The University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning celebrated a milestone- the ribbon-cutting of the newly renovated Predock Center for Design + Research, a project eight years in the making recently.
The center honors internationally acclaimed architect Antoine Predock and Constance DeJong, Professor Emeritus in the College of Fine Arts. The couple donated their home at 300 12th Street N.W. to the school to inspire future architects and expand opportunities for design education.
Speakers at the ceremony included Robert Alexander González, Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning; Tim Keller, Mayor of Albuquerque; Barbara Rodriguez, Interim Provost of the University of New Mexico; Alex Webb, the center’s inaugural director; and Keith Greer, development director. Each reflected on Predock’s legacy and influence on regional and international architecture.
“In our everyday life in Pearl Hall, Antoine continues to inspire us all,” said González. “He is our state’s success story. What he made possible in New Mexico remains unmatched.” Keller added that Predock “often described himself as a tumbleweed, saying he blew in like one and never left.”
The center includes three design studios for up to 40 students and displays of Predock’s models and design studies. Webb, who teaches the first advanced architecture studio there, said the space encourages experimentation and creative collaboration.
Two community-focused programs—the Design Planning Assistance Center and the Resource Center for Raza Planning—will also operate from the site, extending the center’s engagement beyond the university.
Rodriguez said, “This new center not only honors his contributions to design, research and teaching, but also continues his transformative legacy in the field of architecture.”
Image Courtesy: UNM News
