Fifth and Tillery, an adaptive reuse project, has revitalized a post-industrial site in East Austin, Texas. Limited to the footprint of an existing warehouse, the site has been reimagined as a vibrant indoor-outdoor creative office building.
The design inverts the typical office environment by bringing pedestrian circulation outdoors, which reduces energy demand and promotes tenant wellbeing. An inviting entry plaza serves as an outdoor lobby. Oriented to the south, the plaza invites predominant breezes into a landscaped courtyard that doubles as a multitenant corridor and source of daylight.
The site features a central green corridor and rain garden inspired by the native ravine microhabitats of Central Texas. An onsite reclaimed water system captures roof runoff, directing it to the raingarden and water feature that runs through the campus.
Integration of nature throughout the property draws users into common spaces, creating a dynamic social environment that encourages chance connections and spontaneous collaboration. A large social stairway promotes active design and can also function as an auditorium for community events. Floor-to-ceiling windows line the shaded courtyard, and a north-facing elevation maximizes views of the landscape.
Punched openings balance daylight and heat gain along the east and west facing facades. Bolstering the building’s sustainability, an overhead photovoltaic array and covered walkways provide shade. To improve air quality, integrated louvers with fresh air fans were placed around the courtyard where landscape and breezes provide natural filtration. The expansive photovoltaic array helps reduce the building’s embodied and operational carbon footprint.
The architectural theme is utilitarian and natural, with a simple palette of industrial materials layered onto a hybrid timber structure that blends seamlessly into neighboring districts. Complimentary materials—left-over glulam segments—were used as benches that mirror the beams of the primary structure. Prominently placed cisterns at the building’s entry reflects the site’s industrial history and emphasis on sustainable design.
On the building team:
Owner and/or developer: CIM Group
Design architect: Gensler
Architect of record: Gensler
MEP engineer: Arete
Structural engineer: MJ Structures
General contractor/construction manager: RM Chiapas
Related Stories
| Dec 4, 2013
First look: Dubai's winning bid for World Expo 2020 [slideshow]
Dubai has been chosen as the site of the 2020 World Expo. HOK led the design team that developed the master plan for the Expo, which is expected to draw more than 25 million visitors from October 2020 through April 2021.
| Dec 4, 2013
Meet the 'world's greenest building': One Angel Square
The 500,000 sf, 14-story One Angel Square in Manchester, England, is being promoted as "the most environmentally-friendly building in the world."
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
| Nov 19, 2013
Top 10 green building products for 2014
Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list.
| Nov 15, 2013
Greenbuild 2013 Report - BD+C Exclusive
The BD+C editorial team brings you this special report on the latest green building trends across nine key market sectors.
| Nov 15, 2013
Metal makes its mark on interior spaces
Beyond its long-standing role as a preferred material for a building’s structure and roof, metal is making its mark on interior spaces as well.
| Nov 13, 2013
Government work keeps green AEC firms busy
With the economy picking up, many stalled government contracts are reaching completion and earning their green credentials.
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
