SAN ANTONIO -- Mission Concepcion is a nearly 300-year-old structure and was built for the time.
- Building is nearly 300 years old
- Group seeking to improve indoor conditions
- Wear and tear over time compromising walls
"It was designed specifically to give mass without the use of a microphone. It was designed to be used with little use of artificial light, and it was designed to be able to house the community without air conditioning," said Angela Lombardi, one of three UTSA professors that are part of the school's Center for Cultural Sustainability.
The group is researching ways to improve the indoor climate conditions within the church. Years of rainfall, humidity, and condensation from air conditioners have caused some art work on the inside to fade away and compromised the walls of the building.
"It's always a surprise to see how much these walls can soak up water and then evaporate it out. Many people liken them to giant sponges," said Professor Williams Dupont.
It's not a dire situation, but one that needs some creative and innovative solutions to keep it from getting that way.
"We are designing a machine that is totally different. Noise-wise, energy-wise, condensation-wise. In many different aspects. That's the end goal here," said Antonio Martinez-Molina, who leads the project.
But as the three formulate a plan to hand over to the San Antonio Archdiocese at the end of the year-long project, they are firm in their belief that it's more than just restoring a building.
"It always goes back to the cultural heritage or the living heritage of people, so we always have to be mindful that we're not just preserving buildings. This is one of many small projects that all add up together to a big effort to work hard to keep the heritage of the San Antonio missions that so important in San Antonio,” said Dupont.