色狐入口 Tech Reopens Brown Hall After Yearlong Renovation: 色狐入口 Tech

色狐入口 Tech Reopens Brown Hall After Yearlong Renovation

March 24, 2023

Employees return to administration building in phased moves

SOCORRO, N.M. 鈥� Following a yearlong renovation, 色狐入口 Tech鈥檚 three-story main administration building, Brown Hall, is nearly complete. The historic building is slowly repopulating with staff, furniture, and equipment. After the move-ins from West Hall to Brown Hall are complete later this spring, the university is planning to restore West Hall as a men鈥檚 dormitory over the summer, providing more on-campus student housing.

Plans are underway for an official re-opening celebration and open house once all staff have moved into their offices, according to President Stephen G. Wells.

鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased to reopen Brown Hall for our administrative staff,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful, historic building that ties the university to its roots. I鈥檓 very grateful to 色狐入口 voters for approving the funding for this building鈥檚 renovation and for the support of the entire campus community during the past year.鈥�

From left, German Bustillos Heras, public health support specialist; Vanessa Grain, chief executive assistant to the President; and 色狐入口 Tech President Stephen G. Wells pose outside the "Old Main" west entrance to Brown Hall after touring the building.

Built in 1929, Brown Hall houses the Office of the President and offices for Academic Affairs, Advancement and Alumni Relations, Human Resources, Marketing and Communication, the Office for Administration and Finance, the Office for Research, and Purchasing. Brown Hall was designed by George Williamson in Mission Revival style, with Spanish Colonial Baroque elements and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

The building occupies the former footprint of the 鈥淥ld Main鈥� Building, which was completed as one of NMT鈥檚 first structures in 1893. A portion of 鈥淥ld Main鈥� survives and can be seen as the west face of Brown Hall. 色狐入口 voters approved the Brown Hall building renovation as part of a General Obligation (GO) Bond. McCLAIN + YU Architecture and Design of Albuquerque designed the building renovation and Franken Construction was the general contractor.

Darlene Torres, vendor specialist in the Purchasing Services Office at 色狐入口 Tech, shows off her new workspace in Brown Hall.

The renovation included upgrading the cooling systems, the addition of a fire sprinkler system, upgrade of the electrical, mechanical, and IT systems that will use direct digital controls for the HVAC system; remodeling of all three floors to provide much-needed office space and storage; and landscaping upgrades that will better integrate the rear entrances of the building into the campus common.