Taos Town Hall
Location: Taos, New Mexico
Project Info: A major additions and renovation project that includes 14,000 SF of office additions and a complete renovation of the existing 11,000 SF facility.
Completed: 2009
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Project Description:
Located within the Taos Historic District, the Taos Town Hall Additions and Remodel project provides a prominent facility for the community’s government administration. The existing facility was outgrown, and crowded. There was a lack of privacy in most offices. There was no public lobby space. There was no defined entrance from the public right of way, and access to the front door was a labyrinth.
The design of the new addition melds Spanish Pueblo Design into a 21st Century office paradigm. The new Building Entrance boldly faces onto the public realm while projecting out portals to the Public Street on the east and the Public Library to the west. The most visited areas to the facility: Planning Department and Utility Billing are saddle bagged on either side of the new Lobby. Additions are located and designed to create new courtyards which bring daylight into the building while providing pleasant views to the outdoors. The building is designed to be sustainable and energy efficient. It incorporates highly insulated walls, high performance windows and an energy efficient HVAC system. Rain water from all new roofs and 75% of the existing roofs is piped into underground cisterns for irrigation. All existing spaces were remodeled, with updated finishes, and updated mechanical, electrical, and lighting systems. The Additions and Remodel project provides a recognizable and easily accessible entrance for Taoseños to gain access to their local government. It provides a nexus between the building traditions of the past and opportunities for an open and airy government center.
