civic spaces

Civic spaces must often serve multiple functions at once. Comfort and approachability on an individual level with flexibility and infrastructure for public functions and events are at the core of the design process. These multi-purpose and highly dynamic public spaces must allow functional flexibility to accommodate varying usage of space while reflecting a city’s identity and values.

Bender Wells Clark Design has designed some of San Antonio’s most prominent and dynamic public spaces. With growth and sustainability in mind, the success of these projects stems from a deep understanding of the city itself and a drive to keep San Antonio strong, healthy, and vibrant. As the city rapidly expands, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions becomes increasingly important. Equally as essential is a commitment to fostering San Antonio’s unique cultural heritage and reflecting those foundational roots in the city’s contemporary urban strategies.

municipal facilities

Government buildings and public service facilities are unique in their role in the urban environment. While their primary function is in serving the public, their design often sets precedents and has the ability to shape development in ways most other built structures do not. Low Impact Development strategies and sustainable "green building" principles are quickly becoming driving forces in site design as well as architecture and construction as we, as a society, endeavor to address the larger issues of population growth and resource management (both renewable and non-renewable).

How San Antonio establishes its position on these issues is reflected by its treatment of the properties it controls and influences. A city that serves the public's daily needs as well as creates a future that supports its own growth, health, and prosperity requires a like-minded philosophy in the treatment of its facilities. Water and energy conservation, stormwater management, support of local businesses, and use of local materials are ways that BWCD has aided the City of San Antonio in forming its unique identity while nurturing its future.