While the illumination within is ethereal, the building is massive and literally rooted in its place by slicing into the site, creating a datum plane on the horizon and serving to both expand the project out into the adjacent fields and to establish a level grade for accessibility. The strong but quiet detailing of every inch of the building and its environment shape the experience of an encounter with the profundity of the artist’s thoughts. As a work of Architecture, the Robert Irwin Project is about the architect’s contribution in bringing the artist’s lifetime of work to final fruition. There is no place but here to see the quintessential work of Irwin. As Irwin was heard to say, “Hey! I’m at the top of my game here”.

The interior renovation blends modern and traditional elements by retaining the structure and dimensions of the farmhouse while updating finishes, and windows, and doors. The shotgun flow through the living room, dining room, and kitchen showcase new Brazilian Cherry wide-plank flooring. The living room features a wrap-around sofa custom to fit the room width and windows, while the dining room delivers classic lines of Mid-Century Modern tables and chairs. The kitchen opens to a farmhouse sink, custom shelves, under-counter refrigerator, and stone wall panels. The same stone is used as wainscoting in the bathroom which features painted wood slat siding and a glass door shower with a view of the landscape. New insulated windows and doors remain true to scale, and gray painted beadboard walls and ceilings complement the original trim and repainted wood base. Additional details include historically inspired air diffusers, LED lights, modern ceiling fans, and simple roller-shades.

The new visitor center is divided into three buildings united by a single path. Building A houses restroom facilities open to the public 24 hours a day. Building B is dedicated to interpretive exhibits about the park and the El Camino Real. Building C contains the park store, administrative offices, and a research library. Building B provides views of the Rice Family Log Home, the forest, and the forest canopy.

One of the design goals for the project was to explore wood as a material and building techniques in a modern way. Known for its pine trees, the park has a long history with fire management. The park regularly has prescribed fires, and an interpretive area which describes the park’s former fire tower. FPC selected Shou Sugi Ban wood siding for the project as a modern way of interpreting this history of fire management. This historic wood burning technique makes the siding resistant to rot and insects, and less likely to ignite when exposed to flames.

Other environmental strategies include the use of structural insulated panels (SIP) for exterior walls and incorporating a reclaimed water system for collecting rain water for flushing toilets. The site design retains as many of the trees as possible and reuses the wood from those that must be taken down to construct site furniture.

The complex provides an environmentally conscious, safe and comfortable space to optimize DSO employees’ performance. The building is designed to be totally flexible, allowing the rapid reorganization of departments utilizing DIRTT (Do It Right This Time) modular walls to the greatest extent. The building is also “future-proofed,” allowing easy integration of future office systems technology.

The project includes a conference center with boardroom, Alamo Colleges Police Headquarters, 24/7 Fire Alarm Monitoring Station and DPS dispatch. In addition, the project includes a chiller plant to support the building, sustainable features and systems, 900 surface parking spaces and an adjacent parking garage designed to wedge into the existing grade in order to minimize its urban profile.

Taking advantage of the site, the building and parking garage preserved a substantial grove of trees on the site. The east wing of the building was also pulled apart to preserve remnants of the Acequia Madre, an archeological structure found on the site. The complex’s open-air amphitheater allows District employees to enjoy an outdoor lunch or attend District functions, all while allowing the prevailing southeast breezes and overhead shade to protect them from the hot south Texas sun.

The roof deck is constructed of timber decking, supported by deep laminated wood beams, and is exposed to the third-floor office spaces to recall the heavily treed site. The roof line slopes up to the south, providing views of downtown. Ample expanses of glass provide natural light into all three floors of the building.

Innovation in material selection, program integration, mechanical systems stacking, and site responsiveness makes the DSO a model for employee consolidation projects where elements of biophilic design and cultural resources are on display in an active manner, housed under the bold form of a roof line that responds to the site topography as well as the not-to-distant skyline. Employees, students, and the general public are reminded of the District’s commitment to this city through the responsive architecture this project conveys.

Complementary to the gable end windows is the refurbished wood ceiling. The redesign highlights the original decking and roughhewn rafters by sistering them between new fir 2x4s. These wood elements contrast the cool whitewash of the refreshed historic plaster, also carried out to the exterior. Other historic traces remain such as the feeding trough, now converted into bench seating. However, the renovation includes many updates as well. A dual toned herringbone Endicott brick floor replaces the slab floor formerly sloped for drainage. The renovation provides new amenities like a kitchen, outfitted with a farmhouse sink, under counter refrigerator, propane stove, and custom millwork shelving. Additionally, the design features a bathroom with white ceramic tiles, brick floors, and a glass shower with views of the surrounding landscape.

