Multi Family Executive profiled The Austonian this month in an article entitled “High on Green: A luxurious, green residential tower in Austin, Texas heeds a former mayor’s call for a livable, populated urban core.”
Read more about The Austonian and the vision behind the project here.
(Photo credit Mary Sledd)
Last month, The Austonian won a national construction award from McGraw-Hill Construction. The Austonian is the only award-winning project from Texas. A total of 21 national winners were selected.
The Austonian was selected for a 2010 Best of Award in the Multi-Family Residential/Hospitality category. The Best of Awards recognizes design and construction excellence. The national winners were selected from a pool of regional winners that were announced in McGraw-Hill Construction’s ten regional publications. The Austonian received a regional Best of award from Texas Construction in December 2010.
Read the full press release here.
(Photo credit Thomas McConnell).
Together Ziegler Cooper Architects and The Austonian development team created a plan for this high-rise luxury condo including 360-degree views; a slender, symmetrical structure created for the Austin skyline; and the use of earth-friendly materials and energy-saving design.
Learn more about the vision behind the project here. The all-residential luxury condominium project is set to open this June.
(Photo courtesy of JH Jackson Photography)
Exactly two years after construction of the luxury high-rise began, The Austonian will celebrate its topping out with a party for the hundreds of workers that have contributed to the project today. The workers of Balfour Beatty Construction will enjoy live music, food and a brief presentation. A steel beam signed by the construction team will be hoisted to the top of the 683’ structure to celebrate becoming the tallest residential building in the western United States. The beam is one of six that will support the building’s glass crown. Stay tuned for photos from the event.
The Austonian has reached the 32nd floor in the construction process. As the luxury high-rise grows to its full height of 56 stories, we take a look back at its roots.
Consideration of the location and environment, a focus on sustainability, and the needs of residents were major factors in The Austonian’s planning process, which was led by Ziegler Cooper Architects.
Located in the heart of downtown at 2nd and Congress, The Austonian will be an iconic structure. The unique elliptical design allows for the building to occupy only one-third of a city block, maximize views for each unit and protect the corridor view down Congress to the Texas State Capitol. The foundation of the building (which will be the tallest in Texas upon completion) is made up of 480,000 pounds of structural steel which connects to 47 piers reaching deep into the bedrock below. Because of the building’s unprecedented height, Ziegler Cooper wanted the top of the structure to be significant yet compliment the existing Austin skyline. To punctuate the building’s soft, slender shape and height, an illuminated lantern element crowns the top two floors.
In an effort to further integrate The Austonian with the landscape, Ziegler Cooper chose the building’s elements with Austin’s natural beauty in mind, incorporating limestone and a neutral color palette. Floor-to-ceiling window walls create a sleek shape in the skyline and offer unparalleled views of Austin and the surrounding Hill Country.
The building continues to climb one level per week and is on schedule to top out this summer. The following picture was taken from Level 32, which was poured last week.
The Austonian is featured in the February 2009 issue of Architectural Record. The article highlights the amenities and sustainable features of the building and includes an interview with Scott Zeigler of Ziegler Cooper Architects. Read the complete story here.
As The Austonian approaches the halfway point of construction, it seems only appropriate to introduce the architects responsible for designing Austin’s tallest building. Houston-based Ziegler Cooper Architects made the short list of consideration because of their expertise in designing urban residential high-rise projects. Ziegler Cooper ultimately won the project with a graceful elliptical design that maximizes views and preserves the Capitol View Corridor.
Known for its high-rise residential projects, Ziegler Cooper has earned its place as one of Texas’ premier architecture firms, with projects represented in every major Texas metro area. Today The Austonian represents the firm’s tallest and most complex project under construction. Occupying only one-third of a city block (rare for a structure of this height) the building demands unique design and engineering features, including a complex pier system connecting the structure of the building with the bedrock below. Now well beyond the subterranean construction phase and approaching the halfway point, Ziegler Cooper’s vision of Austin’s tallest building is becoming a reality.
