Soto Building

The Soto is Texas’ first mass-timber office building and a model for sustainable design and construction. This six-story building anchors the Cavender Neighborhood, a mixed-use development that offers a full complement of restaurants, retail, and entertainment designed for the modern workforce and nearby residents. The primary design direction was to provide a unique and beautiful workplace that appeals to tenants, is highly flexible, and incorporates sustainable technologies and materials. The Soto provides Class A office space for various companies and serves as the headquarters for Pabst.

In collaboration with BOKA Powell.

The Soto anchors the Cavender Neighborhood, a new mixed-use project in San Antonio’s Broadway corridor. Soto is the Spanish (Castillian) word for a “grove of trees” or “small forest,” especially one near a river, or a place of dappled sunlight and lush greenery. Soto is a name, a place, and an acknowledgment of this building’s origin. Not only is timber construction beautiful, but it is also exceptionally sustainable in reducing the building’s carbon footprint.

Case Study

Mass Timber Innovation

In addition to being the first mass timber office building in Texas, the Soto is one of the first projects in North America to combine mass timber with a brick façade. This LEED-certified structure is comprised of five stories of DLT (dowel-laminated timber) over one story of concrete. Exposed floor and roof decks create a richness found only from natural products, and timber columns, beams, and ceilings bring a calming charm and warmth to the workspaces. The result is an environment and aesthetic that is distinctly different from any other office space in the market.

Process

Mass Timber Construction

As the first building in the U.S. to integrate a heavy masonry façade with a mass timber structure, the Soto faced unique challenges that required creative solutions—such as precise detailing that prevents long-term deflection and provides a high-tolerance connection between the materials.
At the double-height loft roof, two-way 10' cantilevers comprised of DLT panels were created with a completely concealed connection system. This unique cantilever system showcases the beauty of the exposed timber through to the building exterior.
The multi-tenant spaces are built over raised floor, which supports underfloor air distribution. This allows for more flexibility in planning, greater comfort for office users, and preserves the warmth of the exposed wood ceilings without the visual clutter of overhead air ducts.
To make the mass timber system more visible to pedestrians at street level, the columns were brought down to the concrete podium on the building’s exterior. DLT was also used for floor panels, exterior canopies, and lobby accents.
Related Project

Make Ready Building

The Make Ready Food Hall reimagines existing buildings and outdoor spaces in a renewed communal setting. Originally a car repair shop, the 10,000-square-foot space, featuring heavy timber wood trusses and vaulted ceilings, was ideal for a food hall. Lake Flato leveraged a unique partnership with the client and Jean Pierre Veillet, the creator of Portland’s Pine Street Market, to develop a vision for the new space. The design team visited food halls nationwide to identify key elements for authenticity and innovation.

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