it now provides commercial and office space on the first floor and mezzanine while the second and third floors have been redeveloped into 34 loft apartments.

The redevelopment at 505 Central has been met with positive feedback for the past year and even before it officially opened its doors. Both tourists and locals enjoy Humble coffee on the first floor, and the residential upper floors have maintained in full occupancy. 505 Central has now been recognized by NAIOP and AIA this year with two awards.

For the Mixed-Use category of the NAIOP’s 2018 Awards of Excellence, 505 Central was awarded a merit award. The project also received a citation award in the category of Remodel and Adaptive Reuse at AIA Albuquerque’s 2018 Awards for Outstanding Architectural Design. Judges and jury members noted how 505 Central “exemplifies a skillful low budget conversion of a department store into a residential project and the challenges posed by the deep floor plate. From a public space perspective, the renovation offers an interesting connection with the context through the café space on the first floor by setting back the façade to offer outdoor seating.”

We are happy to report that Gallup’s Lincoln Elementary School is coming along very smoothly since the start of its construction. Here’s a sneak peak of the copper panels finally finding its home on the brise-soleil! With many of Lincoln’s components progressing forward with installation, we are excited to see this building nearing completion and just about ready for its residents to move in. Lincoln Elementary is currently still operating in their old school building, while the new Lincoln school building is going up where the school playground use to be. The new school building should be up and running in the spring of 2019.

Once everything from the old building moves into the new building, a new playground will replace the old building, and the ol' switcheroo is complete! While construction is making great progress, the anticipation of completion makes for an excruciating wait. We’re thinking the students, staff, and faculty are ready for a much overdue upgrade… and we hope this is a pleasant surprise for them!

Stay tuned!

We're excited to be taking part in this year's Parade of the Playhouses. Special thanks to our sponsors BECK T.O.I. and Anchor Built for partnering up with us here at Baker A+D and making this happen!

Join us along with New Mexico Appleseed's Fifth Annual Parade of the Playhouses on Friday, August 17 at 6PM at the Albuquerque Bio Park Botanic Gardens! But wait... don't forget to get your raffle tickets for a chance to win the "Grown-up" Playhouse! It'll definitely be a fine addition to your outdoor patio. All proceeds of this raffle benefit NM Appleseed's groundbreaking work feeding low-income children, preventing foster care and homelessness, and providing opportunities for youth to leave the circle of poverty. Don't miss out on this opportunity.

We're glad to see that our collaboration on the High and Dry Brewery is in the realm of completion. High and Dry's Grand Opening on February 10th was met with tremendous success. Its business model of small batch brewing is something that we think really creates that neighborly kind of feel, and we hope that the neighborhood feels the same way. We've enjoyed being part of its development and are happy to see the resulting outcome (the dog-friendly patio out front is especially a favorite of ours).

Check out KOAT's interview with High and Dry to take a peek into their brewing process, philosophy, and space. Of course, follow your neighborhood brewery and check out what they have on tap on their website. Now that they're completely open, drop by the place that is deemed "a spot for everyone."

After enduring for 105 years, the old sandstone building in Las Vegas, NM, receives an uplifting remodel. Whilst retaining the historic facades and reusing much of the steel components of the building structure, the Department of Media arts & Technology was given new form. The juxtaposition between the new and modern against the historic brick create a reveling space for design and creation.

At the AIA Albuquerque Awards Ceremony on Friday, December 8, jurors Mark McVay, AIA, and Mohamed Sharif, Associate AIA, led by Margaret Griffin, FAIA, remarked, "A deft bricolage of historic and post-industrial materials, this project deploys sensitive and surgical strategies to create a set of spaces that easily occupy new thresholds between the old and new. The entropic lightness of scrim-like surfaces compliments the heavy stone mass of the existing building."

While the design builds to create a unity between the past and the present, the building performance goes on to demonstrate the goals and aspirations of both the founders and the students who entertain its halls. The Historic Trolley Barn is now registered with a LEED Silver Certification in energy conservation and sustainable design—a stunning example in itself for the students who pursue media arts and technology.

