Texas A&M architecture students made a contribution to the future of the Central Texas Oil Patch Museum in Luling by presenting designs Oct. 15 for its proposed outdoor exhibit park.
They were in a design studio led by Susan Rodiek, assistant professor of architecture and holder of the Skaggs Endowed Professorship in Health Facilities Design.
“The students were very creative, had tremendous enthusiasm and generated great ideas,” said Carol Voight, the museum’s executive director. “They really got it!”
“Dr. Rodiek has come to our aid in helping us focus a blueprint for development of our cultural treasures,” said Trey Bailey, a member of the museum association board. “The professionalism of the students has been impressive.”
Students had to contend with how to display a variety of oilfield items in the museum’s collection, such as rigs, tractors and other vehicles that serviced derricks, explained Adam Panter, Rodiek’s graduate teaching assistant.
“A lot of students designed a cover for an existing concrete slab, so they didn’t have to tear up the existing site as much.” he said. “Some students began to play with adding different levels so you could view the park from a second-level perspective.” he said.
The museum, started by volunteers in the 1980s to preserve the history of the oil industry in Luling, recently purchased several lots directly behind the museum building to display its collection of oilfield equipment.
Looking for design ideas for the outdoor exhibit space, the museum’s directors contacted Rodiek, and the graduate students went to work.
Thirteen students and two instructors traveled to Luling, approximately 60 miles east of San Antonio, to assess the site, take measurements, familiarize themselves with the museum’s mission, and look at its warehoused outdoor collection.
The student teams were also mindful of where their design should steer visitors once they arrived at the museum. Through the use of entrance gates and landscaping, Panter said students created designs directing museum patrons on a specific path through the site, beginning with the discovery of oil in Luling and leading chronologically through oil industry developments over time.
Edgar B. Davis, who discovered oil in Luling, was prominent in several of the designs, said Panter. “If their design had a monument or central focus, he was the subject,” he said.
“Being able to get this quality of work and vision is tremendous to our efforts to showcase some of the true historic gems of Luling,” said Bailey. “Dr. Rodiek and her able team have offered us the ability to get this project moving, especially considering the limited budget we have at this time.”
