Mission San José - Documentation and Preservation of a Faith-Based Site
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Description
Join the AIA Interfaith Design Knowledge Community’s Knowledge and Resource Committee for a presentation by John White, AIA, emeritus professor Texas Tech University, concerning his documentation and preservation work on the San Antonio Missions in San Antonio, Texas. As the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas, this lecture will discuss the important history and significance of five mission locations: Mission Nuestra Señora de Acuña, Mission San Francisco de la Espada, Mission San Antonio de Valero, Mission San Francisco Xavier de Najera Centennial Marker, and Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo. White will also present his process of documentation of the sites through the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and how this has informed ongoing preservation efforts.
Course expires 07/29/2026
This session was recorded live on August 9, 2023.
Learning Objectives
Describe a general history of the San Antonio Missions including their initial function, their development over time, and their present day utilization.
Identify key features of the San Antonio Missions including elements that either distinguish the sites from or show congruence with other Spanish missions throughout the United States.
Discuss the value that a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation has on an historic site.
Describe the work and purpose of the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and the impact that such documentation efforts have on the preservation of historic sites.
John received his BArch at the University of Texas and MArch at the University of Nebraska. He taught at Texas Tech, 1973–2018. He was a Supervisory Architect with the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), National Park Service summer teams projects, 1974–1999. He has had various contracts and grants for projects relating to Historic Preservation. A founding faculty member of the Master of Science in Historic Preservation in the College of Architecture, he served as its director, 1991–2016. He has received numerous awards, including as a member of NCARB, AIA, Texas Society of Architects, Lubbock Heritage Society and Lubbock County Historical Commission.
Scott, a Dallas Architect whose work has received numerous design honors and recognitions, has focused his career on modern Architecture, concentrating on commercial projects including Commercial, Worship, Institutional and Multi-Family projects. His expertise in authentic historic design is evident in Highland Park Village and has foundations in documenting historic buildings including The White House and Texas State Capitol. In addition to his practice, he is currently serving as a Past Chairman of the AIA Interfaith Design knowledge community. He served as a visiting design studio critic at Texas Tech University. He is a past Executive member of AIA Dallas.