The Pineapple school is an early learning center that provides a Spanish language and cultural immersion day care program for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age.  The building is located at 12222 Huebner Road, San Antonio, TX 78230  (210) 694-0740.   The Owners are Dr. Hugo and Susan Carvajal and their daughter and son-in-law Krisana & Juan Puccio and the project was built by SSM Construction.

The site is a long a narrow tract of approximately 1.2 acres and had additional challenges in that it is adjacent to existing residential homes, has frontage on 3 sides and is partially over the Edwards Aquifer.  The Owner and design team took great care to be sure that we could develop the lot, provide the required landscape buffers between our property and the adjacent homes and provide ample parking and playground areas as required by code.  In order to achieve this, part of the property had to be re-zoned, we designed a one way traffic flow for drop off and pick up and did significant site grading to allow for relatively flat and useable ground area.  In addition, a majority of the site is fenced for the kids safety during play time and the air conditioning units have been moved to the rooftop to fee up additional space on the ground. 

The building itself is approximately 10,000 s.f. and in keeping with the theme of the Spanish curriculum has an architectural style that is suggestive of a Mexican Hacienda.  The exterior materials include stained stucco walls with large storefront windows to allow for ample daylight.  In addition to stucco, the walls have an accent of a dark brown and rust colored stone.  The roof structure uses stained, exposed wood rafters and the roofing itself is a terra cotta barrel tile.  There is a large Octagonal Cupola or tower that extends above an interior multi-purpose play room and gives the building a focal point that can be seen from the surrounding streets.  The site is also attractively landscaped and uses stone retaining walls to accommodate the grading.

On the interior of the building, the Pineapple school uses dark, richly colored walls with large painted animal cutouts, Saltillo tile floors with ceramic accents and a large mobile in the multi-purpose room.   In addition to classroom areas with shared bathrooms for children, there are administrative offices, a reception desk, staff lounge, nurses room, prep. kitchen and other support areas. There is natural light in almost all areas of the facility and all classrooms, in addition to having large windows, have direct access to playground areas through exterior doors.