Recently announced plans for Wilson Tower, a high-rise multifamily building in downtown Austin, Texas, indicate that it will be the state’s tallest building when completed. The 80-floor structure will rise 1,035 feet in height at 410 East 5th Street, close to the 6th Street Entertainment District, Austin Convention Center, and a new downtown light rail station.
The 450-unit multifamily development will offer features with hospitality-style services and sophisticated design, setting a new standard among Austin’s high-rise apartment towers. The building will provide unobstructed skyline views, a signature ground floor restaurant and bar, and an activated streetscape.
POOL DECK, LOUNGE, CO-WORKING SPACES, AND PET SERVICES
Wilson Tower will offer valet service and four full floors of amenities that will include an expansive pool deck with food and beverage service, a full-service fitness and wellness center, a resident cocktail lounge and movie theater, coworking spaces, and a floor dedicated to pets, outfitted with a pet playroom, grooming center, and dog run.
Unit sizes will range from 471 sf to 3768 sf, from studios up to 3- and 4-bedroom penthouses. The ground floor tenant will be a signature restaurant and bar with significant outdoor seating and is envisioned to provide an energetic streetscape.
“We believe it is important to add intentionally designed density along the city’s transit corridors to accommodate the unprecedented level of population growth Austin is experiencing,” says Taylor Wilson of Wilson Capital, the developer.
HKS AUSTIN DESIGNS A BRISE SOLEIL: 'COMFORTABLE OUTDOOR SPACE'
The building will foster creativity and social connection, according to Brad Wilkins, principal and design director for HKS Austin, the lead architect. “Along with welcoming outdoor terraces and gardens, the tower itself is wrapped in a brise soleil that offers protection from the hot Texas sun and wind while also providing structural strength,” Wilkins says. “This brise soleil gives the building uniquely shaded and comfortable outdoor living spaces on every level.”
Wilson Tower is a redevelopment project on a 0.8-acre site spanning a half-city block that was previously home to the Avenue Lofts building. Nearly all parking is above ground with eight levels of above-grade parking, an area that will be hidden with decorative metal louvers.
THE BUILDING TEAM
Owner/developer: Wilson Capital
Design architect. AOR: HKS
Interior design: Britt Design Group
Structural engineer: CKC
Civil engineer: Kimley-Horn
MEP engineer: Wiley
Landscape architect: Nudge Design
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Looney Ricks Kiss Architects wins industry honors for mixed-use, multifamily, and residential designs
Looney Ricks Kiss Architects won four Aurora Awards for its architectural designs during the recent Southeast Building Conference in Orlando, including a Grand Aurora Award for a Mixed Use Multi Family community located in the West Village area of Dallas.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower
Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture Billings Index flat in May, according to AIA
After a slight decline in April, the Architecture Billings Index was up a tenth of a point to 42.9 in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declined in 333 of 352 metro areas in June
Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The analysis shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Hensel Phelps among the nation's 50 largest design-build contractors
A ranking of the Top 50 Design-Build Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Arup, SOM top BD+C's ranking of the country's largest mixed-use design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Mixed-Use Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
10% of world's skyscraper construction on hold
Emporis, the largest provider of global building data worldwide, reported that 8.7% of all skyscrapers listed as "under construction" in its database had been put on hold. Most of these projects have been halted in the second half of 2008. According to Emporis statistics, the United States had been hit the worst: at the beginning of 2008, "Met 3" in Miami was the only U.S. skyscraper listed as being "on hold". In the second half of the year, 19 projects followed suit.
