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Perspectiva
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
For Eugenio Mesta’s Texas-based architectural firm, it was important to choose a name that represented his Mexican heritage and his forwardthinking approach to design.
T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T RY
ARCHITECTURE LEADERS TODAY
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1-3. Government Employees Credit Union: This proposed facility will serve as the operational central hub for all the GECU branch operation centers in El Paso, Texas. With an approximate area of 82,000 sq. ft. this project will be located along the I-10 West-bound trajectory. This location will allow the facility to serve as a landmark for locals and visitors. Conceptually, the building draws on GECU’s fundamental role as a linking mechanism in its member’s lives and thereby connects to two fundamental forces to the City of El Paso: its geology and aerial connectivity. This project brings to a tangible state the geologic fault lines that stretch from the East Franklin Mountain Ridge to the Hueco Mountains as well as the aeronautical bearing for the City. This facility will personify the critical role that GECU plays in the development of the El Paso Community. Photos courtesy of Perspectiva
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anything is possible with a little
Perspectiva by Rachel Goldberg
When Eugenio Mesta founded his architectural firm in 1990, he chose a name that would mean the same thing in both English and Spanish, a name that would evoke both the tradition of his native Mexico and his forward-thinking approach to design. Today, Texas-based Perspectiva provides design, planning, construction and project management services for a variety of clients, including schools, banks, churches, hospitals and municipal facilities. In their many different designs, the common denominator is an emphasis on creating a close relationship between the individual and the building, and an awareness of environmental context. Perspectiva designed the GECU building, the operations center for the largest credit union in El Paso. Located along a major thoroughfare, it is a massive structure designed to serve as a landmark for passerby. In spite of the building’s scale, the elements connecting it make it friendly and welcoming to individuals who enter it. “We try very hard to generate a hierarchy of spaces from the public to the individual, so the individual has the opportunity to relate to the building at the level they choose to,” said Mesta. “When you enter, even though the building looks pretty massive, the plazas, the porticos and the vestibule all give you the opportunity to go through different spaces at different scales so that they do not overwhelm you.” GECU is also designed to provide a seamless transition to the outdoors, with
colors, materials and shapes inspired by the mountains. Carefully placed windows take advantage of natural light and make the building more energy-efficient. The conceptual design was inspired by GECU’s connective role in the community and its unusual location on a tectonic fault between mountains. It draws on the ideas of movement and change raised by the geological and economic upheaval in the community. The building appears to rise organically from the earth-shaking changes, both figurative and literal, affecting El Paso. “Through the movement of the tectonic fault, there’s this flower, this creation of the new GECU,” Mesta said. Familiarity and appreciation of the Southwestern landscape is a visible element in all of Perspectiva’s designs. Though the heat of the desert climate might seem like an oppressive place to build, Mesta sees it as an opportunity to create pleasant spaces indoors and outdoors. He keeps in mind a philosophy he learned from a lecture by renowned Swiss architect Mario Volta. “I never forgot this: that he said that through the history of mankind, architecture has been the development of the relationship between the indoor and the outdoor,” Mesta said. “That relationship continues today; even though we have the technology to do all glass, when you are in the Southwest you need to be very cognizant of how to orient the building so that you take advantage of what the desert gives you.” Another important element of their Summer 2010 5
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4-6. Lower Valley Regional Library, El Pasa, Texas. Perspectiva was selected by the city to design and supervise the construction of a second Regional Library with a capacity to store 90,000 volumes, 75 seats and a staff of 15. The library was designed for the area residents’ necessities, including a coffee shop and an independent meeting room for neighborhood use. This building was constructed of “Exterior Insulated Panels” made out of concrete and Styrofoam with an R Value of 30. The library is also equipped with a computer room, child reading area, quiet room, courtyard, study-rooms for area students as well as with internet service. Photo courtesy of Perspectiva. 6 Architecture Leaders Today
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designs is a respect for public and individual needs. Perspectiva’s buildings include spaces for social interaction as well as solitary reflection. Their innovative design for the El Paso library includes a modern coffee shop and computer labs, as well as traditional bookshelves and reading rooms. A separate children’s area allows play and storytelling without disturbing other library patrons. The building is not only a library; it also hosts community activities during off-hours, so Mesta’s design had to allow a separation between the different facilities to allow some public areas to stay open when the library is closed. Perspectiva also makes use of its design capabilities to contribute to its community. They have recently become the experts in their area for building and renovating charter school facilities. So far they have worked on 5 different charter schools, most of which involved adaptive reuse of blighted areas. One recently completed project in Galveston was a former funeral home that is now a
LEED-certified elementary school. “It’s a very rewarding way of getting involved in the community,” Mesta said. “It’s remarkable how good quality architecture can change a school around.” When designing a charter school, Mesta said he considers the relationship children will have to the building, resulting in architectural forms very different from commercial workplace projects. His designs transform former store buildings into comfortable environments for learning and play. Working on the smaller scale of the individually run charter schools provides the opportunity to work more closely with the end user. The process of designing a charter school involves intensive meetings with teachers, principals, and school boards to identify the best design to suit the school’s needs. Perspectiva maintains a policy of open communication with owners in all its projects to keep them informed through the process. They also offer construction management for clients who want more architect involvement during construction. They
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are able to use their expertise to become advocates for their clients, to make sure the project is completed on time and within the budget. A major strength of their work is their proactive method of problem solving. Perspectiva also strives to foster a team environment that values each member’s contributions. “That ownership creates a level of pride in the projects that generates excitement and closeness in staff,” he said. CLT
CAROL VICK ARCHITECT CVA is dedicated to providing quality sustainable design services and solutions that reflect their client’s vision. CVA provides full service design solutions from programming, planning and building assessments to architectural design and project management for governmental and institutional, aviation, higher education, k-12, interior design, commercial and tenant build-out projects.
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