Assignment 1, Allison Diederich

Assignment 1: Site Analysis

ARCH 305 Site Analysis

Issues to consider include the following:

-Demographics of adjacent neighborhoods

·         100% urban population, very dense

·         Median income is almost 2x lower than the state average with a much higher percentage below the poverty line as well

·         An average of about 3 people per household

·         Very large Hispanic population

Source: http://www.city-data.com/zips/78204.html

            http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Blue-Star-San-Antonio-TX.html

-Climate

·         Hot, with the warmest months being from June through September (over 90°F on average)

·         Mainly dry with the wettest months being May, June, and October (more than 4 inches on average)

·         Annual high temperature 79.8°F

·         Annual low temperature 57.6°F

·         Average temperature 68.7° F

Source: http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/san-antonio/texas/united-states/ustx1200

-Natural Topography (including the San Antonio River)

·         Mainly flat, urban environment

·         San Antonio River directly to east of site, offers natural grassy area

·         San Pedro Creek is next closest waterway

-Historic buildings (eg. Pioneer Flour Mill)

·         Pioneer Flour Mill

·         Blue Star Brewing Company

·         King William Historic District

·         Steves Homestead Museum

·         10 minutes from the Alamo

-Public attractions (eg. Blue Star Museum)

·         Commanders House Park

·         Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum

·         Jump Start Performance Company and Gallery

·         7 minutes from the Alamodome

·         10 minutes from downtown and the Riverwalk

·         20 minutes from Six Flags amusement park

-Composition of the urban fabric (eg. houses, apartment complexes, retail, etc.)

·         Largely residential to the southwest

·         Highway and industry to the south/southeast (Habitat for Humanity, Bohls Bearing, Desks Galore, Recycling Center)

·         San Antonio River and residential to the east

·         To the north mainly commercial and historical (Blue Star Museum, Blue Star Brewing Co., spas, restaurants, architecture and engineering firms) with an apartment complex to the direct northwest of Site 1

·         To the west is a mix of residential, commercial, and open spaces

·         Several schools in the nearby area

-Transportation (eg. street, highways, railway)

·         I-35, I-10, and Hwy 90 nearby

·         Hwy 536 and railway intersects site

·         Hwy 37/281 nearby

-Additional?

·         20 minutes from UTSA main campus

 

 

 

Assignment 1- San Antonio Site Research

The site for the recreation center is located relatively close to downtown San Antonio. Around the site there is a lot of residential houses and commercial buildings like restaurants or stores. The site is about 1.5 miles from one of the most historic structures in San Antonio, The Alamo. Some other public attractions around the area include the river walk, the market square, and the blue star contemporary art museum. One thing I found interesting about the location of the site was how close it was to resources such as, Habitat for Humanity, multiple architecture firms, Cleary Zimmermann Engineers, and a recycling center. As for transportation, there are multiple highways that surround the area like i35, i37, and i10 to name a few. Over all this is a flat hot area with little rainfall.

Stefani Johnson: Assignment #1

Demographics

Source: areavibes.com

Assignment 1, Site Breakdown

Demographics of city

·         City population 1,409,019

·         7^th most populous in the U.S.

·         White 30%

·         Hispanic 59%

·         Black 7%

·         Asian 2.4%

Languages

·         Spanish and English 30%

·         English only 70%

Age

·         Average 34Y

Income

·         $61,635

Climate

·         Avg High 80 (91 during summer)

·         Avg Low 58 (42 during winter)

·         Rec High 111

·         Rec Low 0

Topography

Apart from the adjacent points to the river, the terrain is very flat.

Historic Buildings

Pioneer Flour Mill – Tallest building in the area

Public Attractions

Blue Star Museum

Micro-Breweries

Restaurants

“arts districts” nearby  

Urban Fabric of Area

It appears to be a hybrid of Industrial, Commercial and Residential. A railroad runs through the site and the river runs adjacent. A notable trait of the surrounding area, there is no structure that exceeds 1 story in its direct vicinity.

Assignment #1, Adam Wells

Climate- Although San Antonio is located over 100 miles from the Gulf, it still experiences very warm and muggy air. San Antonio receives very hot summers and cool to mild winters. Annual precipitation is around 28 inches. Because of the proximity to the Gulf, San Antonio is at risk of tropical storms.

Topography- The are around the site remains very static and flat, the San Antonio River boards the eastern edge of the site. This is the only are that contains green space as it slopes towards the river.

Transportation- Amtrak railway cuts through and divides part of the site, as well as road 536.

Use of Transportation in the city

Drive 53%

Carpool 20%

Public Transport 19%

Walk or Bike 4%

Other 4%

Historical Buildings- Alamo Methodist Church, La Villita National Historic District, Bexar County Courthouse, Mission Concepcion, Pioneer Flour Mill

Public Attractions- Blue Star Museum, River Walk, Chris Park, Florida Park, Roosevelt Park, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio Art League Museum, Downtown San Antonio also includes many more museums, theaters, the Alamo, etc. 

