The University of New Mexico NEWS RELEASE |
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Feb. 4, 2009 UNM Architecture Student Wins National Student Design Competition Paz was awarded first place and $2,500 for his design of the Ocotillo Branch Library. The competition had 441 registrations for the competition, making it the largest AIAS student design competition in more than 20 years. Paz’s unique design combined the best of previous libraries with the new spatial concepts of today’s modern buildings. The majority of the design featured the sustainable component of sun shading, which demonstrated the flexible nature of architectural aluminum systems and provided a pleasing aesthetic and functional way to protect books from harmful solar rays, according to judges. Paz said, “The studio culture played a big role in my success. Being in a class with a lot of other motivated students created an environment in which we pushed each other to do great work.” Paz tackled the competition as a component of Associate Professor Geoff Adams’ graduate studio. Paz, son of Randy and Lorraine Paz of Mesilla Park, N.M., graduated from Mayfield High in Las Cruces in 2002. He transferred to UNM from NMSU after studying art and design for three years. He graduated from UNM’s undergraduate architecture program last spring and is in the first year of the UNM master of architecture program. “Graduate students who are successful in the competitions have gone through our undergraduate program,” Adams said. He said that Paz, like most architecture students, is “driven.” “He is genuinely inquisitive and has a strong work ethic,” he said. For the competition, participants were required to research, respond to and highlight the unique aspects of designing a library for the 21 st century that serves the selected site and community. They were also challenged to design a facility utilizing the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards. Competition objectives included developing knowledge about materials, products and installation that can help earn LEED certification points, as well as creating a facility that looks to the needs of the community. Throughout the competition students utilized Kawneer products in original ways including sun shading on storefront systems and curtain walls. Submissions were evaluated based on ingenuity and originality, as well as appropriate use of sustainable products and design clarity. Three winning designs and three honorable mentions were selected by the competition’s jury. The winning projects will be featured at the 2009 AIA Convention and Design Exposition in San Francisco, April 30 – May 2 and will be published in the Spring 2009 issue of Crit, the Journal of the AIAS. In addition, the AIAS chapter at each school will also receive a cash grant. “After graduation I plan on working as an intern in a large city like New York or L.A. for a year or so and ultimately want to start my own firm in Las Cruces or El Paso,” Paz said. ### | |
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Contact: Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920
University of New Mexico architecture student Mark Paz is the winner in the third annual design competition sponsored by the American Institute of Architecture Students and Kawneer Company, Inc. The competition challenged students to design a library while learning about building materials, specifically architectural aluminum building products and systems.