Public Interest Design Studio – taught by Coleman Coker
In 2017, the studio, led by professor Coleman Coker, partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to design and build a shade structure at Galveston Island State Park–one of the most visited parks in the state. The shade structure will be used by the environmental educator focusing on teaching youth from middle and high schools in the region. These students will use the shade pavilion for an orientation talk before they begin a bay walk. The shade pavilion is expected to serve between three and four thousand students and park visitors throughout the year, and the built facility will be used through the spring, winter, and fall when school is typically in session. In the summer season, the park offers bay tours to the public.
The 450 square foot structure sits on the bay’s edge nestled between yaupon holly sculpted by southwest winds. A short walk through the hollies, along an informal path from the parking lot, leads to the structure. Part of the design includes a gabion wall filled with recycled concrete which provides the opportunity for the environmental educator to talk about the importance of recycling. The wall protects visitors from afternoon sun while also providing habitat for native lizards, pollinators, and other tiny creatures typically found in this coastal environment. This inhabited feature can be used as a living example to describe the Gulf Coast’s interdependent ecosystem. Tightly spaced wooden louvers are angled to maximize full shade throughout the summer. A similar wood screen serves the same purpose by shading the southern sun.
Gulf Coast Design Lab
Entry
Seating
Shade Wall
Interior
Pavillion 1
Pavillion 2
Roof Louvers
Pavillion 3
Construction Documents
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