Located next to the San Pedro Creek Culture Park, just east of UTSA’s Downtown Campus, UTSA’s state-of-the-art School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center will further solidify San Antonio’s status as the largest information security hub outside of Washington D.C.
Renderings courtesy of Whiting-Turner | Jacobs | Overland
Main Entrance
Located along Dolorosa, the main Entry Plaza is aligned with the existing pedestrian crosswalk to visitors coming from Military Plaza to come straight into the lobby. Just to the east of this entrance is the building’s Urban Porch encouraging those waiting at the VIA bus stop to relax under its canopy and enjoy the urban garden in its adjacent planters. Just to the east is the location of one of the buildings two public art murals, adding cultural connections to the city’s rich history and a showcase for local artists.
Café & San Pedro Creek Entrance
This entrance allows students, faculty, researchers and visitors access to the outdoors with seating under a shaded canopy and views of San Pedro Creek. The Discovery Patio adjacent to the Café provides a rock garden and area for a future sculpture to inspire arts and culture among our community’s youth. As one looks south to the Creekside Terraces you will notice a deck area for classes and collaborators wanting to take advantage of a nice day. This area oversees the hammock garden shaded with a new series of trees and vegetation that tie seamlessly into the new San Pedro Creek landscape representing the native flora of this area.
Lobby
The Café opens onto the lobby and encourages visitors to see the technology demonstration space adjacent to the San Pedro Creek entrance, glance into the Senior Design Lab next to the main entrance, or perhaps peek inside the Cybersecurity Competition space. At the center of the lobby is an amphitheater where students and visitors alike can hear guest speakers or have a casual gathering. The walls of the lobby showcase the innovative work happening inside the building.
Multipurpose Space
As you walk from the lobby you descend into a 300-person, in-the-round conference space that easily converts into an event space, large classroom, or divide into three smaller classrooms. Providing a tremendous amount of flexibility and connectivity, this Multipurpose Space also takes advantage of its location at the midpoint of San Pedro Creek, opening up to an outdoor terrace that can function as a venue for events.
Second Floor Landing
As one moves up the amphitheater stairs or elevators to the second floor, you are greeted with a series of casual areas to sit, converse, share ideas, or simply relax. On this floor the School of Data Science maintains their Director Suite that spills out to an upper terrace and a series of instructional spaces for classes.
School of Data Science
Moving down the western corridor this view showcases the large computing laboratory and entrance into one of three open work/lab areas for the School of Data Science
Data Center
Level 3 features an opening above to Level 4, creating a double volume transparency of interior glass into working laboratories and conference rooms. As you turn west, the building’s central Data Center is on display.
Work Areas
Looking north into one of the three open work/lab areas, this area offers researchers a collaborative space in a flexible environment filled with daylight. At the center of these spaces are dedicated laboratories for specific projects, also outfitted with interior glass.
Casual Gathering Area
At each level (like here on Level 4) visitors are greeted by a small kitchen area that serves as a casual discussion space to encourage students, faculty, staff and research partners to congregate over a cup of coffee. Here you can see down to Level 3 and across to the Industry Partners Suite north and the Centers and Institutes south.
Landing
Stepping off the elevator, one immediately looks up to the three-story opening connecting Level 5 and 6 to a central clerestory (windowed wall above the roof) that floods daylight into the space. This area features suites for CyManII and the National Security Collaboration Centers Administration area.
Centers and Institutes
Instructional spaces are designed to be flexible while maintaining natural light. For researchers who will spend long days and nights working in the building, this feature will help them keep in touch with their circadian rhythms and the natural world.