Austin, Texas, USA
Aspen Heights Partners appointed Rhode Partners’ design team to create a residential skyscraper between Austin’s Seaholm District and Shoal Creek. Rhode Partners created an impressive building that rises 688 feet and currently holds the title of the tallest tower in Austin.
Rhode Partners’ design of The Independent has been awarded a 2021 American Award for Architecture as well as a 2021 International Award for Architecture from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
It has 363 apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms that incorporate a range of floor plans offering unique views and spatial qualities to residents.
A 30-foot cantilever suspends the 34th-floor amenity deck over the city.
The floor-to-ceiling glass window wall was made possible by removing most structural elements from the perimeter, allowing for unimpeded 360-degree views protected by Austin’s Capitol View Corridor.
Residential tiers push and pull to cantilever four distinct blocks which is why it has also been nicknamed the Jenga Tower or the Tetris Tower.
Its dynamic form is achieved by sliding and mirroring floor plates about a central core.
The mirroring of the floor plates was a result of the owner’s programmatic requirements to provide a diversity of unit orientations with the same floor plan.
At the top of the building, woven stainless-steel mesh wraps around the building’s mechanical systems, including a massive liquid damper tank that limits the sway of the 58-story structure in high altitude winds.
The sustainable building employed a detailed BIM-based energy model during the design process to achieve LEED© Gold recognition.
The project is net-energy neutral for a significant portion of the year due to the efficient HVAC system, regenerative elevator system, and other energy-saving measures in the
a building like reduced drywall by employing exposed, locally-sourced fly-ash concrete.
This sophisticated use of exposed structure is combined with a refined material palette and commissioned art to define the tower’s character and create a memorable space.
The Independent is designed to capture the imagination and activate Austin’s skyline.
Project: The Independent
Architects: Rhode Partners
Design Team: Jeff Barajas, Ronn Basquette, Joseph Cox, Zoe Darsee, Catherine French, Steve Gallegos, Rebecca Gawron, Sam Gelfand, Lane Green, Andrea Hellerman, David Larrew, Lexi
Martin, James Morgan, Erin Nies, Brett Rhode, Tim Peterson, Paul Schumacher, Tim Sherrill, Dan Sokolosky and Robert Tait
Urban Design:McCann Adams Studio
Landscape Architect: Studio Balcones
Lighting Design: Scott Oldner Lighting Design
Client: Aspen Heights Partners
General Contractor: Balfour Beatty
Photographers: Nick Simonite, Jason O’Rear, and Patrick Wong
