Sustainable design practices honor and re-invigorate an underutilized area of San Antonio.
Located in an underutilized part of downtown San Antonio as part of The SoFlo Office Studios, the new one-story OCO Architects Office Studio is linked to the offices of Alamo Architects by landscaped courtyards. When the design phase for the interior part of the office space began, the main theme emphasized retaining the industrial beginnings of the original structure. As such, the interior reuses several existing building elements such as a ship’s ladder, original steel garage doors for wall panels, and garage door springs for table legs.
As a part of the existing walls of the original structure, steel garage doors now act as a part of the entry wall and reception desk. Large windows overlooking one of the landscaped courtyards near the main entry cover the north wall of the reception area, providing natural lighting.
Translucent acrylic panels for the ceiling and walls of the conference room allow for shared natural light and create an open office environment. Bold colors adorn the walls, and floors are draped in patterned carpet. Lumber used from the onsite milling of an existing dead pecan tree was used to construct a new conference table and certain tables.
The interior design honors the unique raw and unfinished quality of the original building. Even the oxidation of the steel columns was used to inspire the red, orange, yellow and turquoise walls of the main work area.
Workstations with a “quad” floor plan are intended to promote teamwork and an open office environment. Each workstation features unfinished Medium Density Fiberboard constructed by one of the firm’s employees.
A bonus feature in the office studio, which already existed when the firm purchased the space, is the Mezzanine loft. This loft was left unfinished and exposed for future flexible options.
Site + Exterior Design
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The OCO office is carbon neutral.
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After searching for property to find suitable space to accommodate its expanding practices, OCO Architects decided on a former trailer manufacturing facility with a plan to convert it into offices that highlight the firm’s interest in demonstrating sustainable practices in architectural design.
The one-acre site of the SoFlo Office Studios contained three existing buildings totaling approximately 16,000 square feet.
After abatement of cement asbestos siding and roofing, skins of glass and corrugated siding were stretched over the original steel and concrete frames. Existing industrial sash windows were used as guardrails, wood and steel garage doors were reused as partitions, and recycled flooring was reused to sheath walls and trim partitions and openings.
The building exteriors feature galvanized corrugated metal panels, galvanized standing seam roofing, exposed existing concrete and structural clay tile, aluminum storefront and windows systems, new awnings and overhangs of recycled structural steel, and galvanized roof deck.
The SoFlo Office Studios site and buildings were linked with courtyards paved with recycled concrete and granite gravel, fenced with salvaged steel windows and recycled concrete slabs, and planted with native species.
Information provided by OCO.
