June Update: Sixthriver response to COVID-19

June 29, 2020

To our valued clients and vendors,

We hope that you and your families have stayed well throughout this time. Thanks to a great amount of virtual communication and our many technological tools, our staff has been able to efficiently work remotely; we have worked tirelessly to support our clients and colleagues, and we thank you for your business and collaboration. 

As the situation continues to change and evolve on a daily basis, we are continually assessing and determining the best course of action, keeping everyone's safety and health a priority. 

That said, we will continue to offer our employees individual choices on whether to come into the office or to continue to work from home, and we will continue to conduct meetings virtually. Both in the office and out in the field, our staff will follow the City of Austin’s guidance on social distancing, washing hands, wearing face coverings and will continue to maintain a strong focus on safety and wellbeing. 

Our office will be re-opening in accordance with local and federal regulations on Monday, July 6th.  Should this date change, we will be sure to update you accordingly.

Stay safe and be well,

Roland G. Roessner, President

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May 15, 2020

To our valued clients and vendors,

We hope that you and your families have stayed well throughout these past few weeks. Thanks to a great amount of virtual communication and our many technological tools, our staff has been able to efficiently work remotely; we have worked tirelessly to support our clients and colleagues, and we thank you for your business and collaboration. 

Our office will be opening in accordance with local and federal regulations on Monday, May 18th. While we will be open, our employees have been given individual choices to come into the office or to continue to work from home; we will continue to conduct meetings virtually for the time being. Both in the office and out in the field, our staff will follow the City of Austin’s guidance on social distancing, washing hands, wearing face coverings and will continue to maintain a strong focus on safety and wellbeing. 

Stay safe and be well,

Roland G. Roessner, President

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March 15, 2020

A Message From Roland Roessner, President of Sixthriver, Inc.

To our valued clients and vendors, On behalf of the entire Sixthriver team, I am reaching out to assure you that the safety and well-being of our clients, vendors and employees remain our highest priority. We are closely monitoring the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) situation, including guidance from medical professionals, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Austin Public Health (APH), and will respond based on the advice of public health authorities. I would like to share a couple of updates that might help you to feel at ease when doing business with Sixthriver, Inc. during these uncertain times. First, as of March 16 2020, Sixthriver staff will be working remotely. Second, we will continue to deliver our professional services as usual, and will work to ensure that deadlines and deliverables are not affected by this change.

We will also continue to communicate with you about your project virtually from now on. Thank you for your continued business and relationship. We will keep you updated through this fluid situation and look forward to continuing to meet your project needs. Take care and contact us by email if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected]

Sixthriver designs Boutique at The Refuge Ranch for DMST exclusively for child sex-trafficking survivors

Partnering in meaningful designs that will last for generations and affect change is a central core value of Sixthriver’s mission.  Thus, connecting with The Refuge Ranch, developed by the Refuge for DMST (Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking) allows us to serve as stewards of social justice and endeavor to positively affect the future for all. The Refuge is a long-term, residential, therapeutic community for child survivors of sex trafficking (female minors through age 19).

Sixthriver and The Refuge discussed ways in which we could help. The result of these discussions lead to the idea of completely transforming a dilapidated, double-wide construction trailer on The Refuge Ranch property into The Boutique at The Refuge Ranch. The Boutique would serve as a sophisticated retail experience for the girls at The Refuge, providing them an opportunity to shop for new items, basic necessities, and creature comforts to help the girls feel at home. While serving as a learning tool for budget and money management and a place for social interactions, The Boutique also provides an employment training opportunity as the girls have the option to work in the store to further their job skills and development through customer service – a small handful of tools The Refuge provides to aid in the recovery process. 

Approaching The Boutique, large stadium-like steps invite guests to the covered front porch entry which double as an outdoor classroom and gathering space. Large windows were essential in creating a storefront design not unlike that of a typical boutique. Peering in, a custom peg board wall, curated by Sixthriver, provides an interactive display for merchandise.

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 The rear portion of the boutique is reserved for private items and dressing rooms; settled in a comfortable “living room” like environment, the space allows the girls a comfortable place to gather and share their clothing finds. To create this desired setting, specific design details - such as a custom rug also curated by Sixthriver and custom wall-coverings created by Studio Dzo - were installed in this area.

