WOODIE FLOWERS CENTER ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT

INFORMATION

Design V Fall 2021

Instructor: Jen Wong + Andrew Fulcher

Location: San Antonio, TX

DESCRIPTION

Named after one of the co-founders of FIRST, a youth robotics program, the Woodie Flowers Center seeks to create exhibition, education, and working spaces for robotics. The center reuses an old powerplant, transforming the plant’s open interior into a series of visual and handson classrooms as well as testing and workshop spaces.

Leaving the iconic smokestack and red brick facade, the louver system that surrounds the center highlights its robotic nature, adapting to the weather and solar patterns. The existing boiler frame was converted into an exhibition space equipped with robotics testing platforms located above and a large stadium on the ground floor. The test platforms of the exhibition space can move independently, allowing for the creation of variable robotic testing spaces.

The Woodie Flowers Center works in conjunction with programs such as FIRST to bring robotics to lower-income communities. The working spaces on the basement level of the building are built for the FIRST TECH Challenge fields and FIRST Robotics Challenge fields to encourage students to experience and learn about engineering.

The Mission Road Powerplant is located along the lower portion of the San Antonio Riverwalk and is an iconic figure in the local neighborhood. Built during the mid-1800’s, the powerplant was one of San Antonio’s first and largest. The plant was expanded in 1958 and was officially decommissioned in 2003. Although many proposals have been considered for the site, none have been officially accepted.

Third Floor

Fourth Floor

The Woodie Flowers Center hopes to inspire the next generation of engineers by providing a place to discover and invent. The existing smokestack and boiler frame have been and will continue to be an icon in the San Antonio sky that brings creators who will power the future.