We are revisiting an award-winning unbuilt project from 2013, on the merits of its confident, design-forward architectural response to a tactical training center. Our colleague Helen Pierce, AIA, led design of the project while on staff with us. We are proud to note she now directs design for LPA, San José. In relocating its Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) from its main downtown campus to their satellite First Responders Academy, Alamo Colleges sought to exemplify the public service mission of the Academy. Operations management prioritized sustainability and long-term durability in materials and construction. Combining these practical and aspirational goals, we programmed and designed the Center with new classrooms, administrative space, and indoor and outdoor training areas.

Reimagining the next chapter for the c. 1929 Tower Life Building is a singular opportunity to leverage our decades of experience in the adaptive reuse of legacy buildings in downtown San Antonio. We are delighted at the prospect of bringing this landmark building into fresh focus: reintroducing the Tower Life as a premier downtown address and residential community.

“Preserving the architectural fabric of our historic downtown is baked into our DNA as a firm,” notes Jim Bailey, senior principal and active advocate for walkable streets. “Bringing more people to live downtown through multifamily adaptive reuse of legacy buildings is a win for preservation, and a bigger win for a livable downtown.”