Project Description
Formative Architecture is working with environmental experts based in New Mexico to develop the New Mexico Reforestation Center (NMRC) and lead reforestation efforts across the Southwest.
Design Team
Formative Architecture + Greenhouse Design LLC
Status
In Progress
New Mexico Reforestation Center
Mora, NM
This project is a partnership between New Mexico State University, New Mexico Highlands University, University of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) Forestry Division.
In 2022, New Mexicans witnessed first-hand the destruction caused by the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire. This mega-fire was the largest and most destructive wildfire in the history of the state, burning 341,471 acres. Devastating wildfires are becoming increasingly common throughout the Western United States. Reforestation offers a critical path to restoring ecosystems within affected landscapes.
MORA CAMPUS
The New Mexico Reforestation Center (NMRC) is a muti-site project in northern New Mexico, designed to house key elements of the reforestation pipeline. The Mora campus, featured on this page, includes 155,000+ square feet of greenhouse area, along with headhouse and support spaces. Also located on site is an administration and laboratory building serving staff, educational outreach, and research needs for the center.
The scope of this project also includes a comprehensive seed extraction facility and seed bank in Las Vegas, New Mexico. This project can be viewed here.
Due to the nature of funding for a public project of this size, one important factor of design was the ability to phase construction. The program for the overall project was broken down into eight separate construction volumes in order to give the center maximum flexibility to construct this project as funding becomes available.
HEADHOUSE + GREENHOUSES
The highest priority component of the NMRC development is the production greenhouses. A modular Venlo-style greenhouse layout was carefully designed to fit the specific needs of the center. These greenhouses serve as a machine for growing tree species of the mountain west - Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, Aspen, and others. Light requirements, water supply, ventilation, heating and cooling needs, and system processes were all considered with the team of experts. Spaces were configured onsite to best fit the production demand.
Working within the limited water resources of the community and ensuring that this agricultural-scale project uses and reuses water responsibly is key. A focus on circularity and harmony with on-site resources drove the systems design. As the imperative need for post-wildfire reforestation in our state and the surrounding southwest, functionality and production are the primary considerations of the NMRC.
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
The new administration and laboratory building provides space for at least 60 people to conference inside, with operable window walls that allow the space to expand into the outdoors - accommodating even more people and keeping attendees connected to the beautiful Mora valley beyond. In addition, this building houses the laboratory space required to serve the greenhouse production needs and future research.
Both the building and site infrastructure focus on sustainability and re-use. Integrating sustainable features visibly into the design transforms the building into an educational experience for visitors, and a reminder of the project goals. This project aims to highlight the use of wood as a regenerative and sustainable material, bringing the ideals of responsible forestry into the architectural design. By expressing those ideals through architecture, the Center aims to advance forestry research and inspire the next generation of foresters.
The Center is developed to meet current and future environmental needs through research, education, and training with the goal of developing a reforestation economy that restores New Mexico’s forests and all of the ecosystem services they provide.
Services Provided
Architecture
Interior Architecture
Programming
Comprehensive Planning
Signage/Wayfinding Design
Renderings
Formative Architecture
Design Team
Formative Architecture
Greenhouse Designs, LLC
Bowman Consulting Group
Luchini Trujillo Structural Engineers
Bridgers & Paxton
Pland Collaborative
Biohabitats
Procurement + Delivery
Design-Bid-Build
Year
In Progress
Value
$87M (Phases 1-4)