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MAY ISSUE 2015

photo courtesy of LoneStarMike

8 TO INFINITY AND BEYOND INNOVATION: 14 MODERNMELL LAWRENCE

22 HOLOGRAPHIC SKYLINES BUT 28 UNIQUE UNITED

32 SXSEAST

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CONTRIBUTORS Art by Piper Neulander

ELENI MILLIKEN

OSCAR KELBAN Oscar is a 15-year-old boy physically, but his maturity and understanding of the world are at the level of a grumpy old man.

He feigns interest in the new developments of technology in architecture, but actually does care about writing, and has a collection of his own work. Never without his PG&E jacket, it’s rumored that the inside is lined with matzoh, to help him power through interactions with other humanoids. His favorite architectural style is Gothic, his favorite animal is a green frog, and if he were an element of a home he would be a coffee table.

Eleni Milliken is a part-time ballerina, part-time aspiring journalist, and fulltime dreamer. Although no one has ever heard her speak before, rumor has it when she does open her mouth it’s always witty and hilarious. She happens to live in a home designed by the subject of her article, and is extremely intrigued by the development of modern houses over time. Her favorite architectural style is modern, her favorite animal is a mouse named Xavier, and if she were an element of a home she would be a fireplace.

GRACE OLWELL When asked for a motivational quote, Grace Olwell’s response was, “That’s too much effort.” This perfectly epitomizes Grace’s non-chalance. Her friends are mostly horses, and she was inspired to write about the different architectural styles of Austin when her favorite gelding Dante was in the market for a new home. Her favorite architectural style is colonial or stable, her favorite animal is a horsedog mutt called a dorse, and if she was an element of a home she would be a backyard trampoline.

BELA MADRID Bela Madrid is a Chilean beauty and avid bulldog lover. She is the founder of the arm dance, and a low-key member of the Russian mob. A self-proclaimed “foodie,” she’s a big fan of celery, carrot and potatos. She was inspired to write about the growing Austin skyline beacause it reminds her of her growing love for bulldogs. Her favorite architectural style is Spanish fusion, her favorite animal is a bulldog, and if she were an element of a home she would be a front door.

PIPER NEULANDER Piper Neulander, a former Leprechaun, takes pride in her Irish heritage. With hair as red as a fire hydrant, she manages to lighten up the room with her inappropriate and uncomfortable jokes.

After long winter days, she likes to curl up by the fireplace with a nice book and some dope SKRILLEX . Newlandir’s infamous pot-of-gold lays in the streets of East Austin, inspiring her story about the growth and change of the neighborhood.

Piper’s favorite architectual style is Victorian, she hates all animals, and if she were an element of a home she would be a loveseat.

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TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

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UP UP AND AWAY

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MELL LAWRENCE: MODERN INNOVATION

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FIVE INFLUNETIAL MODERN HOMES

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FAMOUS HISTORICAL LANDMARKS

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HOLOGRAPHIC SKYLINES

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UNIQUE BUT UNITED

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OLDEST HOMES IN AUSTIN

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SOUTH BY SOUTH EAST

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EAST AUSTIN: A BIKE TOUR

A photo of the Austin Skyline. courtesy of Katie Haugland

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND AUSTIN SKYLINE EDITION story by BELA MADRID

photos by Dillon Magnuson

DILLON MAGNUSON

Although the Austin skyline isn’t set in Outer space, the skyline growth certainly seems out of this world.

As one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., the skyline appears to be expanding infinitely. The latest buildings such as the owl-looking Frost Bank or the USB stick appearing Austonian seem alien-like themselves. Though, the most alien-like feature of the Austin skyline is the numerous cranes popping up on every block.

These numerous construction cranes are here in order to build Austin into a city able to sustain its population. This is necessary because Austin is growing rapidly, attracting people through its unique laid-back culture. On average 110 people move to Austin everyday.

Because of this enormous growth, Austin’s skyline is expanding and changing.

“No one builds a skyline to have a cool skyline.” Speck says.

