Telfair’s historic Central State Farm prison building – now home to the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land – has inspired the name and design for a new building now under construction next door.
A rendering of the Telfair Central Hall building, now under construction next to the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land in Telfair.
The detailed red brick exterior of Telfair Central Hall pays homage to the old Greek Revival architecture next door. At first glance, the new 9,545 sq. ft. building appears to be a cluster of four separate buildings with varied heights, fronts and rooflines.
“When Newland Communities acquired the 2,018-acre site for Telfair in 2003, the Central State Farm building was surrounded by a few outbuildings and sheds. They have since been taken down as the main building was renovated into the museum, but the eclectic Texas industrial look of these buildings is recalled in the design for Telfair Central Hall,” said Heather Gould, marketing director for Newland Communities.
The building will provide residents with seven meeting spaces, a fitness center and catering kitchen. It will also provide onsite offices for the TelfairLife community service organization, which plans events for residents throughout the year and administers programs such as college scholarships for residents.
“With its emphasis on hosting resident activities and special events, Telfair Central Hall reflects the unique spirit of community involvement inTelfair,” said Gould. “Residents take part in everything from progressive dinners for adults, to holiday parties for the entire family. When Telfair Central Hall is complete, there will be space for many additional activities such as yoga classes and cooking lessons.”
A large multipurpose room will accommodate the biggest events and activities, while six smaller rooms can host a number of different activities at once. Each of the smaller rooms can be combined with the adjoining room, to create three intermediate-sized spaces. The corridor running the length of the meeting wing is designed to provide pre-meeting space and to encourage socializing among attendees of different events.
Most of the meeting rooms overlook the main lake at Telfair, and the large room has doors opening onto a patio with views of the lake. The site will also include three tennis courts, a canoe launch, and an access-controlled parking area for residents only. A swimming pool complex, also part of Telfair Central, opened on the site last summer.
Designed to meet the criteria for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, Telfair Central Hall is scheduled to open this fall.
