Zilker Studios

August 2022   Austin, TX

Client

  • Foundation Communities

Team

  • Aptus Engineering
  • Bartlette Cocke

Category

Award/Recognition

  • 2024 AIA Austin Award Community Impact
Key Points

Zilker Studios boasts a sustainable, low-maintenance landscape that creates a sense of place and community for residents.

Innovative

Zilker Studios redefines urban living with an innovative breezeway concept, preserving nature while fostering interaction.

Sustainable

Native planting, energy efficiency, and a commitment to net zero redefine the site's sustainability.

Community

The design creates intimate spaces, fostering community and connectivity within the complex.

Zilker Studios is a 7-story studio apartment community serving Austinites who have struggled with housing insecurity or experienced homelessness.

In addition to individual rental units, Zilker Studios contains offices and program space for Foundation Communities’ wraparound services for residents. The urban infill project site is located on the rapidly changing South Lamar transit corridor, providing residents easy access to job opportunities and city amenities. The project will pursue a minimum of Austin Energy Green Building 1-star certification.

Asakura Robinson’s design features shaded community gathering spaces organized around two large heritage oaks. A large deck under the north oak ramps down to a series of small gathering spaces, breaking up the site into a series of intimate spaces. A custom shade structure creates a comfortable outdoor gathering space next to the large flex lawn, overlooking the active street below. On the other side of the site, accessed via a large breezeway through the center of the building, a second deck provides additional gathering space, as well as outdoor grill stations. Planting areas are designed with native species to provide seasonal color and habitat for pollinators, as well as to reduce the need for irrigation.

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