Despite the continued production of carbon prints by the Tamarind Institute, its carbon footprint is soon to be significantly decreased.
The Tamarind Institute will be completely moved from its current location at 110 Cornell Dr. to the old UNM Architecture and Planning Annex at 2500 Central Ave. The renovation carries a budgeted cost of $4.9 million.
The institute is upholding state- and university- wide environmental standards by using sustainable features like storm water collection systems, usage of recycled materials and skylights.
Director of the Tamarind Institute, Marge Devon, said she is excited for construction on the new building to begin because it offers an upgrade for the institute's current employees.
"We've been in this facility since 1971 and we've been in desperate need of a new one for a long time now," she said. "The Tamarind offers the only program of its kind in the world."
The Tamarind is home to the art of lithography, a form of print-making used by artists. Devon said that the Tamarind offers a program for students who want highly specialized training in this area after graduation and gives students from around the world experiance in this area.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
William Turner, director of the Office of Capitol Projects, said his department incorporated an environmentally-friendly design into all aspects of the renovation. Turner said the new Tamarind building will follow the "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" rating system required by the state.
Governor Bill Richardson issued the executive order requiring all state buildings to get a rating of at least "silver" under the LEED rating system in 2006. UNM adopted its own sustainability policy soon after.
Turner said new buildings can receive a "silver" rating if it has a number of energy efficient and environmentally friendly features.
"This building will cut energy use in half compared to an older building of its type," he said.
Also being implemented are an improved insulation of the roof and walls to reduce heating and cooling costs, an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, and a water-conserving plumbing system, Turner said.
"This type of building is more sustainable since we are taking advantage of work already completed in the past," he said. "We will also be recycling at least 50 percent of the construction waste."
One design feature that Devon said will be especially beneficial to the Tamarind students is the use of skylights and windows for natural lighting.
"The side of the building facing Central Ave. will have large windows where we will put lithography equipment so our process is visible from the street," she said.
Turner said the design will incorporate skylights and skylight covers purchased from a local company. He said the covers will reflect heat in the summer and insulate in the winter.
"Decent amounts of skylights are being provided because Tamarind is a lithograph teaching facility," he said. "The more natural light you have when doing artwork, the better the quality of the work."
Office of Sustainability Administrative Coordinator Mary Clark said that buildings of this sort often carry a high initial cost.
"The higher you get on the LEED rating system, the more expensive it is to construct the building," Clark said.
Although green buildings may be more expensive to build, Clark said that these environmentally-
friendly designs are worth the money to UNM.
"UNM is committed to the construction of energy-efficient buildings and to support energy conservation on campus," she said.
Turner said the money saved from the environmentally-friendly features would tip the cost/benefit analysis balance in the Tamarind's favor.
"A lot of UNM standards require durable buildings that are low-energy consuming so our maintenance costs are reduced over a long period of time," he said.
Tamarind Institute Groundbreaking
Friday at 5 p.m.
2500 Central Ave.