A massive chimney anchors the porch to the sloping site and is part of its structural support. All of the porch’s steel and wood structure is expressed and simply detailed like the rural hill country buildings it emulates. Folding doors on at the Living Room opens the house to southeast summer breezes. A ground level porch, paralleling communal grand children’s bunk rooms, is play space and assembly area for expeditions to the pond.

The bridge is both functional and symbolic: it provides safe access from a secure parking garage to the Arsenal Campus and it creates a visual gateway for the neighborhood. The 160 foot long bridge uses heavy-bolted steel plates to recall the historic bridges along the San Antonio River, and massive concrete plinths to visually anchor the structure. The open-air bridge is set at a slight angle to the street, creating a dynamic element as one drives by.

This project creates a relationship between clean, bold statements and the simple expression of the craftsmanship. This human-scale is detailed in the steel-workers craft, the cast concrete elements with chipped edges, the clay tile elements, and in the landscape planting. This project is a delight for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

The new executive floor features reception and public areas arrayed along a 150 foot north facing outdoor terrace with sweeping views of the city for clients, visitors, and employees to take advantage of the dynamic skyline. The reception area, employee break room, and boardroom are aligned with this outdoor terrace to maximize daylight and encourage Argo employees to eat, have breakout meetings, and work outdoors. The ceiling heights emphasize the abundance of natural daylight, artwork and regional materials.

As part of the design challenge, the architects were required to emphasize the contemporary design statements of the existing New York and London Offices, but also to showcase the regional qualities of San Antonio. All four floors use local materials and artwork to reflect the spirit of south Texas, including strategically placed D’Hanis clay tile, select Texas Walnut used for slat walls, floors, cabinets, and trim, and limestone floors in major traffic areas.

The challenge was to design a sensitive addition that would enhance the beauty of this important historic Beaux-Arts building. Inspired by the building’s setting within Brackenridge Park along the San Antonio River, the architect developed a design concept for the addition reminiscent of a 1930’s era park pavilion that would be full of light with sweeping views of the river. It was important to design an addition with scale and proportions relating to, and reflecting architectural elements of the existing landmark building, while at the same time avoiding the construction of its mirror image.

The steel-framed curtain wall of the addition encloses a grand 30-foot tall atrium space, which serves not only as the grand entrance hall for the new Center, but also as a wonderful place for receptions and fundraising. The preserved west exterior wall of Pioneer Hall provides a beautiful interior backdrop to the class covered atrium, and also acts as the physical link between the old and new.

Sustainable features were incorporated in the design from the very beginning including deep overhangs, insulated UV-filtered glass, locally sourced materials, and a grey water drip irrigation system. The foundation of the addition is predominantly suspended slab, which was designed to have as little impact on the undisturbed natural grade as possible, while also allowing river floodwater to flow beneath it during heavy rains. A new HVAC system was discreetly integrated into the historic building by running duct work in hallway ceilings to minimize the visual impact in the larger rooms with decorative ceilings. The South Texas Heritage Center required museum-level temperature and humidity control to protect the priceless artifacts on display.

The highlight of the new landscape surrounding the South Texas Heritage Center is the riverside amphitheater that uses cut stone benches and natural boulders, woven beneath the canopies of existing trees, to minimize the impact on the park setting.

The fire apparatus and EMS bays were constructed using concrete tilt-wall construction saving considerable construction cost and time and providing the client with a stout, long lasting structure. The exterior face of the concrete varies using horizontal corrugations and smooth finishes. Dormitory and living spaces utilized conventional construction and a combination of EIFS and matching corrugated concrete veneer base panels for the exterior. The interior Joker Stand, a central communication center, contains an unobstructed clear glass view into the fire apparatus bays.

Ford Powell & Carson completed the renovations to the historic landmark—which now acts as the Visitor Center and welcoming station for any guests visiting the corporate campus. The building was restored from its substandard conditions through careful restoration of the interior spaces and the exterior facades and porch. Reclaimed flooring and limestone walls were cleaned, and the interior was opened up into a simplified arrangement of restrooms, conference room, and waiting area. The Visitor Center is ideally sited in a tree-lined grove with careful placement of new plaster low walls and layered beds of landscaping, which act as both security and visual elements.

Custom millwork and display cases for historic artifacts were designed, as well as a visual history of both the campus and the company through wall-mounted signage and digital displays. The campus sees over 100 guests a day, who now enter through this jewel of a building and through the adjacent Acequia Plaza.