Ernie Pyle, while a new building constructed from the ground up, also met some unique conditions within the site. The building location situated between the two major outdoor assembling areas which meant the circulation between these two areas and how the new building would connect them was extremely important. Instead of erecting what would have been equivalent to a massive wall, the new Ernie Pyle school building sits on a series of columns, opening a clear circulation path while creating an extension to the adjacent playgrounds with its forest of columns.

The jury members were "impressed with the economy of means of the fundamental diagram of this project" and went on to note that the "Lifting the building creates a new public space while maintaining visual connection to the fields. The over scaled stair creates a unique entry, while activating the shaded space."

Baker A+D would like to take this opportunity to extend gratitude and congratulations to everyone who participated in the design and construction of these two wonderful projects!

The piles have been dug and rebar are in place... Following the award winning designs of Ernie Pyle Middle School and New Mexico Highlands University's Trolley Barn, Baker A+D brings another stunning design to education in New Mexico.

Lincoln Elementary pays homage to our 16th president of the United States by utilizing copper to form the exterior facade. The copper accent creates a sense of place in the desert landscape of New Mexico and reminds us of the indigenous Navajo people and the materials used in their jewelry and crafts. The desert copper identity coupled with the modern open spaces in the interior will surely create a beautiful and imaginative environment for the kids as they learn and grow. Look forward to the completion of Lincoln Elementary soon!

Led by award-winning architect Tania Salgado, the jury of AIA New Mexico honored Baker A+D with two awards at the 2017 Awards Gala in October.

NMHU Trolley Barn received AIA's top Honor Award for its richness in blending the past and present. The jurors described the Trolley Barn by saying, "Quietly this project integrates the old and new to achieve a timeless unity." The preservation of the historic brick facades in the project offset by a modern touch enhances the visualizations of past and present and creates enduring contemplative space in the interiors. "A seamless interplay of the historic textures in the marriage of the new materials and the boundaries are blurred very well," noted the jury members. Truly humbling words from the esteemed jurors.

Ernie Pyle Middle School took home one of two Citation Awards. The jury noted Ernie Pyle's translation from a clear diagram of circulation opening the ground floor and connecting the project's site. The column of forests below created an extended, imaginative playground. The strengths of Ernie Pyle were noticed, as the jurors put it, "Schematic clarity was the highlight of this projects with its forest of columns and usable protected space beneath the simple linear upper floor."

Again, Baker A+D would like to thank each and every person who was part of the design and construction team. Look forward to many more exciting projects to come!

Baker A+D has partnered with High and Dry Brewing to design and open a new brewery in the Highlands neighborhood between Lomas and Central. The new brewery hopes to create a new place that is designed for everyone; it will be a neighborhood destination where locals are able to walk to and spend a nice afternoon or get together with some friends and go out for an evening drink. Read more at Albuquerque Journal and stay up to date with what's happening!

Downtown Albuquerque has been making some major changes recently, especially at 505 Central, where local Humble Coffee recently held a successful grand opening. But the success continues with the what-use-to-be vacant Sear's building with tenants filling the apartments on the second and third floor. Along with Baker A+D's move to fill 505 Central, only a few apartment vacancies and 1st floor corner suite remain. Check out Albuquerque Journal's article and follow 505's journey as it grows and changes!

The Historic Trolley Barn was among the 2017 award recipients of New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Historic Preservation Division and received the 2017 Architectural Heritage Award for its adaptive re-use and preservation of the historic Trolley Barn in Las Vegas. The Trolley Barn is a unique blend of modern and historic architecture and uses contemporary technologies while preserving the architectural character of the stone exterior and structural steel inside.

As stated by Rick Hendricks, DCA's Cultural Properties Review Committee chair, “The project is an outstanding adaptive reuse of a significant building in Las Vegas’s history. The committee was impressed that the new architecture complements the historic and conveys the building’s new purpose.” Las Vegas Citizens' Committee for Historic Preservation chair further said “The Trolley Building stands as an outstanding example of what can happen when someone sees beyond a crumbling historic ruin and envisions a building dedicated to learning. The shell of the Trolley Building has been creatively restored and expanded to become a world-class facility for Highlands University’s media arts program.” Find the complete article at NMHU's news highlight.

