H-E-B SCIENCE TREEHOUSE

Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX

Designed as a dynamic and fun learning lab for children, this science education building stands at the edge of the San Antonio River on the Witte Museum’s 4.5-acre campus. The stone walls, arches, and tile roofs refer to the museum’s main building, but whimsy is added in the form of cupolas, spires, crenellations, a prow-like balcony, and gangplanks leading to the adjacent two-story treehouse (inspired by WPA structures in Brackenridge Park). The plan incorporates hands-on science exhibits and experiments, and the river feeds outdoor water exhibits.