The San Antonio Area Foundation, a non-profit organization, relocated their new offices in the heart of the Pearl Development to encourage public access and make it much easier for small businesses to use the Foundation’s resources. Located on the ground floor and second floor of the Lab Building, the San Antonio Area Foundation has become an integral component in this rapidly expanding urban complex.
The ground floor contains meeting rooms designed as flexible gathering spaces that can be opened up or subdivided into smaller areas by movable partitions. They are organized around support spaces for catering, restrooms, and a main stair providing access to the upper level. A strong visual connection between meeting spaces and public areas is achieved through floor to ceiling glass. Materials such as heavy timber and steel evoke the combination of new and historic structures at the Pearl. The Reception Area is open and features a ceiling inspired by cloud shapes. The spaces incorporate an extensive art collection focusing on San Antonio images ranging from the Missions to the River Walk.
The second floor has open-plan offices for the staff of 35. Office spaces can be closed off from meeting rooms that are open to the public and accessible after regular business hours. These offices are arrayed along a gently curving path from the upper lobby. Natural Fir, light colors, and glass panels characterize the space. Shades fitted with solar sensors automatically modulate daylight steaming from tall windows. The San Antonio Area Foundation’s new location is open, welcoming, and supportive of their mission to serve the greater San Antonio community, and like the Pearl Brewery Development, enhancing downtown as a dynamic and progressive cultural center.