Introduction
We have worked for several years both for and alongside the Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM), a San Antonio nonprofit which provides support to those in need or facing crisis. They particularly focus on providing a safety net for vulnerable and at-risk populations. Unusually, for such an organization, CAM has focused on not just improving the lives of those in need, but also on improving the physical world around them. As a founding member of the McCullough Avenue consortium, CAM has worked to bring together corporations, churches, and other organizations along McCullough to build a vision for the "Avenue of Light," a series of ideas which will knit together the disparate stakeholders around concepts of service, public engagement, and thoughtful urban development.
Work5hop has helped shape this vision as well, both through our direct involvement with projects at CAM as well as support of the San Antonio AIA chapter's public charette on the future of McCullough.
CAM Master Plan
The first phase of improvements was to develop an overall master plan for work to be done at CAM. We worked with CAM staff to help create a vision for what the campus could be, including renovations to all of the existing facilities, incoporation of a community garden and sculptural element, and streetscape amenities such as pedestrian lighting, a new ornamental fence, and a shade structure for CAM's clients. This work was done in the context of a larger effort for McCullough Avenue as the consortium members were first identified. CAM has worked tirelessly to lead initiatives for the re-envisioning of McCullough as a means to contribute to the nascent urban neighborhood while continuing to provide services to many different communities.
AIA Charette
Expanding on the thoughts and organization developing around McCullough Avenue, the McCullough Avenue Consortium asked AIA San Antonio to lead a community charette which would help develop a vision and recommended steps forward. As AIA San Antonio President Elect, Work5hop's Jay Louden organized and led the charette. Over 70 attendees discussed ideas for how McCullough and surrounding areas should develop in the future.
Following the charette, we developed a report which documented findings, conclusions, and recommendations. A list of the top ten ideas was generated from attendee feedback and discussions, many of which expressed ideas related to defining an identity, improving the streetscape for walkers and bikers, and ensuring respect for the current character, people, and places along McCullough while integrating new groups. The 30-page report also included analysis graphics which informed the charette discussion and graphic representations of conceptual design ideas from the community.
Warehouse Renovations
Our latest work with CAM has been the first steps in implementing the master plan. Work5hop completed schematic design for warehouse improvements, a chapel addition, and renovations to the existing administrative building (the historic Dulling House) and the client building, including a shade structure. Working with Pugh Constructors, we developed a comprehensive list of costs for various components of the package. We also created a rendering for CAM to use in grant requests and other publicity. CAM's efforts quickly resulted in a $500,000 donation from Harvey Najim to renovate and condition a portion of the warehouse, which will greatly expand CAM's capacity for materials management and hosting public events, including volunteer efforts.