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One key element repeated throughout the space is that of imagery of doves. As symbols of The Refuge, doves signify love and internal peace while serving as a representation of the healing journey. This symbolization of healing can also be found through materials chosen for the boutique, such as the traditional Shou-Sugi-Ban exterior wood (provided by Delta Millworks), a ­centuries-old Japanese ­technique for preserving and finishing wood. This technique weatherproofs and strengthens the material – a symbol for what the Refuge strives to provide for the girls in their care.

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After spending time at The Refuge, the internal change in the girls is reflected in the bright white, pink, and gold accents of the interior of The Boutique. Everything, from paint colors to furniture (and even the restroom wall paper), was specifically chosen with the intention of providing the girls with an edgy yet playful space where they can spend time. With each of these carefully chosen design elements, we strove to empower the girls and help them feel special.

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Special thanks to all involved, especially our contractor The Burt Group, for helping make this design a reality and collaborating on the transformation of The Boutique.

For more on The Refuge for DMST, including ways to get involved, please visit: https://therefugeaustin.org/

Sixthriver Designs Community-Oriented Facility for Austin Classical Radio Station

TEXAS ARCHITECT | Christopher Ferguson, Assoc. AIA

KMFA’s new headquarters will open itself to the neighborhood with a glazed street front leading to community-oriented facilities inside. IMAGE BY: sixthriver

Many Austinites could be forgiven for failing to recognize their own public, classical radio station. Despite being an institution whose legacy dates back to 1967, Austin’s KMFA 89.5 has largely flown under the radar. That trend has only continued, as more listeners tune in to streaming services as opposed to traditional radio channels.

In response, the organization recently decided to take a bold step in an effort to adapt to present trends while investing in the future. For the first time since its inception, KMFA is constructing its own headquarters, enlisting local architecture firm Sixthriver to design an expansive, community-oriented facility specifically aimed at fostering real-life engagement. The Austin office of STG Design is the interior architect on the project.

“Aside from the typical office needs of any organization’s new home, KMFA challenged the design team to provide all the current office amenities and appurtenances, while allowing the public to access the space for performances and gatherings,” says Nathan Wilcox, a principal and design director at Sixthriver. “A major goal of the project was to place the broadcast studio in a highly visible and interactive location, while providing for the technical and acoustical challenges therein.”

The material palette is designed for transparency and warmth. Woods inspired by the cello and bassoon are complemented by champagne-and-brass tones of timpani and trumpets. The exterior cladding embraces a scale-patterned, iridescent finish — a riff on the site’s previous use as a fish hatchery.

The intent to provide performative and community gathering spaces shaped the design approach from the outset. Says Wilcox: “This [approach] generated the need for a number of unique solutions ranging from the provision of a multifunctional and flexible pre-function and banquet space, to designing acoustically-separated but visually accessible spaces. These aspects informed the massing and configuration of the building, which floats above a public plaza, covering, shading, and simultaneously activating the fully-glazed broadcast studio.”

With construction expected to be completed by late summer of next year, the 18,000-sf facility will become part of a broad, mixed-use development located to the east of Interstate 35 and north of Town Lake. Nestled among future homes for seniors, market rate apartments, and a fleet of office and retail suites, this prominent location will leave KMFA poised to impact East Austin and the city as a whole for decades to come. 

“Much has been written about the technological disconnection of society,” Wilcox says, “and as the centroid of our culture drifts further and further into the virtual world, real gathering spaces with real people become critically important. The idea of bringing broadcasters, employees, the neighbors, and the general public into the same shared space reinforces the idea that made radio such a cultural behemoth in the first place. We connect with each other as a society when we are all listening to a common tune.”

Christopher Ferguson, AIA, is an architect at Clickspring Design and co-founder of DO.GROUP.

Parallel CO Announces 502-Bed Development Near the University of Texas

StudentHousingBusiness.com

March 9th, 2018

Austin, Texas — Parallel CO, a new venture formed by industry veterans David Pierce and Kristen Penrod, has announced plans for MUZE, a 502-bed student housing development located blocks from the University of Texas campus in Austin.

The 18-story high-rise is scheduled for delivery in fall 2019. Community amenities will include a rooftop swimming pool, outdoor theater and kitchen area, fitness center, community gathering spaces and a state-of-the-art study floor with spaces for individual and group study. Units will be fully furnished with a custom designed furniture package. The architect for the project is Rhode Partners and Rogers-O’Brien is the general contractor. Sixthriver will provide interior and product design services.

http://bit.ly/2FP13AI

MUZE, located blocks away from the University of Texas in Austin, will offer shared amenities including a rooftop pool.