Contact: Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920

February 7, 2008

‘George Anselevicius Day at UNM’
AIA Gold Medal Architect Ricardo Legorreta to Speak

George Anselevicius served as dean of the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning from 1981-93, but that was only a small window in the time he has spent teaching and nurturing the school’s students and programs. For his contributions, he will be honored on Friday, Feb. 8 at noon at UNM’s George Pearl Hall when a proclamation will be read designating the date “George Anselevicius Day at UNM” as signed by President David J. Schmidly.

“I am thankful for the honor and quite surprised of it,” Anselevicius said. He was more anxious to talk about his friend, a special guest coming to Albuquerque to honor him.

Ricardo Legorreta, the internationally acclaimed architect from Mexico City, will present, “Recent Projects,” at 5:30 p.m. in the George Pearl Hall auditorium. Anselevicius will introduce Legorreta. Seating is limited and tickets are required. For ticket information call Jan Bandrofchak at 277-6442 or email janban@unm.edu. The lecture will also be televised in George Pearl Hall P-104.

Anselevicius met Legorreta in 1970. “I was teaching a studio in San Miguel de Allende and I asked him to come to teach or lecture. He came for a number of summers after that,” Anselevicius recalled.

Legorreta, who received the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal in 2000, has left an impression on the New Mexico landscape. Santa Fe’s Zocalo – casita style condominiums – are designed with a brilliant use of color and traditional Mexican architectural elements that showcase Legorreta’s signature use of vivid hues, geometrics, and warm, abundant light.

Zocalo began with developer Don Tishman’s desire to create an exquisitely designed but affordably priced residential community with high-quality amenities in New Mexico.

Anselevicius is a friend of Tishman’s, as well. “Fifteen years ago I asked Don to come teach real estate at UNM. He still teaches today.” He added, “I was familiar with Legorreta’s work and thought it would work well in the New Mexico architectural scene,” he said. Anselevicius brought Legorreta’s work to Tishman’s attention.

Tishman was inspired by Legorreta’s work, and with his firm that had also designed the Visual Arts Center for the College of Santa Fe. Legorreta accepted Tishman’s challenge to create an architecturally outstanding condominium development that offered exceptional value at an accessible price.

Early in his career, Anselevicius, a Lithuanian immigrant, was an architect in London, Chicago, New York and Detroit. His first teaching job was at the Institute of Design in Chicago in 1949. After three years, he returned to practice and while in St. Louis was offered a position at Washington University. He established a private practice with Roger Montgomery, who later became dean at Berkeley, and they received several design awards for projects in the St. Louis area.

He then became chair of architecture at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard. Then he was off to SUNY Buffalo to help them get their program accredited.

“In 1981 I was offered the deanship at the School of Architecture and Planning at UNM. I accepted, as I was always interested in the Southwest and my wife, Evelyn, had a studio in Mexico,” he said.

After becoming dean emeritus in 1993, he continued to teach a housing studio as a seminar on typology. “As dean or chair I always taught studios because they link me to students,” he said.

An important aspect of his career has always been his connection with foreign schools. “Those connections, their faculties and students helped me grow,” he said. He was a visiting professor in India, Switzerland, Mexico and Jerusalem, to name just a few.

Roger Schluntz, Dean, School of Architecture and Planning said, "I have known and admired Prof. Anselevicius for many years, before either of us thought about coming to New Mexico. While a talented architect and dedicated academician with amazing accomplishments, many of us know George best for remarkable wit and unique personality. He is not only an iconic figure in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning, but nationally as well!"

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