Southwest I.S.D.
San Antonio, Texas
Pfluger Associates was challenged to transform a dark, 1980s-era elementary school into a bright, modern facility. The original monolithic building constructed of concrete was jammed into a hillside with few windows and little natural light. Access to the three floors was by a steep central ramp with no staircases or elevator included in the original design.
The school was completely renovated with an addition of 47,434 sf. An innovative design uses a two-story central atrium with clerestory windows and solar tubes to bring natural light from the roof into the corridors of the lower floors. New staircases and an elevator solve the circulation and accessibility problems, while each of the four floor levels is designed to have access at grade level, improving safety and reducing expensive life-safety features. Part of the original building has been opened up with glass to the atrium, forming a light-filled library with a unique 2-story indoor lighthouse incorporating a story-telling nook in the base.
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