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.

Condo project on the way in East Dallas’ Henderson corridor

East Dallas' popular Henderson Avenue retail and restaurant corridor will soon be getting a condo development.

 Builder Larkspur Capital plans to build the residential building near the corner of Capitol Avenue and Henderson.

"Capitol Flats will consist of a 31-unit condominium project on three floors over a below-grade parking garage, said Larkspur partner Carl Anderson. "The units will average 1,700 square feet and will all be flats.

"The exterior of the building will consist of a unique blend of materials that results in a contemporary urban feel," Anderson said. " The interiors will include hardwood floors, quartz countertops, custom cabinetry, and Samsung Wi-Fi enabled appliances."

The condos will start in price over $400,000.

Larkspur plans to start construction on the building next year. The city approved plans for the project in August.

The development is one of the few new condo projects on the way in North Texas.

"We think that the market is ready for this type of product given the continued rise in single-family home prices coupled with the trend toward close-in urban living," Anderson said. "We plan to leverage off the significant upcoming retail development planned along Henderson Avenue."

He said the condo project should be completed in the fall of 2018.

Larkspur is building several townhouse projects in East Dallas and has a small apartment building in the works for a site on Live Oak Avenue.

While thousands of new apartments are in the development pipeline in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, builders have done few condo units. Most of the new condos have been in high-rise buildings.

Read the full article here: http://www.dallasnews.com/business/business/2016/10/12/condo-project-way-east-dallas-henderson-corridor

Room to GLOW - Kendra Scott Headquarters in Marie Claire Magazine

The Kendra Scott headquarters embodies an old "Hollywood flair" that is lush and softened by pattern and textures; a space which emphasizes Kendra Scott's commitment to her employees and the community. Pick up a copy of the November issue of Marie Claire to read more about the new Kendra Scott corporate HQ designed by Sixthriver. 

Office space to replace old Austin movie theater near mall →

A new office project is scheduled to break ground in a few days west of Barton Creek Square mall.

JTM Development is building Walsh Tarlton Overlook at 2530 Walsh Tarlton Lane

Walsh Tarlton Overlook, designed by Austin-based Sixthriver Architects, will yield 55,000 square feet of class A office space in a desirable area where vacancies have been scarce. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation indicates that the project is valued at $9.5 million.

JTM Development in partnership with Cypress Real Estate Advisors is building the upscale office project. Headed by J. Thomas Mercer, JTM has previously built Rob Roy Office Park, also in Southwest Austin, and has entitled numerous residential developments across Central Texas. Mercer is handling the pre-leasing. He is a former executive of Prologis Trust and Panattoni Development Co.

The only other office project currently underway in Southwest Austin is the Lantana Ridge office complex at 7601 Southwest Parkway, which will be fully occupied when completed by Yeti Coolers LLC. Lincoln Property Co. is the developer.

Walsh Tarlton Overlook is scheduled to open sometime next year and will feature limestone, marble and walnut finishes. Elevators from the five-level underground parking garage will deliver employees directly to their offices.

The Burt Group is the general contractor. TBG Group is the landscape architect.

Cypress acquired the land in 2007 when it purchased a Cinemark theater that been located on the site. Cypress rezoned the property in 2011 to provide for mixed-use development.

Residential projects are underway nearby.

Centro Development LLC, headed by Kent Collins, is building the Westerly, which includes 168 multifamily units and 21 townhouses. Chupik Properties and Design Inc. in partnership with Prominence Homes is building The Walsh, 55 luxury townhouses, just west of the office project.

Jan Buchholz covers commercial and residential real estate, construction and architecture and retail and restaurants for the Austin Business Journal. Read more at http://bit.ly/2bwb0Tk 

Brandywine makes statement with One Congress Plaza penthouse

Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN) has been active in the Austin market for the past decade, but in the past two years it has become one of Austin's largest landlords.
Today the real estate investment trust owns about 2.7 million square feet of office space in the Austin market with joint venture partners DRA Advisors.

Though the company is headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, executives wanted to up the Austin profile — even to the extent of deciding to rent space in someone else's building downtown. Currently, Brandywine's portfolio is scattered throughout suburban areas, where their local staff has been based.

But there's more potential brewing in the Austin market. In fact, Brandywine recently acquired a premium site downtown for development. After President and CEO Gerard Sweeney came for a visit, the Austin executive team was encouraged to seek out something prominent — a place that could be leveraged to market the Brandywine brand to big time investors.

"When we realized we could get the top floor with these grand views, we just knew," said Bill Redd, executive vice president and senior managing director of Brandywine Realty Trust.
The 5,000-square-foot space at the peak of the pyramid at One Congress Plaza, 111 Congress Ave. had been occupied for some time by Austin attorney and real estate investor Jimmy Nassour. His law office relocated to Bee Cave Road, and Brandywine negotiated a deal with Parkway Properties (NYSE: PKY), another national real estate company which owns the downtown property.

