Our Partnership with the Texas Society of Architects

Does your hall need an architectural drawing for planning, fundraising, or a minor construction project? Texas Dance Hall Preservation has partnered with the Texas Society of Architects to help match dance halls with volunteer architects who are willing to provide this service at no cost to you.

What is the Texas Society of Architects?

The roots of the Society date back to the 1880s organization known as the Texas State Association of Architects. In 1939, 47 architects paid charter dues and elected the Society’s first officers, officially forming the organization as it exists today. In 1951, the Society received its charter as a component of the American Institute of Architects. The Texas Society of Architects  is one of the nation’s largest organizations for the architectural profession, with 18 regional components and 7,200 members. Texas Architects is headquartered in Austin.

How did this get started?

Several years ago, TDHP co-founder Steph McDougal was working with a hall that wanted to add an ADA-accessible ramp. Heimsath Architects answered her call for a volunteer to assist with that project, and they visited the hall, took measurements, and produced a drawing that the hall then could use for fundraising and construction.

In 2015, the organization included the “One Sheet (of drawings) for Dance Halls” idea into its first strategic plan, developed in 2017. The next year, board member Charles John took on the project. Charles is a past board member and officer of TSA as well as the past president of the San Antonio chapter of AIA. He coordinated with TSA regional offices across the state of Texas to begin recruiting volunteers for this effort.

Heimsath Architects

How does it work?

To potentially be matched with a volunteer architect in your part of Texas, please contact us. We’ll discuss your project and then contact the appropriate TSA region to recruit a volunteer who is located (relatively) near you and willing to travel to the hall.

TDHP will introduce you and monitor the project to make sure that everything goes well, and also to find out how we can continuously improve this program.

Support Texas Dance Hall Preservation

Your kind and generous help makes it possible for us to work directly with dance hall owners to provide technical assistance, workshops, grants for building repairs, and other resources. Please become a TDHP Member and make a donation today.