Downtown is the hot spot for Austin culture, and each building contributes to the culture. The buildings have such a big impact on the city that they are studied, photographed, written about and more. Texas Alcalde writer Alicia Dietrich says she has always been interested in doing a piece on the skyline since it “seems impossible to have a conversation about Austin without talking about its explosive population growth.” Before its explosive growth, Austin was just a “sleepy, hippy college town” according to Dietrich. Photographer Dillon Magnuson feels that taking pictures of the skyline helped him adapt to his new home after being raised in a small town in California. “[It] tangled me in the culture here,” he says.

When people think of Austin culture, they often think of specific buildings that represent it. Magnuson and Dietrich think of the Austin icon as the Frost Bank because of its unique design. According to Dietrich, “the first dramatic building was the Frost Bank Tower.” The construction of the Frost Bank, which was finished in 2003, was also important because it marked the beginning of the

“I remember how dramatic [the Frost Bank] looked next to existing buildings downtown.” Dietrich says.

These photos, taken by Photographer Dillon Magnuson, feature the Austin skyline depicted in a unique way. Magnuson says that many of his photos are taken from construction cranes to ensure unique and never before used angles.

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Austin skyscraper construction boom.

Others, such as Lawrence Speck, disagree. Speck feels the Frost bank is more about styles and trends, and doesn’t truly represent Austin culture. He says, “The Austonian is more about expressing the amenity it gives to people who live there.” Speck thinks the balconies speak more to outside living, and the oval shape speaks more to the panoramic views of lake, the capitol and the hills. “It seems more simple and less ‘in your face’, which I think is more like people in Austin,” he says.

People moving to Austin often want to live downtown. “The new apartment and condo towers allow people to live near places they work downtown.” Speck says. The high demand for residential places in the heart of Austin has new buildings popping up on every corner.

This growth is in no way subtle. Many long-time Austin residents would agree with Dietrich who says “we all feel the squeeze of this huge influx of new residents.”

Older Austin buildings were mostly used for office space, but the latest constructions are residential. Previously, the vast majority of Austin’s population lived in houses outside of the downtown area, but now more and more people seem to be moving into high rises. The advantage of condos and apartment buildings is that they allow for a greater number of people to live in a smaller area that is closer to their everyday needs. The new apartments and condos also have a different style than the office buildings. “[The residential buildings] give a completely different character.” Speck says. “They are often somewhat more complex shapes reflecting individual unit layout than office buildings that are more generic.”

The residential skyscrapers are home to specific types of people. The people drawn to these buildings are often young hipsters who want to enjoy the lively culture that keeps Austin weird. Or they are people hoping to make a name in Austin’s booming technology sector.

People react to the sudden expansion of Austin in different ways. Photographer Dillon Magnuson initially had a hard time adjusting to Austin’s size. He says, “Moving to a relatively large city--so far away from home--was overwhelming for me at first. I turned to photo by John R. Rodgers

photography as a way to help me conquer the feeling that I was lost out here.” Magnuson believes that “[what is] really special about Austin in particular is the amount of growth going on.” Although this skyline development leads to what many regard as ugly and distracting construction cranes, these cranes signify Austin growth and economic development. And, in fact, Magnuson uses it to his advantage. Many of the photographs in his gallery are taken upon the cranes used for construction.

“[The cranes] help me obtain original views that no one will ever use again.”

Magnuson says.

Some people, like Speck, believe the skyline is improving. “When you get a “filled out” skyline,” he says, “then individual buildings do not matter so much because the whole becomes more dominant.” Even those buildings that might not be so attractive on their own can look good when combined with other buildings in the skyline.

Although many people think that Austin will have a crowded skyline 10 years from now, Speck disagrees. “While [capitol view corridors] protect views from key spots in the city to the dome of the Capitol Building, they also ensure a fairly porous skyline,” he says. Buildings are not allowed to be built within those view corridors so the Austin skyline will not be particularly dense.

Many Austinites resent the growth and the expanding skyline, but this growth is not undermining Austin culture, it is fostering it. Change is crucial to Austin’s culture. The popular Austin motto is: “Keep Austin Weird.” Staying the same has never been synonymous with weird. The growth of Austin only increases the individuality of the city as diversity is added to the mix. “The evolving skyline represents one of the most visible examples of Austin evolution.”

Dietrich says.

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The W Austin, built in 2010, is 478 ft tall. This luxury hotel ranks as the fourth tallest Austin building.

