University Roofing

Progressive Roofing-Albuquerque is proud to have been part of the Farris Engineering Center 25.5 millionUniversity Roofing in New Mexico renovation project.  The Farris Engineering Center is part of the University of New Mexico and houses the university’s Chemical, Biological, Computer, and Nuclear Engineering departments. The engineering center is located at 1901 Redondo Drive South NE, Albuquerque, NM.  The renovation was designed to maximize the reuse of demolition materials by over 85%, add 10,000 square feet to the first floor while renovating the original 67,000 square feet. A new high-efficiency building infrastructure was installed to reduce energy usage by more than 50%.[i]  Progressive Roofing installed 17,300 square feet of fully adhered Johns Manville 80 Mil PVC (white) to complement the building’s energy efficiency. Also, Progressive roofing installed 6000 square feet of Hydrotech 6125 Monolithic Membrane over ½” concrete roof board.

Progressive roofing would like to thank the Regents of the University of New Mexico, RMKM Architecture, P.C., and Bradbury Stamm for the opportunity.

[i] https://engineering.unm.edu/news/2018/03/farris-engineering-center-dedication-draws-hundreds.html

The renovated building houses the School of Engineering departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Computer Science and Nuclear Engineering. Farris Engineering Center houses the staff and student offices, computer labs, server rooms, conference rooms and event space for the three departments.

The renovation utilizes the original concrete structural skeleton of the original building. The project was creatively designed around maximizing reuse, reducing waste in the demolition. The entire project has more than an 85 percent recycling rate for construction waste management.

“Planning, Design & Construction is proud to deliver this high performance facility to our educators, who are all very happy to get back to work in the new, fabulous Farris,” said Amy Coburn, UNM’s University Architect and director of PDC.

Upon entering the Farris Engineering Center, the most notable difference is the natural light that was almost nonexistent in the 1967 Brutalist building. Electrochromic glazing wraps the building envelop and electronically darkens and lightens to manage solar radiation without impeding the vast views of the campus and the surrounding City of Albuquerque. This high-tech glazing is the first of its kind on the UNM campus, making for an energy efficient and comfortable interior environment.

“This is a modern, technologically-advanced space that finally is worthy of one of the most innovative and technologically-advanced engineering programs in the country,” said Christos Christodoulou, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing. “It is fitting that the School of Engineering have one of the most — if not the single most — modern buildings on campus. The main goal of the renovation has been to enhance student learning and the collaborative environment, and we are excited about the future in the new building.”

Interior glass partitions create an open ambiance connecting collaborative spaces, study areas, research, labs and office spaces. Due to the abundance of glass, there are several places where one can see straight through the building and experience a sense of connectedness with the campus environment. Read more here