George Gongora/Caller-Times file Developers and architects must take several factors into account when working on waterfront projects. They work to offer plenty of views of the water, while also addressing environmental concerns.

Projects make use of area’s prized asset - the water

Architects, developers must balance aesthetics with environment along the Coastal Bend’s waterfront

February 1, 2003
By Jeremy Brown
Caller-Times

With several major waterfront projects planned or already under construction, developers are putting Corpus Christi’s biggest asset to use.

Because water is such a prized resource, these projects must juggle aesthetic and environmental concerns. But if these projects are done well, their nearness to the water will compound their success, developers and architects say.

Projects slated to appear on the Coastal Bend waterfront in the near future include the new arena, the extension of the Art Museum of South Texas and the Performing Arts Center and Harte Research Center for Gulf of Mexico Studios on the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi campus.

Architecturally, all of these projects strive to achieve harmony with the water, but as a group they do not belong to any overarching school of design. Most of the planned waterfront projects cost in the multimillion-dollar range.

‘Maximize the views’
The Harte Institute will blend distinctly modern spaces with standards that put the building on the cutting edge of the combination of aesthetics and respect for the environment.

"One of the things this tries to do, through the orientation of the building, is maximize the views but in a controlled way where it is not exposed to a lot of energy gain," said Elizabeth Chu Richter, who with her husband David Richter designed the project.

Waterfront architecture must deal with certain common issues. Most buildings, like the Harte Institute, attempt to offer plenty of views of the water, which architects say has a universal appeal because it is both soothing and dynamic.

But at the same time, sunlight reflected off the water can result in troublesome glare. Wind and salt air rust and erode traditional building supplies and some exposed metal parts. Hurricanes and storm surges are unavoidable prospects.

Water is link to future
"Generally on the Gulf Coast and coastal areas, because of the potential for hurricanes, building codes are more stringent than they would be elsewhere," said arena architect Raymond Gignac. "Unlike, say, California, where you have the offshore breezes, here we have a southeast wind that is actually blowing a lot of salt air on the building, so it requires us to look at the selection of materials and the protection of materials differently than if we were inland just a little bit."

Despite all these complications, the waterfront is an undeniable asset to developers, and many say an important link to the area’s future.

"People are just naturally drawn to water, whether it is a beach or bulkhead at a harbor or a lake or a stream or a river," said Lewis Robinson, the man behind the planned 17-acre Harborfront resort in Rockport. "It is just something in our psyche that compels us to want to have a proximity to the water as opposed to desert or anywhere else really. Even in the mountains the most valuable and desirable property is property that’s next to a stream or a river or lake."

Harborfront will have a Victorian look that speaks to the local heritage.

In this age of environmental consciousness, waterfront architecture is increasingly taking into account the way buildings impact natural surroundings. That is especially true on the barrier islands, which are home to sensitive animal habitats.

Environmentally sensitive
The Richter-designed Mustang Island Episcopal Conference Center has been cited as a model of environmentally sensitive development. It is elevated and has boardwalks instead of large slabs of concrete, encouraging visitors to appreciate those grasses and dunes and spectacular sights.

The center sits on the inland side of the dunes, rather than up against the water, but the Richters work from a philosophical notion of what constitutes waterfront architecture, and the waterfront itself.

David Richter noted that much traditional waterfront architecture in the Coastal Bend has a historical style called Chesapeake, which many people automatically associate with the coast.

"All of that has a seacoast look in our minds," he said. "It isn’t inherently seacoast. Recently people have developed an affinity for what they call Mediterranean."

Contact Jeremy Brown at 886-3763 or brownj@caller.com