New Mexico School for the Arts Expansion – Phase IIA Cafeteria

Located in the heart of Santa Fe’s Railyard District, the New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA) is a statewide public high school offering intensive pre-professional training in five disciplines: dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and creative writing. SMPC was commissioned to design the school’s cafeteria as the first of a two-part campus expansion, following earlier academic renovations led by a different design team.

Prior to the cafeteria project, NMSA lacked a centralized gathering space for meals or informal student interaction. SMPC’s design reimagined the original master plan to create a flexible dining facility that acts as a new social and spatial anchor for campus life. Working within the constraints of the existing layout and earlier renovations, the cafeteria was carefully integrated to connect with key interior corridors and a new central courtyard—ultimately enhancing circulation, daylight, and cohesion throughout the school.

The project was constructed while the campus remained active, requiring tight coordination with NMSA stakeholders, the project manager, and Klinger Constructors to minimize disruptions and manage costs in a volatile construction market.

Phase IIA set the stage for future campus growth and community connection.  

Photography by Kirk Gittings 2022