Jingu House Renovation

The Japanese Tea Garden holds historical significance within the City of San Antonio. From a humble beginning as a quarry for concrete manufacturing to its construction using prison laborers, the gardens blossomed not only into a beautiful park space but later a home for the family of the caretaker, Kimi Eizo Jingu.

Having fallen into decline and disrepair, The San Antonio Parks Foundation enlisted Alamo Architects to re-envision the former beauty of the of Jingu House while planning for current and future needs. Alamo Architects produced a series of atmospheric sketches and plans specifically drawn for the capital campaign. These drawings were intended to convey the possibilities before the designs were fully developed and to help attract donors to the project. Alamo Architects next was retained to provide full architectural services for the renovation of the Jingu House and Mexican Village buildings.
Through a combination of on-site inspection and dissection of historical documents, the Team developed designs to restore the original Bamboo Room, a small restaurant that once operated out of the Jingu’s home. A catering kitchen, accessible restrooms, and visitors’ center were also planned for the space.

Client> The San Antonio Parks Foundation
Construction Budget> $1 Million
Completion Target Date> 2010