Project 1221 Broadway, San Antonio Client AREA Real Estate Architects Lake|Flato Architects (Design Architect) and OCO Architects (Architect of Record) Design Team David Lake, FAIA; Todd Wascher, AIA; Jonathan Smith, AIA; John Byrd, AIA; Mickey Conrad, AIA; Andrea Harrell, AIA; Jose Balboa, AIA Photographers Chris Cooper and Frank Ooms
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ncreased construction is a tangible expression of a robust economy. But the indicator goes both ways: The pace of construction can slow, leaving some buildings in an incomplete state. Redevelopment of such sites contributes to the improvement of their larger urban contexts. The effort additionally offers inherent benefits of sustainability, conserving the energy and resources already invested in the existing building. The process presents unique design opportunities for architects to engage with problematic building shells and emerge with attractive interventions. This is precisely what Lake|Flato and OCO Architects achieved with 1221 Broadway. Located just north of downtown San Antonio, the original development of the 1221 Broadway site began in 2000. The complex’s concrete structure and the parking deck’s steel framework were completed in 2004, before the developer went bankrupt and the property was sold to AREA Real Estate. Lake|Flato began working with this client in 2006, though construction did not begin until after the 2008 crisis. The first phase of the complex, the
9/10 2013
Texas Architect 51