Smith & Company Architects :: Projects
Texas Southern University
Ennis Street Garage
Completed: March 2006
Size: 10,000 sq. ft / 1,000 parking spaces
Scope:
At four students per parking space, Texas Southern University was significantly below the national average for urban colleges in terms of parking availability for students and staff. In addition, the university anticipates student enrollment growth of over 75% over the next five years. Preliminary projections call for the need for 2,430 additional parking spaces by the year 2020.
In a project combining participation from the university and private enterprise, this 1,000-car parking garage was built on an existing surface lot on the southwest portion of the campus at, arguably, it’s most significant and visible intersection. This Phase I garage, the first of three planned over the next ten years, houses over 10,000 SF of retail space on the ground level. This retail space will house student support entities such as a bookstore and print shop. Adjacent to the campuses basketball arena, the masonry and pre-cast garage provides additional parking for special events.
The design of the garage matches the same palette of materials recently used on new campus structures such as St. Joe brick and limestone colored cast stone.