Texas Architect July/August 2010: Extreme Design
This issue features projects ranging from The Austonian in Austin to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Also included are articles about Texas Tech University architectural students’ concepts to control flooding in Houston, an alternative strategy for a border fence along the Rio Grande, and the implosion of Texas Stadium in Irving. Texas Architect is the official magazine of the Texas Society of Architects/AIA.
F e a t u r e I n t r o Extremes on the High Plains Unlike anywhere else in Texas, conditions in the Panhandle require special design consideration photo by Mason Rogers, AIA by Mason Rogers, AIA On the High Plains, dealing with extremes comes with the territory. Tell a northerner you are from the Texas Panhandle and they will ask how you ever survive the heat. A southerner will pity you for having to live on the frozen tundra. While summers can be scorching hot and winter snowfall can pile up unexpectedly, the High Plains – unlike everywhere else in Texas – enjoys four seasons. In Amarillo and the vicinity, extreme weather cannot be overlooked in the design process. The wind can pester a building’s occupants by rattling windows and blowing in dust or it can deteriorate materials and mechanisms left over-exposed. (The Texas Forest Stewardship Program estimates that 535 tons of soil blow away in West Texas every year.) The average annual snowfall in Amarillo is over 15 inches, compared to Austin’s average of less than one inch. Snow accumulation around buildings can lead to ice-packed sidewalks and worse, moisture infiltration. The Panhandle’s wide range of temperatures (record high 108F, record low -14F) can deteriorate exposed materials and make others impractical. The sun brings life and can just as easily burn it away. Although his legs are starting to fail him, my grandfather still stands by his conviction that the quality of a parking space is based not on proximity to one’s destination but the availability of shade. Overall, environmental conditions on the High Plains demand that architects here consider factors such as orientation and materiality to arrive at a successful solution. The best vernacular buildings in the region address the extreme weather conditions of the High Plains simply and efficiently. Buildings grouped together for agrarian purposes typically provide shelter for the central court space by blocking the dominant southwest winds of summer and the crippling north winds of winter. Trees planted in tightly spaced rows create wind breaks along the perimeter of fields and homesteads. The earliest settlers took cues from Native Americans and found refuge in Palo 7 / 8 2 0 1 0 Duro Canyon. Charles Goodnight, arguably the most significant cowman of the High Plains, built a home and ran his cattle operation in the canyon for many years before the allure of the railroad drew him away. Modern building technologies can assist architects in overcoming the design constraints incurred by potential extreme weather. Heated sidewalks melt snow and ice before they become a problem, but such conveniences are not in everyone’s budget. HVAC systems can be designed to keep up with almost any amount of solar gain, but at a cost both in terms of budget and operational efficiency. Design elements responding to extreme weather conditions can be visible and add aesthetic value. Others are hidden within the roof or wall systems. Snow guards prevent large sections of accumulated snow from sliding off metal roof assemblies. During the rest of the year, the snow guards establish a complementary rhythm to a standing-seam metal roof. Diagonal structural bracing, on the other hand, is typically fastened between structural members and covered with finish systems. Although generally concealed, bracing exposed to the interior or exterior can provide an elegant reflection of the building’s strength and sophistication. People of the Panhandle like to think they come from hearty stock. Even today it takes a certain strength of character to live and thrive on the High Plains. The stark beauty of the prairie and the surprising grandeur of the canyon are hard to deny, and the determination to live here is rewarded with the broadest range of experience. Spring’s beauty is accentuated by the harsh winter, and the cool breezes of autumn are restorative after summer’s dry heat. These topographic and meteorological extremes combine to offer a unique beauty, yet demand honesty and efficiency from the built environment. Mason Rogers, AIA, is the principal of Playa Design Studio in Amarillo. t e x a s a r c h i t e c t 31