Trinity University Dicke Hall + Business and Humanities District

The new Business and Humanities District at Trinity University realizes a vision for a cohesive and vibrant interdisciplinary academic district. The district was formed by the renovation of two historic mid-century buildings originally designed by noted Texas Modernist O’Neil Ford and the addition of Dicke Hall, a new mass timber academic facility. The district ties into and completes the campus’ academic spine, along which each department is clearly identified and supported by indoor and outdoor social and collaboration spaces.

The new mass timber Dicke Hall connects to the renovated buildings through a new courtyard that offers collaborative areas. The landscape design incorporates 100% native plants and drought-tolerant grasses that are naturally water-efficient and well-adapted to the Texas climate. Rain gardens, permeable pavers, and water-wise landscaping reduce impervious ground cover by 1,735 square feet despite the new building’s footprint of 12,000 square feet.

Your efforts have left us with a spectacular addition to the campus—the building is beautiful and successful in all the right ways. Dicke Hall pays homage to the historic legacy of Trinity architecture while embracing the need for environmentally responsive design and does so like no building I have seen before . . . my experience was one of beauty, grace, respect, and restraint, a building that is a perfect complement and addition to the Trinity campus. John L. Scherding, AIA

Former University Architect & Director of Sustainability Trinity University

Construction Method

Mass Timber

Continuing the campus heritage through mass timber was a natural fit, providing an aesthetically beautiful, structurally innovative design that meets Trinity’s goals for the reduction of embodied and operational carbon. The mass timber structural system also reduces the need for finish materials required to achieve the desired warm, and modern aesthetic.

Structural Innovation

Mass Timber Process

Dicke Hall is San Antonio’s first cross-laminated mass timber structure. To celebrate this innovation, the design team chose to expose all interior panels on the interior of the building. Prefabricated treated wood panels, which are exceptionally strong and fire resistant, were shipped directly to the building site, allowing the construction of Dicke Hall to generate virtually no waste.

CULTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Building Performance

Both passive and active sustainable design strategies were incorporated to achieve notable building performance metrics. The mass timber building reduces embodied carbon by 52% and energy use by 90% as compared to a baseline building. The building also captures 100% of its condensate to eliminate all potable water from toilets and landscape. Additionally, by upgrading the building systems and envelopes of the historic structures and using high-performance systems and smart passive strategies on the Dicke Hall, the energy usage of the Humanities District adds less than 1% energy usage despite increasing the total square footage by 42%.

Demonstrating Trinity University’s commitment to environmental stewardship, Dicke Hall incorporates both passive and active sustainable design strategies to achieve notable building performance metrics. The mass timber building reduces embodied carbon by 52% and energy use by 90% as compared to a baseline building.

The renovation of the mid-century Chapman and Halsell buildings transformed the student experience within the outdated facilities. Traditional classrooms were converted to active and hybrid learning environments. Underutilized spaces became vibrant collaboration nodes and, by replacing solid walls with glass and operable walls, activity and learning were made visible. New skylights punctuate the interiors, flooding the buildings with natural light.