Back Nine Watering Hole

San Antonio, Texas

Renderings: Tobin Smith Architect

Back Nine Watering Hole is an amenity outpost serving a section of a golf course separated from its clubhouse by a four lane public road. The Watering Hole reinterprets the classic Texas “dog-run” building typology with a central open-air gathering space strung between two oxidized shipping containers that house a bar, bathrooms and teaching pro’s office. The containers are splayed to direct the southeast breeze across the shaded deck and to orient the view toward the northern nine holes. A cross-axis defined by vibrant colored portals punched through the two containers further opens the space allowing for secondary circulation, views and air movement. Floating above the containers and deck, a gleaming kite-like roof provides shade and harvests rainwater.

The palette of steel, corrugated metal, and limestone-filled gabion walls is informed by the property’s industrial history as a rock quarry and cement plant. Shipping containers, modified to fulfill the programmatic requirements, fit within this industrial language and are cost-conscious, weather-resistant building blocks that facilitate speed of assembly and minimize site-work. Additionally, repurposing containers contributes to a lower carbon footprint by reducing the amount of new material required for the project.