Texas architects/developers setting the bar high for sustainable urban revitalization projects.

[Dover]

A solar panel installation, once the largest in Texas, was unveiled atop the Pearl Brewery's Full Goods building in San Antonio on June 9, 2009. The panels' capacity is 200 kilowatts.


Texas may be the center for big oil, but it seems that the state is also fast becoming a leader in sustainable living/building in the U.S. And one architectural firm doing their part is Lake/Flato out of San Antonio.
Of course there are many more smaller firms who are quietly working to nurture this cause in both commercial and residential building.
And most would tell you that when they look to the future there IS no other direction to go in but toward sustainability unless you want your buildings to be tomorrow's ruins. But it's a rough and winding road staying informed about which new technologies, materials, etc. are going to have longevity and best use while staying within a tighter and tighter budget and perhaps dealing with clients who are not yet fully aware of why it's important to spend more up front, or navigating the maze of building codes that thwart or slow down these changes, to name just a few issues.
So those architects/firms who are pioneers and getting it done despite these challenges and uncertainties deserve a standing 'o'.

Solar on the horizon
For all its ties to old energy, Texas has the tools to lead the way in plugging in to the sun.

As the nation's largest energy consumer, leading emitter of carbon dioxide emissions and vanguard of the traditional energy industry, Texas might seem an unlikely candidate for the world's solar market leader. But with the combination of an expansive solar resource, recent success with wind power, extensive natural gas installations, competitive electricity markets and commitment to add transmission capacity, Texas might become just that...cont'd

http://www.statesman.com/opinion/insight/solar-on-the-horizon-407197.html

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A sustainable brew:
Beyond it's sustainable features (such as a large solar array and an interactive energy "learning lab" that tracks energy savings/use),
this abandoned brewery has been transformed into a mixed-use open, minimalist and spacious venue that invites all kinds of social interaction and outdoor gatherings (such as a farmer's market). It is innovative, playful, easy, comfortable, interesting without being over-stimulating or loud, and encourages discovery.
It incorporates many of the old Pearl Brewery's 'artifacts' in it's design as well as elegantly informal use of simple indigenous materials. Yesterday's industrial ruins can find new life and use. What better way to symbolize both the necessity and the benefits of this 'green' initiative than to build it right on the foundations of the past?



The project:
http://www.buildsagreen.org/Press/documents/Architects-tour-Pearl-05-04-07.pdf


Lake/Flato Architects:
http://www.lakeflato.com/projects/pearl-brewery/

Other projects of note:
http://www.lakeflato.com/news-design.asp




While it's difficult to get the feeling of the place in pictures, here are a few. More shown at Lake/Flato and other links:


http://www.shatteredshutter.com/explorations/pearl.html