“Breakfast taco diplomacy:” public engagement is key to development at Cedar at Pereida.

Architecture, Multifamily Housing, Planning

“When an infill development involves a neighborhood you love, and literally grew up in, conversation with neighbors is Job One,” explains Jim Bailey, Alamo partner and project architect. “To start the conversation on the project at Cedar & Pereida, our firm engaged in a two-year public process approaching fifty meetings of varying scale — sometimes as informal as breakfast tacos or coffee on front porches.”

As important as the architectural design process itself, our habit of actively listening to gather insight is a hallmark of how we work. Our sensitivity to the valid concerns of Cedar Street neighbors cultivated trust in the project, one-on-one and in public forums. The public engagement process we developed for this project proved so successful, the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation adopted specific techniques into their guidelines for new construction in historic districts.

The project of 14 townhomes at Cedar and Pereida Streets was ultimately approved by the City’s Historic and Design Review Commission with full support of neighbors, and neighborhood association. The design’s foremost intentions were to not only belong to but also contribute to its context. This meant understanding what components and elements make up the signature characteristics of the public realm in the King William district: from direct references such as material, color, and massing to social and cultural aspects such as the use of porches and yards.

The land value of the properties of Cedar at Pereida demanded a maximum yield for development. Increasing housing density right in the middle of a well-established historic district would have to be reconciled with the genuine concerns of the immediate neighbors and the many strong voices for preservation in the community. “Our public engagement process – attention to the neighborhood, and respect for place – changed the consensus from what was initially “NO,” to “maybe,” and then, as the design evolved, into a strong “yes” of support,” Bailey recounts.

The architectural expression is different for the two segments of the project, a key uniqueness. The townhomes each “meet the street” with porches and fenced parterres, but the exterior makeup varies. Our strategy gracefully camouflages the new infill into the local fabric.

Building A: Cedar Street Townhomes | 10 units

To achieve the site yield goals while maintaining design integrity within the block, our elevations for both buildings add a full-height dormer floor that is set back from the lower floors to lessen impact to the street. We borrow from, and contemporize, traditional forms and materials.

10 single-family residences
1,906 SF (8 off-street units) – 2,905 SF (2 porch units)
3-story townhomes with dormer floors, garages with laneway access, main living spaces on 2nd floor.

Building B: Pereida Street Townhomes | 4 units

Building B shares massing and formal qualities with Building A, but varies the exterior material and color palette. This intentional variation between the two parts of the development helps the new-build homes feel more organically part of the street; more “as though they have always been here.” Porches and low, transparent fencing define the townhomes’ public realm, a traditional approach to this highly walkable neighborhood.

4 single-family residences
2,486 – 2,587 SF each
3-story townhomes with dormer floors, garages with laneway access, main living spaces on 2nd floor.

Solon Stewart Cottage: An Historic Preservation Success Story.

The c. 1892 cottage-style home was a near-forgotten local treasure, designed by regionally well-known architect Alfred Giles for a socially prominent San Antonio couple, and originally sited elsewhere in the adjacent neighborhood.

The cottage, sited on the grounds of Bonham Academy, was in the way of playground construction. Preservation activists learned of SAISD’s plan to demolish the structure, and lobbied successfully for the its protection. By the time our project began development, the Solon Stewart Cottage was in legal limbo – and declining fast.

The developer saw an opportunity to relocate the Solon Stewart Cottage onto the L-shaped Cedar Street site: we could make it possible for new owners to acquire and restore a legacy home, while replacing a single-family home where a lot had been vacant for years. The move was successful, and restoration (by others) is well-considered and thorough.

Community Engagement, Urban Infill

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Cedar at Pereida

San Antonio, Texas

35,907SF / 14 units in 2 Buildings

+ Single-Family legacy structure, Solon Stewart Cottage

Completed 2019

Townhomes on Cedar at Pereida Street greet the street with porches and front yards.

Townhomes on Cedar Street relate to the street with setbacks, porches and vertical scale.

Our public engagement process… changed the consensus from what was initially “NO,” to “maybe,” and then, as the design evolved, into a strong “yes” of support.

Jim Bailey

Pressed steel shingles – legacy material, contemporary in context.

Fencing contains private front yards but maintains an open look.

Front yard setbacks and porches connect the townhomes to a walkable street.

Both townhome buildings feature laneway garage access.

Schematic model shows A) Cedar Street and B) Pereida Street townhomes, and C) Solon Stewart Cottage.

We provided space to relocate the c. 1892 Solon Stewart Cottage on the Pereida Street edge of the Cedar Street parcel. Move and restoration by others.