On the move

There aren't too many people who would say that moving is among their favorite activities. There is the organizing. The throwing things away. The transporting heavy items (especially for all the bibliophiles out there). And the boxes. So many boxes.

A major moving project currently under way in the heart of The University of New Mexico campus is no exception to that process: the demolition of the Humanities Building and temporary relocation of those who call it home.

While the campus is quiet during winter break, the move will be in full swing. Officially starting Dec. 16 (although individual efforts have been under way for weeks) and continuing through Jan. 10, the faculty and staff who have offices in the Humanities Building are being given new addresses for at least the next few years.

The Humanities Building was approved for construction in 1972, with construction beginning the next year - before many of its inhabitants were even born. In 2020, a facility condition assessment identified multiple issues with the building, including structural failure, frequent flooding, and various safety, code and ADA-compliance issues. It was determined that the structure that had been in place since the Watergate era could no longer meet the needs of the programs it housed and that the building was beyond repair. That meant a massive demolition and rebuild process would need to take place.

In its place will be a new building that will be home to many of the humanities and social science units of the College of Arts & Sciences. Currently, a process is underway to determine precisely which units these will be. This will be followed by design of the physical facility and then construction, with the entire process anticipated to take about three-and-a-half years for occupants to move in.

The Humanities Building is located in a central part of campus, right next to the Student Union Building and Smith Plaza. Its physical location is at the heart of campus, and so is its academic presence. Unlike more specialized programs like business or engineering, the programs in the humanities and social sciences touch nearly all undergraduates.

"We are thrilled that the building project is moving forward," said Jennifer Malat, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "The new building will provide a well-designed home for many of our units and a welcoming space for students in the College and students in other majors who are taking their general education courses."

A project of this magnitude takes time, money and a lot of planning and logistics.

The money for the demolition was taken care of, thanks to New Mexico voters approving the $52 million General Obligation Bond 3 on Nov. 5.

As far as the logistics involved to ensure the spaces are ready and meet the needs for the academic mission, a team was established internally with constituent representation from the College of Arts & Sciences faculty and staff, Office of Academic Affairs, and Facilities Design and Construction to lead the relocation effort. The team worked closely with each department to understand the needs of their faculty, staff and students, so as to co-locate personnel as best able within available spaces at UNM, as well as provide spaces that would least affect the activities of the department or program. Keeping these units on central campus was a top priority and a significant consideration when seeking temporary relocation space.

The Humanities Building is 67,828 gross square feet, and there are about 200 people moving out of Humanities, impacting 15 programs or departments.

The temporary relocation for these programs/departments will be spread across multiple facilities across campus including a newly designed surge space in Parish Hall. Looking forward at the university's capital plan, the need for flexible surge space was a key emphasis.

Parish Hall was identified as an opportunity to repurpose space used primarily for book storage, freeing up 18,000 square feet. With strong collaboration with the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences, nearly 150,000 books were moved to the UNM South Campus Repository over the summer. The repository allows valuable but lesser-used books to be stored at high density, yet keep them accessible by request within a short period of time for those who need to reference them.

Another building that needs some attention is Ortega Hall, which is around the same age as Humanities and is actually connected to the building. This aging facility is in need of some repairs to extend its life briefly until its space can also be replaced, and that work is expected to begin in 2025. Ultimately, this building will also be demolished and replaced.

The Humanities Building will be closed at the end of the fall semester, with abatement beginning in January, followed by demolition, which should conclude in fall 2025. The new building in its place is scheduled to open in 2028.

The College of Arts & Sciences is building a website on the move, including a directory of where to find Humanities Building residents. It will be updated throughout the project.

Additional logistical information will be communicated throughout the project from Institutional Support Services and the College of Arts & Sciences.