Construction is underway for a new entry forecourt at the North end of the Zimmerman Library.
"I wanted to enhance the north-side entry, it had been on my list of things to do for a while, it will be just as much a front door as the South-side entry," said Gil Berry, associate director of Facility Planning.
The forecourt, which comes at a cost of $80,000, according to UNM's Department of Facility Planning, will contain an outdoor garden and seating area for students and faculty.
The landscape construction began in February and the hardscape, concrete patio and walls, is expected to be completed by mid-March. The schedule for completion of the landscape is tentative, due to unexpected bad weather, Berry said.
He added that the site will feature xeric landscape that requires less water. The forecourt is expected to be used for studying, passing time between classes and holding outdoor lectures.
Berry said he took potential safety concerns regarding construction on the heavily traveled area into consideration when planning it.
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"Anytime you leave a blank space, it tends to become parking for facility vehicles," Berry said. "I tried to eliminate the conflict between pedestrians and workers."
Berry said the department received allocated funds from Vice President of Business and Finance Julie Weaks-Gutierrez, which was then approved by the Campus Planning Committee.
"The Zimmerman Library is one of the most important architecture works in the state," said William Perkins, the landscape architect contracted to design the forecourt. "I wanted to design something that was respectful to this great work of architecture."
According to its Web site, Zimmerman Library is considered the finest example of modified Spanish Pueblo-Revival style architecture developed by the noted UNM architect John Gaw Meem.
The library is considered to be Meem's signature piece of work.
Built in 1926, Zimmerman Library has undergone several renovations in the years since.
According to the Web site, improvements such as the additional forecourt will enable Zimmerman Library to transcend the demands of the 21st Century.
Brooks and Clay Inc. was contracted for the concrete, walls, benches, tables and lighting and West Wind Landscape Construction for the landscape and irrigation.
"It is a simple enclosure that is safe, and the walls give it a sense of intimacy and comfort," Perkins said.
