Institute Missions + History
Founded in 2005, the Institute provides a national and international forum on historic preservation and regionalism issues in partnership with government preservation agencies, non-profit organizations, and other universities and UNM departments. Leading national and New Mexico experts teach inspiring course designed for traditional students, practicing professionals, and interested members of the public. Courses make extensive use of New Mexico’s historic cultural landscape as an ideal setting for incubating and mastering best practices for the conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Past courses have focused on Route 66, acequia irrigation systems, Japanese cultural landscapes, the industrial heritage of the Santa Fe Railway shops, and strategies for regionally-appropriate contemporary design and planning. In addition to this year’s distinguished faculty--most of whom have taught in the institute previously--past instructors have included distinguished preservation educators, Jeffrey Chusid of Cornell University, and Chester Liebs, the founding director of the Institute (currently visiting faculty at Tokyo University). Noted cultural historian Chris Wilson oversees the Institute as Director of UNM’s Historic Preservation and Regionalism Program.
Coverage of Past Courses
Heritage Corridors: Learning from Route 66 Chronicle of Higher Education, July 1, 2005
Industrial Heritage: Reuse of Santa Fe Railroad Shops, New Mexico Business Journal, November 2005
Institute poster
The fifth annual Southwest Summer Institute offers three stand-alone courses that can be taken individually or as part of the UNM School of Architecture & Planning, Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation and Regionalism (HPR). The six-course HPR program integrates proven historic preservation techniques with contemporary design and planning approaches grounded in history, culture, and place.
Experiential learning: This year’s courses on cultural landscape documentation, and adobe preservation each involve extensive fieldwork, while the preservation law class emphasizes the analysis of real world case studies paired with field trips.
Each course meets from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, for one week at the UNM School of Architecture & Planning in Albuquerque. Class sessions meet in the new, award-winning George Pearl Hall, designed by internationally-renowned architect, Antione Predock. Fieldwork and class trips take place in and around Albuquerque.
Course Credit: Each course carries three (3) credit hours. Those taking the course for credit will also complete a term project after the in-class week.
Who Should Take the Courses? Students and professionals in preservation, design, planning, law, cultural resource management, and related fields, including anyone interested in the Southwest, with a passion for historic preservation, or who thrives on the stimulation of interacting with those from other disciplines and parts of the country. Professionals and the general public are welcome as registered as non-degree students.
Registration: Summer registration begins April 20. You can register for UNM classes by the Internet or telephone. The internet application is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at http://my.unm.edu; click on 'Student Life' and select 'LoboWeb.' To register by telephone, call LoboPhone at (505) 246-2020.
If you are not already a student at UNM, you will need to register as a non-degree seeking student. You will need to choose to apply as either an undergraduate or graduate student. There is a $10 application fee and processing normally takes 3-5 days. See the links below for more information and online applications:
General Information & Guidelines for Undergraduate, Graduate and Non-Degree Applicants
Paper Application Form for all Students
Online application for all Students
Registration questions: Lois Kennedy, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (505) 277-4847, Undergraduate Academic Advisor or Elizabeth Rowe, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (505) 277-1303, Graduate Academic Advisor.
Projected Summer School Tuition and fees: $650 per undergraduate course; $800 per graduate course.
On-line readings: Once you have registered for the course, you will receive directions for accessing course eReserve materials, including the course information and schedule, and readings that can be completed before the start of class (available after May 10).
Other questions: Ellen Steeves, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or (505) 277-0071.
2009 Courses
Contemporary Design in Historic and Regional Contexts (ARCH 412 007 / ARCH 512 007)
June 1-5
Instructor: Tony Atkin, FAIA, award-winning architect and preservationalist; principal, Atkin Olshin Schade Architects, Philadelphia and Santa Fe: co-editor of Structure and Meaning in Human Settlements.
Guest speakers: architect and urbaninst Chris Calott, landscape architect Baker Morrow, and historian Chris Wilson.
Description: Explores one of the greatregional traditions in the world--the Southwest US--where the forms and materials of buildings have been adapted to the desert climate, indigenous cultures, and singular landscapes. Class lectures and discussions lead to visits to ancient and historic sites such as Chaco Canyon, Acoma, Abiquiu, and Santa Fe, and to contemporary works by Antoine Predock, Lake Flato, Richard Gluckman and others. Students will develop their own response to historic and regional issues through a modern design project or critical essay.
Adobe Preservation (ARCH 412 008 / ARCH 512 008)
June 8-12
Instructors: Francisco Uviña, veteran adobe preservationist with Cornerstones Community Partnerships and co-author of Adobe Conservation: a Preservation Handbook. Guest speakers: Pilar Canizzaro, NM Historic Preservation Division, Jake Barrow, National Park Service.
Description: Introduces the procedures for conditions assessment and preservation planning for historic adobe buildings. The course field study will tentatively focus on the early 20th Century Santo Domingo Trading Post. The conditions assessment report will emphasize structural stability, testing for moisture content, the preparation of measured drawings, and recommendations for site drainage and preservation treatment.
Photographing the Built Environment (ARCH 412 010 / LA 512 010)
June 15-19
Instructors: Martin Stupich, documentary photographer. While specializing in HABS/HAER documentation for 25 years, Martin Stupich has also received multiple National Endowment for the Arts grants, and co-authored Red Desert: History of a Place with Annie Proulx.
Guest speakers: Landscape historian Bill Dodge, social documentary photographer Miguel Gandert, and Michele Penhall, Curator, Prints and Photographs, UNM Art Museum.
Description: Provides an immersion in the 170 years of architectural and cultural landscape photography, especially work that merges a strong visual aesthetic with the pragmatic requirements of documentation. Students will learn to record historic buildings, structures and landscapes according to Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) guidelines, while guest speakers will introduce commercial architectural photography, social documentary photography and cultural resource field survey photography.
Support
The 2009 Institute has received generous support from Summer in the Southwest ®, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.