UTSA | Catalyst 2020-2021
The Cypress Living Laboratory will offer experiential learning opportunities to UTSA students and the San Antonio community.
Cypress Living Laboratory A new outdoor classroom at UTSA will provide
An ecofriendly green roof, bioswales and bio-
“The Cypress Living Laboratory will serve as
science students and the San Antonio com-
retention areas will be functional examples
a unique and aesthetic long-term education
munity with opportunities to get their hands
and educational areas for students and
destination for San Antonio’s K-12 students
wet in water research. The Cypress Living
the community to learn about water issues
and university students to learn about the
Laboratory is designed to promote habitat
such as the impact of urbanization on water
importance of protecting the Edwards Aquifer,
and environmental education opportunities
quality over the Edwards Aquifer recharge
our primary source of drinking water, while ob-
associated with the creek ecosystem.
zone. UTSA also plans to use the space for
serving how the project’s LID features, which
outreach activities and summer camps open
are still a relatively new concept to the San
to the community.
Antonio area, can improve water quality,” said
Designed by the architectural firm Ford, Powell & Carson, the state-of-the-art facility is part of a $2.6 million project funded by the City of San Antonio’s Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project.
Homer Garcia III, director of the City of San “We are so excited to add this facility to our
Antonio’s Parks and Recreation Department.
outreach initiatives,” said Dr. Janis Bush, who is the project lead, the chair of the
Ford, Powell & Carson has supported UTSA’s
Department of Environmental Science and
growth as San Antonio’s urban-serving uni-
The innovative project supports UTSA’s Class-
Ecology, and the associate dean for Gradu-
versity since its inception. Fifty years ago,
room to Career Initiative, which creates expe-
ate Studies in the College of Sciences. “This
the architecture firm designed the original
riential learning environments for students.
unique building will enhance our students’
three UTSA classroom buildings, the Library-
In addition to an open-concept classroom,
experiential learning opportunities by provid-
Administration Building and the Sombrilla.
the approximately 2,000-square-foot building
ing hands-on education to prepare them to
UTSA alumni Celeste Taylor ’04, Mark Hender-
will include multiple low-impact development
tackle environmental challenges facing our
son ’14, ’16 and Andy Castillo ’07, ’10 are
(LID) features to manage storm runoff and
world, such as water quality, water quantity
part of the current Ford, Powell & Carson
will showcase best management practices
and water management.”
design team.
San Antonio River Authority, which is con-
This is the first building of a planned nature
Construction of the Cypress Living Laboratory
tracted by the city to administer the program
area on the northwest corner of the Main
began in fall 2020 and will be ready for
under which this project is funded, is provid-
Campus within a dedicated 11 acres set aside
students, faculty and the community to use
ing guidance to UTSA and its design team on
for the College of Sciences. The Cypress Living
by summer.
the living laboratory’s low-impact develop-
Laboratory is a project under the Campus
ment components.
Master Plan and is the first new building at
for improving water quality and quantity. The
UTSA to be named after a native Texas tree. 24
