by Heather DeGrella, USGBC CT-B Chairperson

Since the formation of the USGBC Central Texas - Balcones (CT-B) Chapter, I have been asked on a regular basis why San Antonio and Austin don't each have a chapter to call their own. On the surface, Austin and San Antonio are rather dissimilar cities. Having lived in and grown quite fond of both places, I can attest to the differences between the culture, attitudes, and pace of both the people and the governments of the cities. Austin is progressive, the live music capitol of the world, and youthful. San Antonio is steeped in culture, rich in history, and moves at a leisurely pace. On the other hand, the climate and ecology of the two cities are virtually identical. When it comes to the environment, nature does not recognize municipal boundaries. Click to read more

Once alive with farm equipment manufacturers, steel plants, and agricultural supply companies, South Flores Street in San Antonio's Five Points neighborhood had become little more than abandoned buildings, faded concrete facades, and broken glass. But seventy years later, the "SoFlo" district, a tip of the hat to New York's once gritty entertainment district, is now one of the city's hottest "new" areas.

SoFlo Located between government buildings to the north and Southtown's emerging art scene, the district is once again coming into its own, thanks in no small part to the vision of Alamo Architects and OCO Architects. The two firms had set about converting a former trailer manufacturer warehouse site into a "spacious and technologically sophisticated workspace" to serve as their headquarters. But in the two-year process, they not only helped to guide SoFlo's funky revitalization in the direction of historical preservation and environmental sustainability, they garnered San Antonio's first LEED Silver certification. Click here to read more