SMU-IN-TAOS MASTER PLAN + PHASE 1

The SMU-in-Taos campus is located outside of Taos along Highway 518 in a rural valley and is currently a summer campus for SMU students to study away from the city.

Surroundings worked with the architects by providing an overall campus site analysis that became a guiding map for siting future student residences, ADA accessible paths throughout, as well as a proposed centralized parking area to promote a better pedestrian environment.

As part of the first phase, collaborating with AOS Architects, a new double student residence was built and obtained a LEED Gold rating. Working with a minimal landscape budget, we created a water conservation strategy that utilizes pumice wicks located around the residence to hold captured water from rooftops and supply it to xeric plantings and trees. Re-seeded meadows are naturally irrigated during the monsoon season.

Prior to construction, we established development impact boundaries around the construction site to minimize impact to the existing sensitive landscape beyond.

LOCATION:
Taos, NM

CLIENT:
Southern Methodist University

DESIGN TEAM:
Kenneth Francis, Principal
AOS Architects
Omniplan Architects

SERVICES PROVIDED:
Master Planning
Landscape Architecture