The exterior restoration included repairs to the brick walls and chimneys, the installation of a new roof, restoration of the iconic front porch, including repairs to the six ionic columns and the wood entablature, as well as the restoration of all window and doors.

On the interior, where historic elements were missing or damaged beyond repair, they were reconstructed to match their historic appearance. Damaged interior wood framing was replaced and historic room dimensions were preserved. All existing plaster walls were restored and reclaimed long leaf pine floors installed to match the historic appearance. The existing 1914 addition and in the new 2012 addition were configured to house new ADA public bathrooms, a code compliant stair, and private living quarters for the Governor. All new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were installed, including a state-of-the-art geothermal HVAC system and solar water heating system.

The project was awarded a 2-star Residential Rating by the Austin Green Building Program and LEED Gold designation. It is once again is open to the public for tours and continues to serve as the official residence of the Governor of the State of Texas. The mansion and its contents, known as the Mansion Collection, constitute one of the most historic buildings in Texas, recognized as a National Register Site and as a Texas State Archaeological Landmark.

A central light court supplements perimeter day-lighting and acts as a unifying circulation space bringing literal openness to the functions of the police department. The project also includes a fueling and wash station for city vehicles located on another site. The parking garage contains priority parking for hybrid and fuel efficient vehicles, as well as charging stations for electric cars and trucks.

Special security features include bullet resistive glazing and blast resistive construction as well as site features such as bollards intended to protect the building from trucks and automobiles. A fenced and gated service yard protects official vehicle parking and the building’s perimeter walls and site are monitored by cameras 24 hours per day. Public access to the building is controlled through screening devices and personnel at the entry lobby.

The first floor houses a new 2,400 square foot multipurpose space curated by the Department of Culture and Creative Development and two 2,200 square foot televisions studios, one for Public Access and one for Government Access. The building housing the television studios has a completely new steel structure floating between the existing masonry party walls to provide sound isolation for the studios. The studios sit on a sound isolated floating concrete slab to further enhance the acoustics. A state-of-the-art Skyfold Door divides the two studios, which can be combined for larger performances and events. A twin suite of control rooms, editing suites and green rooms serve the two studios.

The Center forms a new entry to the museum and defers to the original 1927 Spanish Eclectic Revival villa, the core of the original museum, by nestling into the earth within the museum’s grounds, well below the roofs and towers of the villa. The Stieren Center for Exhibitions contains flexible galleries with movable display walls that do not engage the gallery’s ceilings, day-lit sculpture galleries, a 250 seat auditorium, offices, curatorial spaces and art storage, and a new gift shop.

The two level Stieren Center provides sculpture galleries, classrooms, and the auditorium in a below grade level opened to a sloping sculpture garden and landscape. At the museum’s ground floor are the new entry at the seam between the addition and existing building, a link to the interior courtyard of the villa, the gift shop and flexible galleries.

These spaces are top-lit by a complex system of skylights and shades above a mulit-layered fritted glass ceiling, filtering the harsh Texas sun. Fin walls and a 21 foot deep cantilevered sun-shade over the south façade help the building meet the strict requirements of the International Energy Code, despite the extensive use of exterior glazing.

The park is also home to the restored Spanish Colonial era Mission Espiritu Santo, and this project included site improvements to the ruins of the 1750s Mission Rosario State Historic Site. The architects who restored the Mission in the 1930’s first built the Caretaker’s Cottage as a place to live and work during the project and they used the construction of the Cottage to try different building techniques that were later used to restore the Mission.

FPC was engaged to restore and preserve the 2,000 square foot cottage that was being used a ranger office, and convert it into the park visitor and interpretive center to tell the story of the original construction and craftsmanship of the cottage. The custodian cottage restoration includes a new cypress shingle roof, new lime plaster on the exterior, and a full restoration on the interior plaster. Original interior paint colors were sampled, and the original wall patterns were recreated. Historic doors, windows, large entry gate, and hardware were restored and reused where permitted by code including all of the stained wood trim and ceilings were reconditioned. The exterior courtyard was reconditioned by removing every paver and resetting it in its original location at new elevations to meet accessible codes. The cypress pergola and entry gates were recreated based off of historic images and drawings.

