The Center for Contemporary Arts Warehouse Renovation and Expansion project has been recognized with an Honor Award by the Santa Fe Chapter of the AIA. The Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), a local, nonprofit arts center in Santa Fe, has served artists and the Santa Fe community since 1979. The project, developed in phases, presents a new, iconic landmark for CCA and Santa Fe's arts community. Housed in an historic tank armory dating from WWII and with no mechanical or electrical building systems, the warehouse space was renovated and expanded into a state-of-the-art visual arts gallery, as part of Phase 1.

Phase 2, not yet completed, includes adding a new two-level space to the Warehouse Gallery for lobby and small gallery functions. This addition will overlook the larger warehouse gallery as well as connect to the remaining building with an elevator and stair. A new sculpture garden and trail has been designed that will connect the new gallery to the existing "skyscape" installation by artist James Turrell at the south end of the property.

The project was designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating. For the Phase 1 project, over 95 percent of the existing building components were re-used, fly ash was used in the new concrete flooring and structural concrete mixes, low-flow plumbing fixtures were installed, and a construction waste management plan was implemented, resulting in over 75 percent recycled construction waste. Extensive water conservation and recycling measures were employed, including low-flow fixtures and roof rainwater harvesting. For the Phase 2 project, new Corten wall panels will be made of recycled steel. Translucent wall panels in the elevator and circulation core will be insulated for a high performance building envelope, and the new mezzanine flooring will be bamboo. Through effective energy modeling, the client is expected to save over 50 percent in energy costs in comparison with a conventional building.