’s T a l le s t B u i l d

ings

At 683 ft, the Austonian, a residential building completed in 2010, takes the throne for tallest Austin building.

W AUSTIN HOTEL whotelaustin.com

asf by BELA MADRID

Known as one of the most recognizable Austin buildings, many say the Frost Bank, at 515 ft, sparked the Austin building boom in 2004.

THE AUSTONIAN theaustonian.com

THE FROST BANK

The 360 Condominums, built in 2008, rose above the Frost Bank at 581 ft after the addition of a thin needle at the top.

360 CONDOMINIUMS 360condominiums.com

frostbank.com

buildings.

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At 415 ft tall, the Ashton ranks as the sixth tallest building in Austin. Completed in 2009, it is the twin building to an identical one in Dallas.

As Austin continues expanding, buildings keep popping up on every block. With this quick go-to guide, you can known Austin’s top 7 tallest

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T H E A S H TO N

ashtoninaustin.com

Spring, is a 433 ft tall residential condominium in the West End District. This building was opened in 2009, according to their website.

One Congress Plaza, at 390 ft, was built much earlier than the latest construction boom, 1987, according to their website. Many call this building “the staircase.”

ONE CONGRESS

onecongressplaza.info

THE SPRING

springaustin.com

700 ft

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“I love being inspired, I love s g in h t g in d in f ” e m e ir p s in t a th THESE PHOTOS FEATURE THREE MELL LAWRENCE DESIGNS. (from left to right): Concrete Studio, Cotillion Park Pavillion, Mod Cott on the Lake

photos by Ryann Ford

: e c n e r w a L l n Mel o i t a v o n n EN I K I L L I n M r Mode story by LENI

From

modern houses in the hills of Westlak e to a new bathroom on the hike-and-b ike trail and a studio made completely of concrete, Mell Law rence designs everything you could imagine.Three decades of Lawrence’s unique style and collaborative work ethic attracts clients and keeps his firm active in a city cha nging every minute.

What will he do next?

Growing up in Houston and moving to Austin to complete his education, Lawrence knows Tex as architecture.

The details of the Austin skyline and designs he finds throughout the city inspire him eve ryday.

Lawrence grew up in tune with his crea tive side, but he didn’t always think he was going to be an architect. He comments that still today he would be happy working with any type of design, whether that is architecture, landscape, or graphic design. “I always wanted to be an inventor and I pictured myself working in this big workshop,” Lawrence says as he describes his childhood, “bu t every time I looked at career day or professions they nev er had inventor down.” He grew up with an architec t dad, an artist mom, and a lot of creative energy in a “fla t-roofed modern house” he says may have shaped the way he looks at house designs and architecture.

He started at UT Austin in Botany wit h a friend in architecture, and when he realized tha t the architecture students were actually creating inst ead of sitting in lectures for hours, he couldn’t stay awa y. “They were having fun and doing things, they wer e thinking and using their brains but they were mak ing and drawing and discussing in these studios,” Lawren ce says about these students’ daily classes while he was in college. This is when he decided that architecture was wha t he wanted to do.

When Lawrence got his first architec ture job, it wasn’t

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“I always wanted to be an inventor” I would have my own office and I could design it the way I wanted to.” At his office now the work is playful and collaborative with ideas shooting around in every room, keeping the creativity flowing.

Maybe this is the reason people are so drawn to his work; Lawrence isn’t afraid to have a studio that functions differently than what people expect and loves the challenge of working with all types of people.

He describes how collaboration is one thing that makes him really excited about his work, “Collaboration between people [which] can be really miserable but ideally it is really super fun,” Lawrence says. “It’s good to find ways to collaborate with people and get the most out of people, listening to them, and being open to ideas.”

Lawrence comments on his work with a shop owner. “I found that it was super exciting to know that someone would say ok im going to trust you with something that is going to have a direct effect on my life and it almost always worked out.” He further describes how he and this client pushed each other with new and interesting ideas. The client was adamant about wanting to paint the ceiling with a shiny coating even when Lawrence was very hesitant. This experiment was successful. The light in the store reflected off the ceiling, making interesting patterns everywhere.

Lawrence then realized how important it is to not be afraid of the unknown or new ideas that no one is familiar with because they can create beautiful solutions.

