S.A. Day 4 Alamo Architects and Riverwalk Authority

The Alamo Architects building on 1512 is a great example of an adaptive reuse project. Reusing everything from the old concrete parking lot to old iron for decoration, and old wood for stairs, the building won the "silver" Leed certification. The area used to be the first light industrial area in San Antonio and the building itself was a trailer manufacturing plant. 95% of the materials from the old plant stayed there. Of course, they had to put in new electrical and cable trays, as well as HVAC, but all in all their Op Ex was 20% less than if they hadn't gotten LEED certified. They collect all condensate for reuse. They used natural lighting, and enjoy a beautiful outdoor area, all designed to foster a collaborative environment. Usually for Leed, they said, one could expect to pay between 1-7% higher on upfront costs.



The San Antonio River Walk Authority kindly led us on a 2.6 mile walking tour of the newest section of the Riverwalk. The community wanted to extend the riverwalk for decades, and finally the city was able to come up with enough incentives to make it happen. The most interesting feature of the river was their new "lock and dam" feature which allowed barges passageway into a higher section of the river. Gravity does all the work of lowering passengers gently to a lower level, while inward facing doors keep the water level even in a watertight compartment. The lock and dam feature also serves to prevent flooding. Another notable feature was the historical 1925 museum which had been remodeled and renamed the "Reach Museum." Riverwalk Architects used the building's interesting features as inspiration for insets in the sidewalk. TIRZ's (Tax Increment Refinancing) is one of the ways the cities garners interest from developers. Developers don't have to pay for the raising values of property taxes on the river for the next 15 years - all that money that would have been going towards taxes, is now being paid by the city for updates on city property alongside the river - hence alongside any new Riverwalk development.