University Center at Harlingen

The ERO-designed University Center on the Texas State Technical College campus in Harlingen is the winner of two major design and construction awards. The Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Award and the Engineering News Record Excellence in Design Award recognized ERO for its work in shaping the University Center. This new design-build construction project on the TSTC campus was the first LEED Gold® Building in South Texas.

LEED Gold was achieved by ERO’s skillful choices of materials and utilizing existing materials in minimizing capital investments. Winning major industry awards is noteworthy. ERO takes even more pride in designing buildings that respect area history and culture. A woven pattern on the exterior walls pays homage to the Coahuiltecan tribes that inhabited the region as its native people. The ancient is blended with more modern eras. Repurposed lumber from the site’s demolished Army Air Corps barracks is fashioned into elegant beams that grace interior ceilings and the building’s entrance.

ERO designed the University Center to serve dual purposes. The facility serves as the main offices for the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation. Eight universities share space at the Center. State-of-the-art audio and visual technology are utilized in every learning area in providing students with rapid and reliable access for technology-driven information. All lecture halls are designed for student comfort, with the ability to see and hear professors no matter where students sit.

History and learning are built into ERO’s design of the 38,200-gross-square-foot University Center at TSTC-Harlingen.