This full-city-block project in Austin, Texas was composed as a series of pure geometric shapes. Solid and void are expressed through the varying shapes and volumes with the slender hotel and residential tower positioned above the lower horizontal podium which houses a music venue. An open air porch extends the entire length of the venue forming a void at the development’s south west corner that is the inverse of the solid volumes around it. The plaza invites prevailing cool breezes from the adjacent Lady Bird Lake into street level public spaces.

The tower is oriented to take advantage of Austin’s subtropical climate. Primary façades are oriented north-south, with apertures composed to control energy usage and heat gain. South-facing residences have deeply recessed verandas, which bring in winter light while creating shade in summer months; the three-meter-deep (nine-foot) terraces are finished like outdoor rooms. North-facing condominiums are flush with the building envelope to welcome soft, northern light.