The new home for the non-profit Greater Texas Foundation (GTF) is the first LEED certified building in Bryan, Texas.

The existing site presented the challenge of creating a “sense of place” in what most would call “the middle of nowhere”. With no immediate built context, our site strategy relies on a series of orchestrated landscape interventions to transition from the surrounding rural setting to the building. The large retention pond at the approach and the restored prairie of native grasses and trees provides a new context for the building.

The architecture is an attempt to bridge the gap between the local rural traditions of shed roofs found throughout the Brazos River Valley and the local urban traditions of brick construction found in the historic downtown of Bryan.

Every stick of wood in the new building was salvaged from a nearby warehouse that was to be torn down. This very-local reclaimed material is prominently featured in the exposed roof decking, the floors, the front door, and several custom furniture pieces throughout the project.

Setting a new standard in the region for sustainable design and construction, the completed building provides the client with a fitting and long-lasting home that echoes the values of their foundation. 

click here to read more about our sustainable strategies in this project