Decatur, Texas : Josey Pavilion
In the fall of 2017, my studio class visited Decatur, TX to see Lake Flato's Josey Pavilion. The building is located a good 20 miles out from the town, having to drive down a series of backroads and a couple of dirt roads to get to it. Surrounded by nothing but grasslands, it accomplishes its goal of connecting visitors with nature. The building is an excellent model of sustainability. To begin, the finish materials consist largely of reclaimed wood, seen below. The sides of the main gathering area has slats in it for passive ventilation; the walls are also on tracks that allow them to open if more air circulation is needed. Some of the only electrical equipment on the site are the lights and fans, no mechanical heating or cooling is present. There is even a small screen at the end of the large room that tells the occupants how much energy the building is currently consuming. Most importantly, Josey Pavilion's water system feeds into a constructed wetland. The wetlands act as a filtration system that returns the clean water directly into the ground.