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Architects: Alter Studio
- Area: 18000 m²
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Photographs: Paul Bardagjy Photography
Text description provided by the architects. Texas Hillel is a private organization that provides a forum for high-holiday and weekly Sabbath services for the three main movements within Judaism. However, over and above its identity as a place of worship, Texas Hillel strives to be a community center for the 4,000+ Jewish students at The University of Texas at Austin (representing one of the largest Jewish student populations of any American university). Informal classes, lectures, student activities, community events and a full-service, kosher meal-plan are all part of the daily life of this institution. The design for a new 18,000 square-foot facility, three times the size of the previous dilapidated building, became a vehicle to contemplate the various ways in which architecture might be significant to this organization and its constituencies. Designed for a modest budget, ingenuity in planning and detail were paramount for insuring the quality and character of the building.
