News

The Austin Central Library was included in TIME magazine's list of World's Greatest Places 2018, which features 100 must-see destinations around the world. The final list spans six continents and 48 countries, and includes museums, parks, bars, restaurants, theme parks, cruises and hotels.

"The building itself— which centers around a six-story, sun-drenched atrium— is cutting-edge, too. In July, it earned a Platinum LEED certification for its sustainable design, which includes a bicycle-repair and parking garage and a cistern that pipes rainwater to the bathrooms."

To see the full list of destinations, click here. 

Join us at the 2018 AIA Austin Summer Conference August 23-24 at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, Texas: 

Friday, August 24: 

3:00 p.m.: LFer Justin Garrison joins Dean J. Almy III, Christine Freundl & Mary Anne Ocampo for a session titled "Constructing a Community-Based Approach to Urban Design in Austin." 

"As Austin embarks on a new land use code to accomodate rapid growth, an investigation of planning processes and missing middle housing questions the role of current community-based approaches to urban design. With a panel collaboration between MIT, AIA Austin Urban Design Committee, City of Austin, and residents, this session will share innovative ideas, integrated strategies, and collaboration techniques that reimagine an urban design framework for 'complete communities' in Austin. 1 LU/HSW" 

4:00 p.m.: LFers Steve Raike & Jonathan Smith will discuss "How to Win Contractors and Influence Big Buildings: The Austin Central Library." 

'This session will follow the integrated design team on the Austin Central Library from the initial ambitious pre-design goal of becoming the best daylit library in the country to opening day and beyond. The discussion will focus on the design and construction process as well as on the dynamics of a large team on a long lasting project. 1 LU/HSW" 

Confluence Park, a collaboration with Matsys, has won a 2018 Architizer A+ Jury Award in the Cultural - Pavilions category. The BHP Pavilion— the park's main pavilion— and the Estella Avery Multipurpose Education Center are located at the confluence of the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek, serving as a living laboratory that teaches local residents about South Texas ecotypes and the function of the San Antonio River Watershed. Confluence Park was a finalist in both the Architecture + Concrete categories and the Cultural - Pavilions category, and the Austin Central Library received a Special Mention in the Concepts + Architecture: Light category.

To see the full list of 2018 winners, click here. 

At this year's AIA National Conference, a group of subject matter experts from across the country, among them our Sustainability Manager Corey Squire, unveiled the COTE Top Ten Toolkit— a meta-analysis of COTE Top Ten award criteria with the intent of making it accessible to all practicing architects by cataloging the vast amount of resources that underpin COTE's Top Ten Measures of Design. 

Phase 1 of the Toolkit, available to download here, is a sustainable design guide available to all architects offering simple strategies to improve the performance of every project.