Last week, the Board of Directors of VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, Texas, officially approved plans previously presented by the architecture design team from EE&K a Perkins Eastman company to construct Phase 2 of the Westside Multimodal Transit Center. This construction award comes mere weeks before the groundbreaking, which is scheduled for July.
The new 90,000-sf development will principally service San Antonio’s growing network of city bus and VIA PRIMO bus rapid transit service, including real-time arrival updates, as well as become an iconic public plaza for the city. The design team is led by Principal Stan Eckstut FAIA and Associate Principal Jonathan Cohn AIA, LEED AP.
The public plaza, comprising a full city block, will be encircled by a varied metal and glass Grand Canopy, approximately 50% of which is covered by a photovoltaic panel array that will generate a large portion of the electricity required to light the facility. The plaza’s expansive interior will feature a significant stand of cedar elm trees, while a permeable ground surface and underground detention systems will control stormwater runoff.
The EE&K a Perkins Eastman company team includes local architects Ford, Powell & Carson Inc., led by Principal Jay Louden AIA and Senior Associate Michael Guarino, and landscape architect Lawrence C. Clark ASLA, Vice President of Bender Wells Clark Design.
“This will be the next great place for San Antonio, and not just for transit riders” says Eckstut. “First and foremost, the plan for Westside Multimodal accommodates the site’s various transit elements, but the space is designed to draw people in for food, entertainment and leisure. We have designed a public square that will encourage future private investments and continue to revitalize the city’s Westside District.”
The design vision for Westside Multimodal Transit Center balances mass transit with open green space, mixed-use development, public art, educational signage, and a host of sustainable design features. The Center’s main entranceway will be located at the corner of Frio and Houston Streets, and clearly identifiable from long distances thanks to the planned “Light Tower” installation, designed by local San Antonio artist Bill Fitzgibbons.
The site is adjacent to the historic and newly renovated I&GN Station, which served as inspiration for the final design. The new facility will also further expand B-Cycle, the city’s bike share system, and plans are in the works for the Transit Center to accommodate future rail service as well.
Related Stories
Sponsored | | Nov 26, 2014
Virtual reality in 3D models, iPhone thermal imaging: Inside one very cool tech toybox
A little over a year ago, I embarked on a search to find individuals in the AEC space who were putting new hardware to work in the field.
| Nov 25, 2014
Behnisch Architekten unveils design for energy-positive building in Boston
The multi-use building for Artists For Humanity that is slated to be the largest energy positive commercial building in New England.
| Nov 25, 2014
Study: 85% of employees dissatisfied with their office environment
A vast majority of office workers feel open floor plans cause multiple distractions and that more private spaces are needed in today's offices, according to a new study by Steelcase and research firm IPSOS.
| Nov 25, 2014
Emerging design and operation strategies for the ambulatory team in transition
As healthcare systems shift their care models to be more responsive to patient-centered care, ambulatory care teams need to be positioned to operate efficiently in their everyday work environments, write CannonDesign Health Practice leaders Tonia Burnette and Mike Pukszta.
| Nov 24, 2014
Midsize construction firms see a brighter business horizon
Uncertainty about government spending clouds an otherwise positive economic outlook among 59 middle market construction firms polled recently by GE Capital.
| Nov 24, 2014
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed crystalline tower breaks ground in southwestern China
Fitted with an LED façade, the 468-meter Greenland Tower Chengdu will act as a light sculpture for the city of Chengdu.
| Nov 21, 2014
Rental apartment construction soars to 27-year high: WSJ report
The multifamily sector is now outpacing the peak construction rate in the previous housing cycle, in 2006, according to the WSJ.
| Nov 21, 2014
Nelson adds to its stable with EHS Design acquisition
This represents Nelson’s fifth merger or acquisition in 2014, during which the firm’s net fee revenue has increased by 60% to $65 million.
| Nov 21, 2014
Nonresidential Construction Index rises in fourth quarter
There are a number of reasons for optimism among respondents of FMI's quarterly Nonresidential Construction Index survey, including healthier backlogs and low inflation.
| Nov 21, 2014
NCARB: Number of architects in U.S. grows 1.6% in 2014, surpasses 107,500
The architecture profession continues to grow along with a gradually recovering economy, based on the results of the 2014 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards, conducted by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
