LIGHTING DESIGN & PHOTOMETRICS
San Antonio, TX completed 2022
in collaboration with ERT Lighting and Alamo Architects
Sonia Sotomayor High School is a comprehensive high school, situated on a 75-acre site. At 430,000 sf, it is designed for a student capacity of 2800. The school is organized around two courtyards that serve as outdoor learning and creative centers for students; on the interior, the circulation revolves around a three-story daylit main stair that provides gathering space, visual connection, and graphic identity for the school. The building is anchored by an athletic area of two gyms with dressing facilities on one side, and a 900-seat auditorium with full fly loft and orchestra pit on the other. This project presented multiple lighting challenges including how to keep things evenly well lit, while at the same time creating a sense of dynamism in the variety of large double height spaces. The other goal was to have it feel modern while at the same time keeping the massive undertaking within budget.