Westside Community Center
7796 Culebra Road
San Antonio, Texas
Introduction:
San Antonio is the oldest city in Texas, having recently celebrated its 300th anniversary. Originally
called Yanaguana by the Payaya Indians, it became part of the Spanish Empire, later a part of the
Mexican Republic, then the Republic of Texas, and finally becoming part of the State of Texas and
the United States. At one point it was the most important city in Texas, but later was overtaken by
Dallas, Houston and Austin.
The city is rich in cultural and historic resources, including four Spanish Colonial missions from the
18th century. It is also one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., which has led to problems of
uncontrolled suburban sprawl. The greater metropolitan area of San Antonio has over 2.5 million
inhabitants. Its minority-majority population is predominantly Hispanic (64%). Located in the
southern part of Texas, 4 hours north of the Mexican border. San Antonio has the highest poverty
rate of any large city in the state. There are a high number of teen pregnancies and an alarming
drop-out rate for high school students (20%). The City needs to increase its services, especially for
youth and provide them better educational opportunities, access to technology, cultural resources,
and a path to overcome poverty.
This new facility is located in the far westside of the city, a fast growing, predominantly Hispanic
community. It is in City Council District 6, which has 160,000 persons, of which 12% live in poverty
(the poverty rate for those under 17 is 18%). The district is 72% Hispanic and 6% black. 40% of the
households have a child under 18 years old. 12% of the residents have a disability. 42% of the
families rent their home.
Project Description:
The project requires the design of a Community Center that serves as a gathering place, arts center,
and place of learning with a focus on youth and young adults, as well as services to adults and
seniors. The building is freestanding and its location has already been determined. The construction
budget allows for a maximum of 40,000 gross square feet, as well as required parking for 135 cars. It
sits on flat site of approximately 91,000 square feet (380 feet wide by 240 feet deep) at 7796
Culebra Road. The City is in the process of acquiring the parcel and rezoning it to O-1.5. The
Community Center itself should be multi-story (2-4 floors), with a connecting vertical atrium, a
majestic public stairway and an elevator system for accessibility.
At the core of the project is the belief in the Community Center as a place of discovery and
empowerment that should be welcoming and comforting for all. Transparency should be a guiding
principle behind all the interventions, attempting to traverse the barriers that may prevent someone
from coming inside — a building that is imposing, closed off, or not obviously for the general public;
the building should be porous and accessible. The use of natural light is paramount (while controlling
for glare and heat gain). The design is about supporting the people who live in this district who are
disadvantaged and have been traditionally under-served.
Program Needs:
See separate Architectural Program.
Sustainability
The sustainability issues that must be addressed include:
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Use of abundant natural illumination
Shading systems to reduce heat gain, especially at glazing
Rainwater harvesting system for landscape irrigation
Photovoltaic system to offset some of the electrical demands
Collection/storage of recyclables
Use of recycled and recyclable/reusable materials
Building Technology
Important issues to be considered in illustrated in the final presentation are:
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A logical structural system
Building skin that works with the structural/non-structural modules
HVAC/Lighting/Fire suppression systems integration
Code compliance – IBC, IECC, ADA
Presentation
A beautifully rendered, hand drawn or digital presentation that is coherent, unified and
communicates your intentions well. It consists minimally of:
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Master plan of the entire site including the street, parking, landscaping, and cisterns
Floor plans of each level, including roof plan with photovoltaics
Longitudinal and latitudinal building sections at plan scale
Large scale building wall section – from foundation to top of parapet wall
2 building elevations
2 exterior perspectives
2 interior perspectives
Diagrammatic axonometics showing: structural system; rainwater harvesting system; PV
system; HVAC system
Concept statement
(The scales of the drawings will be determined during the design process)