Elgin Arts Foundation

As populations in small town Texas have been declining in recent decades, artists have begun moving to these towns to find affordable studio space. This unrealized project proposed a foundation for the arts in Elgin, Texas, in a historic garage made of brick produced in the local plant. The structure’s beautiful walls had become unstable from years of being open to the elements, so roofing the space was a priority. The roof was to be supported with efficient wood trusses, clad in polycarbonate panels at the ends, which would bring in diffuse natural light. The large scale of the industrial space is well-suited to arts-related programming and sculpture in particular. The large garage doors could be opened onto the street for public events. While not historic preservation per se, the project sought to highlight and protect the beauty of original structure through a contrasting envelope. In providing public space for the arts, the building would give a forum for the new and native members of the community to engage.