The UNM School of Architecture and Planning recognized Travis Price, published author and founder of a successful firm, as their distinguished alumnus of the year.
Price received the award at the school’s 9th annual Honors and Awards Convocation Ceremony, and almost a dozen students were awarded scholarships of up to $2,000.
Price said developing his own architecture firm, Travis Price Architects, was already in the works before he graduated from UNM. He said a budding interest in solar power helped make his senior thesis a reality.
“In school, I found some developers interested in my thesis, which was a solar village,” Price said. “I literally went up to Santa Fe, and while I was finishing my thesis here I got a gang of architects together and started my own business while I was in school.”
Price said early experiences with solar power and green energy have helped him develop his company into a global architecture firm. He said the buildings he creates are both energy and wallet-friendly.
“If you can’t build the first model for everyone, then you aren’t solving the problem,” Price said. “I’ve made a really strong presence in the practice through all these exciting, creative structures that are green and poetic, but all cost exactly the same dollar per square foot as any other conventional project.”
Price said students who get ideas in college should follow through with them because they are important. He said his firm built a shrine in Nepal, a stargazing temple in Machu Piccu and a temple in Ireland.
Price said attending the ceremony showed him how his career has evolved.
“It’s been like The Odyssey — I’ve come full circle back to the place where it all started,” Price said. “Just coming home and to get the applause is about as good as it gets in terms of feeling appreciated.”
UNM architecture major Kevin Naynard received a $1,000 scholarship and said he has already put the award to good use by purchasing a new laptop.
Naynard said he is interested in Price’s environmentally-friendly architecture.
“I’d like to make more sustainable buildings and make them on a smaller scale, not just these huge buildings that take up all this space and energy, and also have more gardens,” he said.
Jan Bandrofchak, development officer for the UNM School of Architecture and Planning, said the ceremony is important to students because they have the chance to mingle with alumni, donors and other students in the program. Bandrofchak said listening to accomplished architects like Price is important for students as well.
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“The issues that were important during Price’s time have kind of circled back and are becoming increasingly important now,” Bandrofchak said. “Certainly those areas of design — sustainability, solar power — have kind of circled back in importance.”
