AUSTIN, TX - BOKA Powell LLC announced that a new full-service sustainable apartment development called "RiverView" near downtown Austin is under construction. The complex sits on a four-acre waterfront site along Lady Bird Lake with spectacular city and lake views, and is slated to open spring 2013.
BOKA Powell provided the planning, architectural design and interior design services for this 280,000 square foot project, which includes 302 apartments, luxury amenities including a fitness center, resort-style pool, resident lounge, demonstration kitchen and business center, as well as access to hiking/biking trails. Four contemporary buildings ranging from five to 11 stories are clustered around a lushly landscaped courtyard and pool deck.
"Projects like RiverView are part of a growing trend regionally and nationally: the expansion of high density living outside of downtown," says Eric Van Hyfte, AIA, project manager at BOKA Powell. "This development could have taken almost 80 acres in a typical single family 'tract style' model, but accomplishes the same density on a four-acre site."
Clad with a mix of local brick, stucco, and metal panels, the exterior design is a juxtaposition of old and new. Soaring roof planes unify the buildings and focus the orientation of the project toward Lady Bird Lake.
The project is designed to be a model for green development and is seeking a LEED® Silver rating. Green features include water-saving plumbing fixtures, low-VOC finishes, local and recycled materials, and preferred parking for fuel efficient vehicles.
"We went to great lengths to protect the Lady Bird Lake watershed by placing all parking in an underground garage and covering it with an unusually deep roof garden system that mixes plantings, filtration media, and pervious hardscape elements," said Nathan Wilcox, project designer at BOKA Powell.
Storm water entering the site is collected and stored in an underground cistern for irrigation of native plants.
RiverView is the first high-rise residential development south of the Lake in Austin.
"Adjacent to the park, downtown, nightlife, and public transit, the project demonstrates the new ability to live and work in Austin sustainably," says Wilcox.
The project will provide an improved hike and bike trail along Riverside Drive, and public access to the planned boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake.
Dallas-based CDK Realty Advisors LP provided the equity for this project. Southern Cross Constructions is the construction contractor, and The Whitworth Company is providing project management services.