All was very cordial, and Brandywine hired Austin's Sixthriver Architects to create the open planned design. Trimbuilt Construction Inc. handled the build-out.
The size is modest but the views are stunning.

"This makes a statement for us," said Ralph Bistline, senior vice president of Brandywine based in Austin.

via Austin Business Journal

Architectural Record: Manzanita Hall at Arizona State University

Diamonds are Forever: A beloved '60s dormitory—once the tallest building in Arizona—was adapted to the needs of today's plugged-in students

Manzanita Hall makes a striking statement on the northern edge of the Arizona State University, Tempe, campus, across from the Sun Devil Stadium and blocks from the downtown. Climbing up the 15-story dormitory's curved facades is a precast structural diamond-shaped lattice that was innovative for its time—Cartmell and Rossman designed the 1967 building—and still looks radically cool. If Sally Draper, Don Draper's daughter on Mad Men, went to ASU, she probably would have lived in Manzanita, originally a women's dorm.

Though Manzanita (“Manzy”) was a beloved campus icon, with its groovy Y-shaped plan, by the time Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) conducted a feasibility study in 2007 to determine whether the building could or even should be renovated, it had badly deteriorated and was not up to code or serving the needs of students. Jim Curtin, SCB principal, gathered university engineers who worked in the building to talk about which of the mechanical systems could be salvaged. “My focus group, scheduled for 45 minutes, turned out to be five minutes. They basically said nothing could be preserved,” he says.

But the building had sentimental value and good bones—it featured the first use of post-tension concrete in Arizona when it was constructed. Initially, Manzanita's developer-manager, American Campus Communities (ACC), wanted to raze Manzanita and build new dormitories, but ASU was able to negotiate a financial scenario with ACC to support the renovation. The project's architect of record, Phoenix-based Studio MA, has had a long-standing presence on campus. Principal in charge Christiana Moss worked on ASU buildings at other firms, and Studio MA principals Dan Hoffman and Christopher Alt both taught at ASU. (For Manzanita, Studio MA worked with SCB as associate architect and Sixthriver Architects on interior design.) The dormitory reopened in the fall of 2013 to house freshmen in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

To bring the building into the 21st century, Moss and her colleagues felt they had to first redo the skin, relieving the precast lattice of infill. Originally, the dorm's windows and frame walls were set into the lattice. Today, a system with alternating glass and copper-toned vertical metal panels is set back 6–12 inches from the lattice (mimicking the reddish color of the indigenous Manzanita tree's new growth). The panels help with thermal performance, and also make the pale frame pop. “To accentuate the lattice and really articulate it was part of making the building modern again,” says Moss.

This signature move almost didn't happen. When work began, the architects didn't realize that a chamfer surrounding the original windows—making them look like Superman's insignia—had also been cast into the lattice. “There was a moment [when the contractor began demolishing the first window bay], we were standing there like, 'I can't believe this,' ” says Moss. “We had to literally cut out, grind out, every single 'fillet.'”

That was a defining moment for Moss, and one that set the tone for the rest of the project. “Midcentury modern buildings should be kept modern, but how do you do that?” she asks. “You can't be timid. You can't have a preservationist view, necessarily, because it keeps them in the past. Ultimately we said, 'Let's just get in there and grind the suckers out!' ”

While Manzanita remains a residence hall, its program might as well be brand-new—student housing has changed so completely since it was built. “It's far more of a destination as opposed to a necessity,” says Curtin, of dorm life. Students want flexibility and personal space, but, most importantly, they want connection and community. In the “old” Manzanita, students complained about never encountering classmates who lived on the same hall, recalls Curtin. The architects remedied this by creating two-story lounges in the northeast leg of the Y. Each lounge serves two floors of dorm rooms. To create space for the lounges, the architects pushed out the original northeast exterior wall, just shy of two L-shaped shear walls, adding floor-to-ceiling glazing. The original muscular X-bracing of the lattice is now part of the interior, demarcating the lounge mezzanines. Kitchenettes and laundry rooms are on the lounges' lower floors, connected by a stair to the mezzanine levels, where students can watch television and relax.

To accommodate the new floor plan, which also has larger room suites lining the perimeter walls (the bed count went down in number, from 1,000 to 814), the architects had to gut the interior, including all systems. Before new plumbing risers and mechanical chases could be inserted, every penetration in the post-tensioned slabs had to be x-rayed, on every floor, says Moss. Because the post-tensioning cables were not laid out consistently on each floor, they did not align, and flexible plumbing risers were installed to account for the irregularity.