The entry area allows for views throughout the entire office, with the separation between work spaces establishing artworks and views outside as a theme. The open office floorplan places primary workers and the conference room against the windows to take advantage of the light and views. Private offices are placed in the back of the space, with demountable partitions for sound privacy. A flex area that can be used for small conferences or a dining/ lounge space for staff is located with access to the best views. An adjacent coffee bar provides a major node of activity to the office. Touchdown work spaces and additional flexible workstations are delineated throughout by open shelving, which allows for collaborative interaction and display space for the family’s substantial art collection. LED lighting, use of natural lighting, and roller shades on the exterior windows provide subtle elements of energy efficiency to the project.

The Courthouse also has rooftop solar panels for generation of power and heating of domestic water used in the building, drastically reducing demand on natural gas to heat water. Interior lighting is controlled by sensors that shut lights off when rooms are unoccupied. Heat deflecting film was added to the interior side of the building’s windows, reducing heat loads without altering the exterior appearance of the 1937 landmark. The Courthouse’s internal parking spaces now include charging stations for electric vehicles and priority parking for fuel efficient cars and trucks.

These innovations were integrated into the overall renovation of the Courthouse’s historic exterior without any visible changes to the structure. The cleaning and repair of the building’s limestone and tile exterior, metalwork, and clay tile roof were done using environmentally friendly techniques contributing to its LEED Platinum designation. One of the city’s most important historic public buildings is now its most environmentally responsible, a testament to good stewardship and the innovative re-thinking of the nature of renovation.

The plaza is a vast water collection system, funneled to underground storage. A bosc of trees interspersed with tables and chairs provides shade for visitors, passengers, and event goers. The plaza will be programmed with concerts, local festivals, food trucks, and public ceremonies. It is viewed as a catalytic project to spark redevelopment on the near west side of San Antonio.

As part of the complex of retail space and a community meeting room the existing Washington Hotel historic building was incorporated as offices for VIA police.

The ground floor contains meeting rooms designed as flexible gathering spaces that can be opened up or subdivided into smaller areas by movable partitions. They are organized around support spaces for catering, restrooms, and a main stair providing access to the upper level. A strong visual connection between meeting spaces and public areas is achieved through floor to ceiling glass. Materials such as heavy timber and steel evoke the combination of new and historic structures at the Pearl. The Reception Area is open and features a ceiling inspired by cloud shapes. The spaces incorporate an extensive art collection focusing on San Antonio images ranging from the Missions to the River Walk.

The second floor has open-plan offices for the staff of 35. Office spaces can be closed off from meeting rooms that are open to the public and accessible after regular business hours. These offices are arrayed along a gently curving path from the upper lobby. Natural Fir, light colors, and glass panels characterize the space. Shades fitted with solar sensors automatically modulate daylight steaming from tall windows. The San Antonio Area Foundation’s new location is open, welcoming, and supportive of their mission to serve the greater San Antonio community, and like the Pearl Brewery Development, enhancing downtown as a dynamic and progressive cultural center.

In 2000, FPC completed an extensive exterior restoration of the 1893 Caldwell County Courthouse in Lockhart—a wonderful example of Second Empire style architecture in Texas. In addition to repairs to the wood windows, masonry walls, and multiple mansard roofs, many original elements that had been lost, such as railings and ornamental metal work, were recreated based on historic photographs. Historic paint analysis allowed for the recreation of the historic polychrome paint scheme.

Complex roof repairs were also central for the restoration of the Hays County Courthouse, a Classical Revival building from 1909 in San Marcus. Hail damage and a combination of roofing materials, including copper, clay tile, and built-up roofing, created an interesting challenge for FPC’s Historic Preservation team. The copper dome was rebuilt with new reinforcement, while the statue atop the dome was restored to correct damage from water retention. Completed in 1998, this exterior restoration required special attention to the intersections of complex forms and materials.

The Maverick County Courthouse in Eagle Pass is one of the oldest standing courthouses in Texas. Since its completion in 1885, little change has been made to the historic fabric of this unique structure. During the restoration, completed by FPC in 2006, the roof was replaced and the historic clock was repaired. The exterior was returned to its historic paint colors and two south porches were reconstructed. On the interior, historic decorative finishes throughout the building were reconstructed while new MEP systems were seamlessly integrated into the existing spaces.

The historic Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville, now known as the Dancy Building, was constructed in 1912 and operated as the center of county government until 1979. Eleven years after the completion of a 2001 exterior restoration, certain building elements began showing signs of advanced deterioration. FPC was brought in to complete an initial conditions assessment in of the wood windows, terra cotta cladding, and roof, followed by a complete set of construction documents in 2013 for the repair and restoration of these elements to safeguard the historical features of this Neoclassical landmark.