The Trolley Barn is honored to have received such recognition from both the state level and the community level by their words. Baker A+D would like to thank and congratulate everyone who was part of the design and construction of this project. It would not have been a success if it was not for everyone's combined collaboration.

A jury has selected the Ernie Pyle Middle School Fine Arts Renovation as the recipient of a 2016 AIA Albuquerque Merit Award. The jury called the project "a remarkable transformation that substantially elevated the presence of the arts programs on campus both visually and spiritually."

The project brought an existing 9,000 sf fine arts building back to life with a full scale renovation, 4,000 sf addition, and numerous site upgrades. The jury recognized the importance of the new entry portal and its enhancement of the existing campus circulation, while also "setting a tone of elegant restraint that permeates the entire project." Also noted were the enlarged windows and north facing light monitors which "effectively brighten" the once dark and uninspiring classroom spaces. The creative use of color in the main lobby was praised as a "subtle nod to the vibrancy of the fine arts programs found within" while the classrooms successfully incorporated "a simple and tailored palette of elements, materials and colors that have been carefully and thoughtfully placed for performance and practicality."

The Ernie Pyle 6th Grade Building and Fine Arts Building have been ranked among the top LEED Certified buildings in the State of New Mexico, both bringing home LEED for Schools Gold Certification. The 116 panel solar array, recycled blue jean insulation, xeriscaping, efficient plumbing fixtures, acoustic analysis, and ample daylighting, and panoramic views all contributed to the high score.

New Mexico Highlands University recently approved of "Bond C," an economic plan that will benefit the local community and allow Highlands to invest in renovation of their historic Rodgers Hall. “During the past decade, general obligation higher education bonds have brought about $13 million to the Las Vegas economy,” said Highlands University President Sam Minner. “If approved this year, Bond C will bring $6.5 million locally including $4.5 million for Highlands and $2 million for Luna Community College.”

As the McCaffrey Historic Trolley Building was the most recent to benefit from Bond C with great success, Highlands is hoping Rodgers Hall will be shine under a similar light of success. NMHU news report highlighted, "The Trolley Building is the most recent to benefit from Bond C funding. It is another Las Vegas historic landmark that Highlands transformed into a state-of-the-art facility for its Media Arts and Technology Department, thanks to $6 million in general obligation higher education bonds as well as a $2.3-million New Mexico legislative appropriation."

“Rodgers Hall is another beautiful and historical building on our campus that we have a responsibility to take care of for future generations,” said Sylvia Baca, facilities director. “It hasn’t had any renovations in many decades and is badly in need of attention.” Rodgers Hall is one of Las Vegas' historic treasures, so the university is seeking to find a similar solution as it did with the Trolley Barn.

Follow NMHU news board to get the latest news on the developments at Highlands as well as at Rodgers Hall.

After a little more than a year of design and construction, the McCaffrey Historic Trolley Building opens with new doors as the new Media Arts and Technology Department at the New Mexico Highlands University. On September 12th, 2016, Highlands University celebrated the completion and transformation of this historic building into a unique blend of modern and historic architecture, a tasteful blend of both past and present.

Highlands University President Sam Minner spoke out at the ribbon cutting ceremony that day saying, “A few years ago, this important historical building was in ruins, but the space called to many who saw it for what it could be. Today, we formally open this new space and it is a jewel in the crown of Highlands. It’s a place of high learning, creativity, engagement and beauty. The sleek and modern work done here by our media arts students is connected to the past in a powerful physical way in this building.”

Alongside Franken Construction, the NMHU Trolley Barn was completed on schedule and within budget, something nothing short of a major success of coordination and teamwork. Rated LEED Silver in energy consumption and conservation, the Trolley Barn is sure to create an inspiring space for its future students to learn and create. Read the complete details of New Mexico Highlands newest edition of the Trolley Barn and all the excitement from the opening at NMHU's Hot news.

Support NM Appleseed and the Parade of Playhouses again this year in ending poverty and hunger throughout the city simply by joining a fun-filled evening event of going out and seeing (maybe even bidding on) some beautifully designed and built play houses. The Parade of Playhouses happens every year, and every year they raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to increase the well-being of children and young adults who may be struggling. Be part of this amazing effort by doing a small part and enjoying the rest.