In addition to the replacement of the frame wall, the other big structural move at Manzanita was to demolish one of the four 12-inch-thick, 15-story, cast-in-place shear walls. This allowed the architects to insert two new code-compliant elevators. (Robotic demolition machines removed the walls after the building's exterior skin had been removed, in order to avoid full wind loading.) A new shear wall was then installed, 4 inches back from its original location. Studio MA and SCB also enclosed two sets of open-air stairs on the east and west sides of the building, glazing the shafts and mechanically ventilating them for required smoke evacuation.

Manzanita's lobby—just like its original dormitory floors—was isolating, dark, and uninviting, entered through a long, narrow, cast-in-place Corbusian ramp. “It was so depressing,” says Moss. She and her colleagues raised the entire surrounding plaza and created a shade canopy, whose lattice mimics the facade. To flood the lobby with daylight, they removed stucco fasciae from exterior window walls and added skylights. Inside, they exposed original terrazzo that had been buried under vinyl tile, and inserted offices, a multifunctional classroom, and a computer center, giving the lobby an airy, cheerful atmosphere.

Restoring Manzanita is in line with two of ASU's major goals, says university architect Edmundo Soltero: providing the infrastructure for a desired 100,000 students by 2020 across all campuses, and changing what had traditionally been a commuter campus into one that students call home. To do that, the campus and its buildings “have to speak to a harsh desert environment,” says Soltero. Moss agrees, noting that there is something disturbing about all-glass buildings—not an uncommon sight in Tempe—for a place where temperatures often reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. At Manzanita, though the architects increased glazing by 15 percent, simulations showed that they are able to achieve a 12–18 percent performance increase simply by pushing the skin back from the lattice. “The R value of the original wall—we analyzed each layer—came out to 3.5. It was a real energy hog,” says Moss. Now the opaque walls have an R value of about 22.

On a recent tour of Manzanita on a 100-degree fall day, a student sat on the comfortable north-facing shade terrace, next to a sand court for volleyball and a barbeque lawn. He talked on his cell phone while music bounced softly from a sound system. The pop star Pink sang her hit “Just Give Me a Reason,” whose words seemed particularly apt for Manzanita's rebirth—“. . . We're not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again.”

via Architectural Record

Hospitality Design: Callaway House, University of Texas at Austin

Firm: Sixthriver Architects

Brief: To craft a 17-story $60 million privately owned residence hall. "Since our client is based in Austin where the university is located, they wanted this property to be their flagship student housing project," says Jill Lung, Sixthriver's director of interior design and shareholder. "We encompassed the newest technology, amenities, and support for the university living and learning experience." 

Aesthetic: "University of Texas students take great pride in their school and have a strong alumni base, so we wanted to creatively incorporate the school mascot, the longhorn, and the school colors, burnt orange and white," Lung says. The lobby's modern, comfortable, and durable design also features porcelain tile flooring, textured limestone veneers, and a cedar plank ceiling.

Highlights: Locally sourced artwork that weaves in Austin's music scene and culture: a visible central movie theater area that features game consoles ("We knew the Millennial residents like to be interactive, social, and seen, so to incorporate all three of these elements we encapsulated the theater in glass," Lung explained); and outdoor spaces with sweeping views of the city's downtown skyline and the university's campus. 

via Hospitality Design Magazine

With key Austin real estate deals, Kendra Scott builds her global jewelry brand

There’s a new facet to Kendra Scott’s thriving jewelry business: real estate. Austin’s fashion maven, through her signature company Kendra Scott Design Inc., is ponying up some big bucks to advance the brand with a new corporate headquarters, new flagship store and a distribution warehouse.

The exact investment numbers weren’t disclosed by Lon Weingart, chief operating officer for Kendra Scott Design, but documents on file with the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration show that the build-out of distribution space in Southeast Austin is valued at $2.7 million and the tenant improvements for the 43,500-square-foot corporate headquarters at 3800 N. Lamar Blvd. are valued at $4.9 million.

Kendra Scott's corporate headquarters is designed to reflect her particular aesthetic sensibilities. Designers studied aspects of her personal life - such as her home - to determine the ultimate ambiance of her new corporate setting on North Lamar Boulevard. 

Kendra Scott Design likely is sharing the costs with developers of both properties. Weingart acknowledged that it’s a major corporate investment. “This is a big expansion,” Weingart said. “We’ve been growing dramatically.”

Weingart said revenue for 2014 was about $75 million — stunning results, given that Scott began her empire with $500 in 2002.

