If you have been to Mitchell Hall recently, you probably have been amazed by how much the renovation has improved the building. The first thing that most students have noticed is that Mitchell’s infamous sewage stench is gone. The building also feels more comfortable with its improved heating and cooling system. New amenities such as an Outtakes store and a computer pod have been added. Also, a brand-new KONE EcoSpace machine room-less traction elevator has been installed, replacing the existing hydraulic elevator. The KONE EcoSpace uses one-third as much energy as a hydraulic elevator and doesn’t use any oil. The one installed at Mitchell Hall has a capacity of 2,500 lbs, an increase of 1,000 lbs compared to the previous elevator to increase accessibility. It also has a voice annunciation feature that announces the floors the elevator stops at and the direction of travel. Mitchell Hall has been awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification for eco-friendliness.
There are three other buildings that are getting renovations. One of them is the old Architecture building, which will soon house the Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media program after its completion, and another is Tamarind Institute. Elevators (also of the KONE EcoSpace model) are being added to both buildings, and the goal for the Tamarind Institute is to achieve at least a LEED silver certification. Also slated to undergo renovations is UNM’s oldest building, Hodgin Hall, however, the renovations for Hodgin Hall will mostly be minor due to its listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Renovations have also been proposed for two buildings: Ortega Hall and the Riebsomer Wing of Clark Hall. Plans are not official and no specifics of their planned renovations have been released to the public yet.
You may have been to some other buildings that are not in good shape. Marron Hall, the building where the Daily Lobo itself is published, is one of those. This building was built in 1931. The building does not have a very good cooling system, making it quite hot in the summer. The bathrooms are in very bad shape, especially the men’s restroom on the second floor. The building is inaccessible, requiring people in wheelchairs to enter the building from the rear entrance. It does not have an elevator for those with a physical disability to get to the second floor. If funding does become available, these concerns should be addressed with the building, including installing a new energy-efficient heating and cooling system, new bathrooms, new windows and a new elevator (preferably an MRL traction elevator such as the KONE EcoSpace, ThyssenKrupp Synergy, Otis Gen2, or Schindler 400A).
Another building that may be able to use a renovation is Northrop Hall. Northrop Hall was built in 1953, three years after the construction of Mitchell Hall. As with Mitchell Hall, Northrop Hall could use an improved heating and cooling system and new bathrooms and windows. However, the elevator at Northrop Hall is in very bad shape. The ride of the elevator is jerky, and the rear door presently doesn’t serve any function. This elevator should be replaced soon, preferably by an MRL traction elevator.
One building that can use a minor renovation is the Farris Engineering Center. While not in extremely bad shape, Farris could at least use improved bathrooms and a new elevator.
While there probably isn’t enough funding for such projects at this time, renovations of these buildings should at least be considered, and once funding becomes available, it should probably be done soon.