Composition of Urban Fabric-

Average people per household - 2.4

Median value owner occupied home - $75,688

Percent owner occupied - 50%

Percent renter occupied - 50%

Retail / Amenities:

Grocery: 20 within 1 mile

Food and Drink: 20 within 1 mile

Shopping: 20 within 1 mile

Coffee: 8 within 1 mile

Demographics

East Side Site View

   West Side Site View

Source: http://www.areavibes.com/san+antonio-tx/king+william/demographics/

Assigment 1: Site and Context

Demographics of Adjacent Neighborhoods:

Southtown Area: Approximately 2.183 sq. miles

Population: 10,917 with a median age range of 39 years old

Population Density: Approximately 5,001 per sq. mile

(Average of 3,336 people per sq. mile in San Antonio)

Primarily Hispanic residents in Southtown, with a median income range of $30,329 annually

(compared to an average of $42,613 for San Antonio)

42% of households have children

Most houses built prior to 1970

Climate:

Area is currently affected by drought

2” of precipitation recorded for August 2014

Average high of 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months and low of 42 degrees Fahrenheit during winter

Topography:

Primarily flat throughout the region and sloping downwards along the bank of the San Antonio River

San Antonio River flowing along the eastern boundary of the site

Historic Buildings:

Pioneer Flour Mill is the tallest structure located around the area and acts as a way finding point for residents and visitors of the area

The Alamo is located close by and continuously attracts tourists from many parts of Texas and the U.S.

Public Attractions:

Alamo

Blue Star Museum

Steve’s Homestead Museum

Riverwalk

Composition of Urban Fabric:

The area is extremely diverse in terms of content, such as many regions of industrial, commercial and residential zones bordering each other and mixed use zones becoming more prevalent lately.

Commercial and industrial zones focused primarily north with residential zones on the west side of the San Antonio river as well as South/Southeast of the site.

Transportation:

Sidewalks allow for pedestrian traffic

Bike lanes are abundant throughout the area allowing for a high amount of cyclists to commute effectively

A high amount of street level parking is available

Bus stops are located in many places around the area and the Amtrak is located nearby

Source: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Southtown-San-Antonio-TX.html

Assignment 1

Demographics of Adjacent Neighborhoods
Mix of Industrial, Commercial, and Residential
Parts more developed than others
Lots of cars parking on the street and on current site for local restaurant
Homes seem to be maintained

Climate
Average Highs of 95 in July and August (Record High of 110 in August)
Average Lows of 42 in December and January (Record Low of 3 in January)
2” precipitation for this past month (August 2014)
No average precipitation because this area is drought prone
Dry to high humid conditions

Topography
Relatively flat up until the river which drops off after the street

Historic Buildings
Pioneer Flour Mill – Tallest building in the area creates a reference point
The Homes on the other side of the river

Public Attractions
Blue Star Museum
Blue Star Brewing Company
1919 Bar
Halcyon Southtown Restaurant
The Beach Bar
La Tuna Grill

Composition of the urban fabric
Mostly small older homes built primarily from wood
A few local restaurants
A few warehouse retail stores and other warehouses
Two new modern apartment complex’s
Railroad tracks and powerlines nearby
Catholic Church and school nearby
Recent construction on S Alamo Street
Outskirts of nicer area
Style is more traditional, rustic with touches of modern shapes and ideas

Transportation
Existing paths and multiple roads nearby
Ceyallos Street is more congested
Easy access from freeway and downtown

Red - Residential

Blue - Commercial

Green - Industrial/Under Developed

Site Info - General & Topographic Maps

San Antonio Site Research_Cristina Robalino

ARCH 305
Assignment #1

Demographics of adjacent neighborhoods:

·      The site is located walking distance from downtown San Antonio, approx. 1.5 miles. It is a very diverse area that consists of old residential zones, a small new residential zone, an industrial area, and potentially touristic zone next to the San Antonio River, and a developed commercial zone in Flores St.

Climate:

·        This site is drought prone since it barely rains at all, but the humidity is high.

·        ave. high is 95 degrees during summer.

·        ave. low is 42 degrees during winter.

Natural Topography:

·      The terrain appears to be very flat around the site until it reaches the green area and then slopes down steeply to allow for the river to rise with minimum chances of flooding.

Historic Buildings:

·      The pioneer flour mill is the tallest building in the area and it serves as a reference point. 

    There also seems to be a beautiful historic neighborhood next to the San Antonio River.

 Public Attractions:

·        The site is located very close to downtown San Antonio.

·        North of the site has a few local restaurant and a museum that could be  further developed to extend tourism of the river walk.

·        West of the site there are established commercial areas.

Composition of the urban fabric:

·      The site is located in a very diverse area. It is a mix of industrial zones like warehouses; historical areas like the houses next to the San Antonio River, the pioneer flour mill, and the blue star museum; and developed and undeveloped commercial zones.  

Transportation:

·       A lot of street parking so there are sidewalks everywhere for pedestrian circulation.

·       Railroad tracks.

·       Plenty of public transportation, bus stops everywhere, and Amtrak is close.

·       There are bike and walking trails near the river.