We approached design of this City-sponsored adult education center with a high level of optimism and energy for a neighborhood outreach center. While modest in scope, we consider the outcome an early milestone – an indicator of our decades-long commitment to the community good that would follow.
To gain acceptance as an adult education center in a neighborhood where illiteracy was as high as 80 percent, the building itself needed to effectively transcend stereotypes and help visitors to set aside negative perceptions of public school. While the exterior expression is a departure from the institutional look of public schools of the era, subtle references to a neighboring 1950s elementary school maintain a harmonious connection to the block. Presenting an open, contemporary façade, Columbia Heights offered a welcoming gesture to the adult learning community.
Incorporated imagery reinforced the building’s friendliness: a playful glazed brick “pixel” pattern wraps the exterior façade, and a treelike green roof frames a welcoming entry corridor. The symbolic idea of the tree as a shelter for a learning community sets an aspirational tone. A ribbon of clerestory windows illuminates and enlivens a double-height central gathering space. On a secondary exterior elevation, a mural niche offered a prime opportunity for community engagement through the artistic expression of local youth. Throughout, we worked to fully exploit creative application of an institutional material palette, calibrated for durability and cost-effectiveness.
Our empathy and respect for the area’s adult learners are evident in this upbeat, welcoming City facility. This rugged building endures: In 2014, the San Antonio City Council approved its sale to the Harlandale Independent School District. The “learning tree” entry now welcomes neighbors to the Harlandale ISD College Café and Family Learning Center.
Client: The City of San Antonio
Completed: January 1994
Construction Budget: $645,000
Location: Southwest San Antonio, Council District 5
