Thanks to the UTSA CACP's “Design/Fabricate” Studio under instructor Darryl Ohlenbusch, the Discovery Trail now has a beautiful new trailhead kiosk. The kiosk was a semester long project where UTSA architect students were called upon to design a structure that would provide shaded seating and a mount for a trail map for the new, fully-accessible, Discovery Trail.

The design was chosen by a competitive process within the studio beginning this past January, which included input by board member of Friends of Government Canyon Graham Beach and Bob Harris of Lake|Flato Architects along with fellow board member Billy Lambert, and Chris Holm, Superintendent of Government Canyon State Natural Area. Engineering services were also provided by Larry Rickels and Eugene Polendo of Datum Engineering San Antonio.

The project was put into production in mid-March, with onsite installation completed in early May by the students themselves. The design features a steel tube primary structure and Eastern Red Cedar framing that recalls the material palette of the existing Natural Area Visitor’s Center buildings designed by Lake/Flato Architects and completed in 2005.

A huge thank you to the UTSA’s Design/Fabricate Studio and to REI of San Antonio for helping to fund the project. Map and information panels will be installed later this summer.