Oasis@6th is a proposed mixed use development located in the heart of downtown Austin. An iconic midcentury modern building, used originally as a banking headquarters and now known as the Starr Building, forms the core of the project. An urban wellness center develops through a collaborative venture between the academic concentrations of historic preservation (Reed), interior design (Bodet), and architecture (myself).
A Mixed Use Development
Character defining features such as the 10′ x 30′ mural in the main banking space are preserved in the Starr Building while other spaces are adaptively reused. Adjacent sites to the east and south are included in the complex; an 8-story office and retail structure and a 15-story boutique hotel and modernized parking facility are proposed in their place. Finally, a two-story amenity deck is included in the footprint of the original mid-century pilotis-supported awning. The deck serves the office park and hotel with its fitness and spa facilities.
Wellness and Sustainability
Wellness-themed tenants have inspired the many sustainability features of the building. Such features include the green roof on the amenity and office buildings, the natural materials in cladding and interiors, and the new daylighting features in preserved buildings. Light wells in the historic building preserve the original intent of the facades and add daylighting. The hotel lobby engages the Austin street life, while a bamboo cladding system conceals the parking structure above. Light and views are present in the hotel guest and lobby levels. Water flows through channel glass to form the exterior threshold of the lobby, and landscaping completes the urban oasis.
Detailing brings sustainability into the user experience. Rich interior materials, such as the cork flooring in the spa, provide a similar experience of wellness inside the complex. Natural stones and wood provide a similar experience in the hotel rooms. Translucent plastic panels finished in wood veneer allow light into the hotel spaces. The slanted north wall and stepped south wall of the hotel create the angled effect of the tower and interact with the structure, building services, and guest amenities as shown in the detail drawing set.
Documentation
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