AIA COTE Top Ten Awards: Confluence Park

Confluence Park, a collaboration with Matsys Design, is a living laboratory for the San Antonio River Foundation designed to provide visitors with a greater understanding of the San Antonio River watershed and the ecotypes of the South Texas region.

A one-of-a-kind cultural pavilion with education at its core, the park is an intricate teaching tool that inspires visitors to become more involved with the river and practice sustainable habits by allowing visitors to learn through observation, engagement, and active participation.

“This project is both architecturally functional but also just a beautiful space where I’d want to be in.”
-2023 COTE Top Ten Jury

The pavilion geometry is inspired by “petals” imitating the form of plants that are structured to funnel dew and rainwater to their roots. These concrete petals are designed thoughtfully to sit lightly upon the land providing shade and shelter, simultaneously collecting rainwater used on site and engaging visitors to visualize the cycle of water at Confluence Park and how it relates directly to the San Antonio Rivershed.

The AIA COTE Top Ten Awards are the highest recognition for sustainable design, selecting ten innovative projects each year for their integration of design excellence with environmental performance. Lake Flato leads the industry with 15 COTE Top Ten Awards, demonstrating our commitment to design performance & sustainability.

For details on the 2023 AIA COTE Top Ten Award recipients: 2023 COTE Top Ten Awards.