Leo a Daly and Conron & Woods Design New LEED-registered Building for State of New Mexico

published Oct 16, 2007
Leo a Daly and Conron Woods Design New LEED-registered Building for State of New Mexico
The design for the new Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) headquarters, which is a collaborative effort of the Phoenix office of LEO A DALY, the international architecture, planning, engineering, interior design and program management firm, and Conron & Woods Architects of Santa Fe, N.M., was recently completed.

The environmentally sensitive building, which will be located in Santa Fe, is projected to achieve a certification level of LEED Silver in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for New Construction (NC) rating system.

The sustainable design for the State of New Mexico building is notable for its beneficial use of indigenous materials and technologies.

The design uses a modern interpretation of historical and cultural influences, local geographic features, vegetation, and indigenous building techniques as inspiration.

In plan, the 35,000 square-foot building grows from its central courtyard much like a native yucca plant growing from its core.

In form, the building was envisioned to echo the timeless presence of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Santa Fe.

Solid, twenty-four inch thick rammed-earth walls (a building technique which traces its roots back 1,000 years to an adaptation of native adobe architecture) wrap the exterior of the building and create a sense of permanence, stability, and protection.

The use of multiple courtyards, a feature commonly found throughout the region, allows light to penetrate into the building and provides a sense of connection to the outside environment.