The University of New Mexico (UNM) has selected ZGF and McClain + Yu Architecture & Design to lead the design of its new School of Medicine, a cornerstone project in the university’s Health Care Workforce Expansion Initiative. The new facility will replace the existing, 60-year-old medical school and is projected to double enrollment over the next decade, helping to meet urgent statewide shortages in healthcare.
In renderings, the building appears as a warm, sculpted structure organized around a central glass atrium. Deep set windows and vertical fins create a rhythmic facade meant to filter light while responding to Albuquerque’s intense desert sun. A broad slatted canopy floats above the upper level, shading terraces and circulation zones, while the surrounding landscape integrates native plants along pedestrian paths and gathering areas.
The project is part of UNM’s effort to expand the state’s healthcare workforce and address critical provider shortages in 32 of New Mexico’s 33 counties. “At The University of New Mexico, we believe every New Mexican, regardless of income or where they reside, should have access to the health care they need and deserve,” said UNM president Dr. Garnett S. Stokes. The new School of Medicine, estimated to cost $600 million, is expected to begin construction in 2027, with funding from both public sources and private philanthropy.
“The School of Medicine represents an exciting new resource for The University of New Mexico to build on its world-class medical education,” said Braulio Baptista, ZGF partner. “Not only will it enable medical programs to grow their graduating classes, but it promises to be a community- oriented facility that prepares students for today’s team-based, interprofessional health care delivery models.”
ZGF is no stranger to designing human-centered and environmentally responsive architecture in university settings. The firm’s past work includes the University of Colorado Anschutz Health Sciences Building and the forthcoming University of California, Merced Medical Education Building. Albuquerque-based McClain + Yu brings extensive experience on the UNM campus, including the Lobo Welcome Center, the Smith Plaza renovation, and the Clark Hall Chemistry Building. The partnership is meant to combine national expertise in health education design with an understanding of the university’s local and cultural context.
The new School of Medicine joins a series of transformative campus projects. Diller Scofidio + Renfro and ROMA Architecture are currently working on the Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology, while Dekker and Gensler are leading a master plan to modernize University Stadium and revitalize South Campus.
Concept design for the new School of Medicine is in progress, with the final design expected to be unveiled in late 2026 or early 2027.
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