Recent awards in the San Antonio architecture sphere have had us thinking of the city’s wealth of striking structures. Stalwart staples such as the Alamo, the Emily Morgan, and the Gunter Hotel come to mind, but architects looking to the future are creating noteworthy blends of Texas’ architectural innovation.
The American Institute of Architects in San Antonio recently recognized a handful of constructed and un-built projects from the city’s best. Here’s a look at the recent award winners, and their modern brand of San Antonio style.
Play By The Rules
In the honor awards category, the aesthetics and design behind the Law Enforcement Training Center won over jurors thanks to an innovative take on a current need in the community. The use of shipping containers as classrooms is not only sustainable in terms of reuse, but the containers themselves are tough enough to handle the day-to-day wear of a law enforcement training facility.
The firm behind the training center, Alamo Architects, also recently received accolades as the recipients of the Architecture Firm Award from the Texas Society of Architects.
Play It Up
Constructed for the 1968 world fair, the Palacio del Rio is hailed as a remarkable feat. The entire hotel was completed in just 202 days, with a large portion of the modular units constructed off site. Each unit was stacked until the hotel reached its completed 21 stories. That, coupled with envelope-pushing modular innovation, is what earned Cerna & Garza Architects and the H.B. Zachry Co. recognition for the Twenty Five Year Distinguished Building Award.
Child’s Play
Gourds, glass, and games—the latest in the San Antonio Botanical Garden artfully combines both structure and play in a child’s playscape. The Overland Gourd, aptly named after its distinctive shape, is part of an exhibit of kid-sized bird houses. Light shines in through the thousands of glass jars that adorn its curvy exterior, while the interior reflects the geometry of a dragonfly wing. Designed and built by Overland Partners, the Gourd’s team also took home an Honor Award.
For more images of the award-winning designs, visit this month’s edition of Texas Architect or the AIA of San Antonio website.Posted by Mary Ann Castro on
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