Read more about the the 2016 Parade of Playhouses Gala at KRQE's website. Of course, check out the horse, and without a doubt, see this year's rainbow trout!

Led by Franken Construction in Las Vegas, the NM Trolley Barn has begun construction and is well underway. With an emphasis on preserving the historic brick facades and maintaining many of the structural steel components of the building, the construction has started by laying out new foundation and creating new structural supports where needed. This historic walls are currently being held in place by bracing brackets, but they will soon be removed and held up completely by its own internal structure. The Trolley Barn will have a completely new face lift!

Read more about the construction (with more awesome photos!) at Franken Construction's blog and follow along with the process!

An esteemed jury, chaired by San Francisco Architect, Rod Henmi, has bestowed upon Baker A+D two AIA Albuquerque Design Awards.

KANW Radio Station took home the night's top Honor Award. The jury was impressed by the "clever adaptive reuse of an existing building but felt that it was equally strong as a design of excellence in its own right." They noted the "visibility and presence the new station created" and how the compact design provided a "surprising spatial richness." The "seamless integration between the hexagonal geometry of the existing and the orthogonal new facility allows one to forget this is an addition."

The CNM STEMulus Center received a Citation Award for Interior Architecture and Adaptive Reuse. The jury cited the project for "transforming an outdated and utterly forgettable interior into a new facility with a sense of purpose, energy and verve appropriate for its technology-driven program". The clever use of the hexagon in every aspect of the design, "from hexagonally-shaped pod spaces (in plan) to distorted hexagons as perforations in screens (in elevation)" also caught the attention of the jury.

Baker A+D would like to thank all those who were involved with the design and construction of these two wonderful projects.

An esteemed jury, chaired by renowned Arizona Architect, James Abell, selected KANW Radio Station as the winner of AIA New Mexico's top design award. The honest expression of the original structure, the seamless integration of signage and the creative "piggy-back" solution, which opened up the existing space and allows for sweeping views of the city and mountains, were all noted as reasons for the recognition. "Bunker to Bauhaus" was how one jury member described the process. For more information on the project, see the KANW project page.

We are excited to see KANW finally able to move into their new space. It seems like it is a major upgrade from their previous portable trailer situation, and we're hoping that the broadcasters and staff can feel much more comfortable and hopefully, more enjoyable, too! Above is volunteer announcer Ray Herne working in one of the newly renovated studios complete with some equipment upgrades, as well.

"After a year of broadcasting from a portable trailer, New Mexicos’s KANW 89.1 FM has finally moved into its newly renovated building on Central New Mexico Community College’s main campus. KANW is the oldest FM station in the state and primarily features New Mexico artists. It is a public, noncommercial station owned by Albuquerque Public Schools and operated by volunteers and APS staff. The station celebrated the opening of its new studios on Wednesday with live music from New Mexico musicians Al Hurricane and Al Hurricane Jr."

Read the complete article at Albuquerque Journal.

The local business-oriented magazine, Albuquerque Business First, recently contacted us to learn more about what we do here at Baker A+D. With their business focus, they were especially interested in our client roster, how we've grown our practice, and the crazy idea of Humble Coffee Company. Here's the full article.

The recently completed Children's Learning Center at Duranes Elementary was featured in Southwest Contractor Magazine which covers noteworthy projects in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. "90 Year-Old Duranes Elementary School Completed".

Albuquerque architects Baker A+D win the 2009 3form People's Choice Awards. The awards recognize the inspiring use of 3form panels in architectural design. 114 commercial/ institutional projects from around the world were judged in this competition. We are very happy to have received this honor, and would like to extend congratulations to the clients (Matt Ludeman, Mike Ludeman and Sam Etheridge) and fabricators (Luke Stribling and Christian Harper) who made this vision a reality.

The new 4th and 5th grade classroom building designed by Albuquerque architect Baker A+D is flying up. The masons are halfway up the 30' tall Art & Music Room with the unique 4"x8"x16" burnished concrete block. The contractor, MV Industries, has utilized some effective techniques to accelerate the construction of this school. They have pre-built most of the framed wall panels and roof trusses in an empty field adjacent to the site while the foundation work was completed. This strategy should help the students get into the new LEED Gold building in time for the 2010 school year.