Image courtesy Alamo ArchitectsThink of Jingu House like a bonsai tree. In much of bonsai, we reveal the roots and carefully prune to reshape and redirect plant growth toward an intentional future life. There is nothing random or detached in bonsai. The amateur only appreciates the plant that shows above ground level, with little understanding or appreciation of the work that went into shaping the plant. Bonsai is also viewed as a microcosm of a larger environment, a small purposeful ecosystem unto itself within a larger universe that recognizes the importance of each individual ecosystem.
It is the same at Jingu House. What started as a direly needed renovation of a small, dilapidated, deceptively simple structure grew very complex once the architects revealed the woefully neglected roots beneath. The million-dollar project was funded primarily with private dollars raised by the San Antonio Parks Foundation under the leadership of former Mayor Lila Cockrell. Some San Antonians might gasp at that amount. (Indeed, a recent restaurant review in the Current expressed disbelief – and seeming disapproval – at the budget.) But there is far more to this project than meets the eye.
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