Kelso House Learning Lab

In partnership with the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), the Kelso House Learning Lab places students in an apprenticeship where they gain real-world experience in the preservation trades.

This effort provides the framework for future partnerships, establishing a foundation for the development of a traditional trade school, all while restoring a 1906 Atlee B. Ayres house in the Monte Vista Historic District.

Since acquiring the Kelso House in 2018, Power of Preservation has collaborated with The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Architecture, Construction, and Planning to offer a hands-on component to the Construction Science curriculum. Since 2019, UTSA students have utilized the Kelso House Learning Lab as a classroom for small hands-on projects developed by teams of students. This innovative partnership between UTSA, the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation, and the Power of Preservation Foundation is planned to continue throughout the Kelso House restoration to provide critical trades training to students planning on entering the fields of construction science and administration, architecture, and historic preservation.

Additionally, the Kelso House Learning Lab has become a site for the Office of Historic Preservation's popular wood window repair restoration workshops, with future workshops and Rehabber Club classes planned as restoration progresses. Upcoming workshop opportunities (post-pandemic) include wood flooring restoration, millwork repair, drywall and plaster repair, and reconstruction of decorative wood elements. The Kelso House Learning Lab provides an exceptionally unique opportunity for students, contractors, homeowners, and community members alike to learn trades skills in an actual project setting.

Take a virtual tour of the Kelso House Learning Lab as of February 2021 below!