Noah Laffler/ Daily Lobo

PHOTO STORY: OPINION: UNM boasts diverse, distinctive architecture

Reflecting on my own studio crits and campus walks, navigating UNM's architecture as a student is a constant lesson in contrasts.  One minute, I'm sketching the imposing concrete masses of a Brutalist structure, grappling with its sheer monumentality and trying to understand the design intent behind that raw aesthetic. The next minute, I'm analyzing the elegant simplicity of the Pueblo Revival style, appreciating how it so seamlessly integrates with New Mexico’s complex history and landscape. Scattered between are modernist buildings that seem to bridge the gap striving for a clean, contemporary feel while still hinting at local materials or forms.