This is the new Santa Fe County Maintenance facility that won design awards. The County staff call it the “Moon Base” as it looks like an advanced, high-tech research facility with its dark glass, corrugated steel siding, concrete trumb walls, and modern, modular look. The problem is that whoever gave it the design awards didn’t talk to the people who occupy the buildings, because according to the occupants the buildings are total failures. The passive solar is apparently very passive as it heats the building in the summer, but not in the winter. The swamp coolers turn the building into a swamp instead of cooling it, and the pipes simply freeze in the winter because the buildings don’t get enough heat. Every office has a stand alone fan and space heater and one staff member told us that by the end of the day everyone is worn out and grumpy from dealing with over-heating in summer or freezing in winter. While the buildings have an interesting design, they give passive solar, green, leed, sustainable architecture a really bad name.
Off Center & Not Even 
Sheesh…I’m glad I don’t work there! But, a very nice image of a failure of form to meet function!
It was interesting the listen to the list of complaints from everyone we talked to.
I’ll bet!!!!!
I am curious as to which direction all that glass faces. Do you happen to know?
They face directly south with no awnings or hangover
I can’t understand it won an award… I don’t like the looks of that building. But that’s just me. I like old buildings instead. 😉
Thanks, Erica, I certainly understand your sentiments.
😉
Well, what else is new? It’s Santa Fe, the City Different. I live here.
Santa Fe is Santa Fe!