Like spidery cracks along the shell of a hatching egg, wire fences and hard-hat zones criss-cross the University of New Mexico Main Campus.
The crumbling of walls has become another ambient sound between Zimmerman Library and the Student Union Building, and blocked roads and pathways have become common occurrences. Students are surrounded by the signs of change.
UNM Main Campus has four active construction projects: the Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology, the Humanities and Social Sciences Facility, a new UNM Police Department Headquarters and a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Track, according to UNM Facilities Design and Construction.
Director of Facilities Design and Construction Kurt Schlough, and Director of Campus Capital and Space Planning Rosie Dudley, wrote to the Daily Lobo about the UNM projects.
The Humanities Building, which sits between Zimmerman Library and the SUB, is in its demolition phase, and scheduled to have complete construction documents in September 2026. Schlough and Dudley wrote that the redesign came about because the College of Arts and Sciences had outgrown its old space, and the new building is being created with growth and flexibility in mind.
“It will be a vibrant home for the Humanities, supportive of all students, regardless of major, with flexible learning spaces, technology-integrated classrooms, and areas for interdisciplinary collaboration,” Dudley and Schlough wrote.
Jason Wiberg and Kyle Pruitt, UNM students who frequently skateboard in the area outside of the SUB, said that the construction can be a mild nuisance.
“I say it’s a little inconvenient, not having this space right here,” Pruitt said.
The renovations can catch students’ attention as they watch debris rain from the sky while the demolition of the old Humanities Building continues.
“It’s loud, but it’s interesting,” Wiberg said.
Near Stanford Drive and Central Avenue, across from Johnson Field, workers make progress on the Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology. The new building will primarily house the UNM College of Fine Arts, including a 600-seat flexible concert hall, an art gallery, a sound stage, theaters and a two story Arts Lab, Dudley and Schlough wrote.
UNMPD will soon have a new headquarters in a strategically-chosen location. Currently, the UNMPD headquarters is a repurposed Hokona residence hall, a dorm positioned near the north end of the Main Campus. The new facility, which already has some of its steel structure built, will be located more centrally at the corner of University Boulevard and Mesa Vista Road, Dudley and Schlough wrote.
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“The new building, which is currently under construction and is anticipated to be complete by June 2026, is strategically located on the western edge of campus to allow for easier access and faster response times to North and South campus, as well as all areas of main campus,” Dudley and Schlough wrote. “This project will provide purpose-built space which will include a dispatch center, dedicated training areas, a public meeting room and updated spaces for the operations of the police department.”
The road work and construction near Las Lomas and Lomas by the Lomas Parking Structure is a city project, and is estimated to be complete in mid-October, Dudley and Schlough wrote.
“We understand that construction can be frustrating, especially when it affects parking, traffic flow, and daily routines. These projects are essential to maintaining and improving our campus for everyone — students, faculty and staff,” Dudley and Schlough wrote. “UNM works closely with campus partners to plan construction in ways that prioritize safety, accessibility and clear wayfinding. While temporary inconveniences are unavoidable, these efforts are part of building a better, more functional campus for the future.”
Dudley and Schlough wrote that construction projects serve a programmatic need, updating outdated facilities or providing spaces that offer better spaces that solve problems of function, flow and usefulness. However, a renovation can also serve a deeper, less tangible purpose.
“There is also an inherent value in how these projects make people feel. Each space on campus has its own purpose; whether it’s a classroom that sparks ideas, an athletic facility that challenges the body, or an art space that inspires creativity,” Dudley and Schlough wrote. “When the University invests in creating the right kinds of spaces, we’re not just improving or creating buildings; we’re shaping experiences, and we’re helping the UNM community to grow.”
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@daily lobo.com or on X @dailylobo
