Interfaith Action of Central Texas (I-Act) has been sending out a Daily Dose of Hope message in response to the Covid quarrantine. Ben Heimsath contributed his reflections in today's post. Ben describes how he's found a new way of travel sketching, in spite of our social isolation. Here's a link to Ben's Daily Dose of Hope. Read More
A new home for the AMEN Food Pantry in La Grange, Texas is nearing completion. The conversion of an industrial building will provide over 3,000 s.f. of space for food shopping and storage. A front reception and office area will serve the needs of staff, volunteers, and clients. Read More
The groundbreaking ceremony is a wonderful tradition that marks a critical moment in the life of a project. After many months of planning and preparation communities celebrate the moment when they actually start “moving dirt,” as the saying goes. Today, St. James’ Episcopal Church, La Grange, Texas celebrated with a unique ceremony - a virtual groundbreaking. Read More
Not long ago, I gave a kick-off presentation at the Texas A&M University School of Architecture. Professor Anat Geva’s students, working in teams of three, were to design an all-faith worship space in a sacred landscape of their choosing. I blogged about the studio in March and planned to return for the final evaluations sometime in April. Read More
While we wait for more direction on the reopening of schools, it is gratifying to consider the positive trends towards more healthy learning environments. Heimsath Architects is happy to present some fabulous photos of the two-classroom addition at Pickle Elementary School of Austin ISD. The project, completed in last March, incorporates five key elements of the 21st Century classroom design: ... Read More
Though many of our lives have seen dramatic changes over the past few weeks, construction continues at our Belvedere Residence. A recent wine and cheese site visit just before the shelter-in-place orders gave us a delightful walkthrough with the owners and general contractor. The roof was being installed while we met and the following weeks have included the addition of gyp. board and trim on the ... Read More
This Saturday, the front page of the Austin American Statesman featured the latest from area congregations adapting to coronavirus constraints. A companion video was produced for the Statesman’s YouTube channel. Today, National Public Radio featured religious leaders discussing their observations on how things have changed for their communities. Read More
In response to the coronavirus, as a cautionary measure, Heimsath Architects will have all personnel working from home until further notice. Read More
Students in the architecture program at Texas A&M University worked with Ben Heimsath to kick off their latest studio assignment: the design of an all faith chapel. Professor Anat Geva’s design studio, working in teams, will design their chapel in a sacred location of their choosing. To kick off this innovative inquiry, Ben began with an exercise focused on spaces that the students considered ... Read More
Calvary Episcopal School in Bastrop, Texas took a critical step forward in planning for its new location. Representatives of the school and the Calvary Episcopal Church assembled for a full-day Design Retreat Workshop at the Colony Amenity Center. Facilitated by Ben Heimsath, Kathryn Coffey, Eric MacInerney, and Li Tong, the Heimsath Architects team conducted a series of exercises to facilitate ... Read More
