Master’s students in the School of Architecture and Planning tackled design problems in the commercial/residential neighborhoods south of the campus in the “student ghetto” this spring in architect Anthony Anella’s community studio. Anella recently presented the students’ work to university and city officials.
Photo: Architect Anthony Anella
The students’ proposals addressed the private sector side of Central Ave., concentrating on the area between Stanford and Princeton from Central to Silver.
“The area just south of the UNM campus is underdeveloped. It is frequently referred to as the ‘student ghetto,’ and is characterized by absentee residential landlords and precarious commercial enterprise,” Anella said.
The design problem sought to promote cooperative action between the university and the city and a win-win for the benefit of the entire community, he said.
“The students came up with creative ideas to revitalize the area while retaining its character as a student housing district,” he said.
“As architects, we can be more effective if we can identify an overlap of social needs. We can also be more effective if we understand the fundamental forces that influence the town-gown relationship and shape the built environment at the interface between the UNM campus and Albuquerque,” Anella said.
“Only by understanding these social, entrepreneurial, financial, regulatory and political forces can we learn to influence those forces so that they align with our design objectives,” he said.
This was a preliminary discussion to bring attention to the situation to campus and civic leaders.
“Additional sessions will take place with neighborhood groups and others to involve the community further in developing a course of action. We will be happy to host those events here at the school, said Roger Schluntz, dean, School of Architecture and Planning.
Media Contact: Carolyn gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at June 21, 2006 04:47 PM