Now her distinctive jewelry designs are carried by retail goliaths such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. Like many top-tier designers, Scott now has her own line of boutiques in the trendiest neighborhoods around the country. More than 25 shops currently are open in chic retail centers from Boca Raton, Florida, to Newport Beach, California. Nearly 10 more are due to open soon, including one on storied Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

The workforce has swelled to about 650 employees, with some 160 of those in the corporate office. “We’ve just cross the line where we cannot execute efficiently in our current space. This will help us in the next few years,” Weingart said.

Kendra Scott’s first store and offices have been a mainstay at 1400 S. Congress Ave. Over the years, the company has cobbled together other space for distribution and an expanding workforce, but it became clear in the past two years that there had to an overarching plan.
The executive team hired consultants to determine what was necessary to support growth. A large warehouse became a priority.

A survey of existing distribution employees showed that most lived in South Austin, and real estate brokers John Childers and Zane Cole with JLL honed in on the new build at Expo Business Park not far from Burleson Road and Ben White Boulevard.

“This particular site is under construction and it was just more efficient for us to do something new,” Weingart said.

Trammell Crow Co. and Clarion Partners are the joint venture partners of Expo 11, which is part of the larger Expo Business Park. The developers are represented by Ace Schlameus, Mark Emerick, John Barksdale and Darryl Dadon of CBRE Group Inc. Kendra Scott will occupy about half of the building at 6213 E. Stassney Lane, having signed a 64,800-square-foot lease. The property should be ready in October.

Warehouse and distribution space generally are pretty mundane, but windows and views are a part of the equation here — another strong plus for employees. The property is 100 percent climate controlled. “Building 11 is located on a bluff and features nice vista views, which is unique for an industrial development,” Schlameus said.

Weingart said anticipation is high for the new corporate headquarters, which likely will be finished early next year. Employees that have been scattered among five or so locations will be consolidated on the fourth floor of the new Lamar Central mixed-use project at 3800 N. Lamar Blvd. Houston-based Highland Resources is the developer. A new 1,500-square-foot flagship store will open at that location, too, though Kendra Scott will retain its South Congress location.

Austin-based Sixthriver Architects is handling the design of the distribution and corporate space. Embree Group in Georgetown — a prominent national retail developer — handles the design and construction of all Kendra Scott stores across the country.

via Austin Business Journal

New luxury vacation lofts will transform iconic corner of downtown Austin

As early as July, there will be a new spot to vacation — or staycation — in Austin. Top Trip Rentals, a vacation rental property company based in Austin, has announced the launch of Littlefield Lofts, part of a multimillion dollar exterior remodel happening at 119 E. Sixth St., across from the historicDriskill Hotel.

The 24 luxury vacation lofts, which were originally named Littlefield Quarters, are undergoing a serious facelift. The exterior renovation, designed by local firm Sixthriver Architects, will feature a modern, sleek glass facade. Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies will give guests impressive downtown views. Weekday rates will start at $199 per night, before taxes.

Littlefield Lofts Rendering

“There is nothing like this in Austin right now,” says Top Trip Rentals owner Chereen Fisher, and she may be right.

Spots like Hotel San Jose and Hotel Saint Cecilia offer guests boutique-style vacation stays, but they channel a more laid-back Austin vibe and are located a little outside of downtown. They are about experiencing the city, as the San Jose's website says, with “a sense of calm … without the clutter of everyday existence.”

Littlefield Lofts, on the other hand, is designed to connect visitors to the city by placing them in the heart of downtown and offering “all the conveniences of home,” plus an exclusive penthouse floor and concierge lobby. “I’m finding more and more that visitors to Austin want to feel connected to the city’s roots, and this property, as Austin’s original epicenter of commerce, exemplifies this,” says Fisher.

Although iconic, Sixth and Brazos may not seem like the most happening corner in the city, but that’s likely changing. Littlefield Lofts and the 30,000-square-foot Gold’s Gym on the ground floor are part of Stream Realty Partners' multimillion-dollar revitalization of the ixth and Congress city block. The renovated block includes a 26-story tower, three parking areas and the Austin headquarters of Dropbox Inc. 

The property, reports Austin Business Journal, was put up for sale this week. Mike Macdonald, who has handled several investment sales in Austin in the past few years, is in charge of the sale. He told ABJ that he expects an astounding amount of competition. “I’m seeing more early interest in this than I can ever remember.”

There are other signs of renewed life in the historic but underused area of town, too. The Townsend, a new live music and cocktail bar, is set to open any day now in the historic Townsend-Thompson building near the Paramount Theatre.

The goal of Littlefield Lofts, Fisher says, is to “transform the long-underutilized southwest corner of Sixth and Brazos into a destination.” It seems like that transformation might already be underway.

Read the full article via Culture Map Austin