Lawrence’s clients benefit from his collaborative work and open mindedness. “We joked sometimes

that we needed to be careful about saying our wishes out loud…any idea we voiced went straight into the drawings!” says a former client of Mell Lawrence Architects, Marika Milliken, describing her happiness with the amount of input she had in the design of her own house. The amount of collaboration and voice that Lawrence uses with his clients is new, creative, and produces some of the most interesting buildings in the city of Austin.

Lawrence has recently designed a very interesting pair of buildings on the hike and bike trail in downtown Austin. The two buildings make up a bathroom on the side of the trail that can attract the attention of anyone walking by. This bathroom is unlike a lot of the buildings in the area because of it’s unique angles and shapes. Lawrence himself describes the two buildings as two creatures conversing back and forth. The bathroom merges creativity with a functional design.

Lawrence comments how often times cities only really care that the facility built in a park is “indestructible” but he cares about going beyond. He likes these facilities to be durable while meeting an aesthetic standard as well. His designs make these parks unique, acting almost as a piece of art or sculpture and making people wonder ‘what is this that I am looking at?’

Lawrence often works with the mindset that “ideas

photo by Mell Lawrence Architectp

what he was expexting. The office was quiet with classical music playing in the background and everyone keeping to themselves to get their work done. “It was just weird, so weird for me that I had to keep my crazy [restaurant] job to feel normal,” Lawrence says with a laugh. “At the time I questioned, ‘do I really want to do this?’ but what I learned was eventually

Mell Lawrence’s new batthrooms on the Hike and Bike Trail in downtown Austin

are not so precious and that you need to just let go of stuff.” Going further he explains that sometimes you get the best ideas by being willing to let go of your first thoughts. He says that this is the most important thing he has learned while being an architect and it has helped him grow in his everyday life while growing his design process and creative flow.

You might wonder how one person can stay inspired enough to create and design so many different and innovative buildings and facilities year after year. “I love being inspired, I love finding things that inspire me and it can be nature, there is always lots of lessons from just walking through the forest that you can use in architecture,” says Lawrence. Whether its the way leaves fall off a tree or the color of the sky that day,

“Find new ways to collaborate ” these simple natural occurrences feed into the shapes and materials he uses in his designs.

Mell Lawrence is an inspired artist that shows the world his new, creative, and inventive ideas through the world of architecture. One man inspiring a city into creativity.

er Ne photo by Pip

ulander

e in his office.

Mell Lawrenc

by LENI MILLIKEN

5 INFLUENTIAL MODERN HOUSES

A look inside the development of residential modern architecture in different countries, through these five influencial homes.

The Scröder House

photo courtesy of wikipedia

The Schröder House was built in 1924 by Gerrit Rietveld and can be considered one of the first modern houses ever built. Rietveld built and designed the house side by side Schröder-Schräder. The two story house is built at the end of a row of houses in Utretch, The Netherlands, but makes no attempt to blend in with these houses. According to Who Built That? Modern Houses, the Schröder House makes a complete break from all normal and usual architecture for the time it was built. This house is now a museum that tourists can visit and is big attraction!

photo courtesy of wikipedia

Villa Savoye

Villa Savoye was built in 1931 by Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, who started his career as a painter, later transitioning into urban architecture. The house was originally built as a country retreat for the Savoye family in Poissy, France (the outskirts of Paris). It is built out of reinforced concrete and glass, creating very interesting textures.

photo courtesy of everywhereonce.com

Fallingwater

Fallingwater was built in 1939 by Frank Lloyd Wright, who is arguably one of the most well known modern architects, according to houzz. com. Fallingwater is also known as Kauffman Residence because it was originally built for the Kauffman family.

In 1966, it was declared a National Historic Landmark.

It is also listed amoung The Smithsonian’s 28 places to visit before you die. You can find this home in Mill Run, Pennsylvania.

The Farnsworth House was built in 1951 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

This house is a good representatin of how architecture is international with an architect from Germany and the house physically in Chicago, Illinois. Even before the Farnsworth House was built it was recognized as being very significant. A model of this house was displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, according to farnsworthhouse.org.

The materials, colors, and details were developed over a long period of time to make this house aesthetically appealing.

photo courtesy of wikipedia

The Farnsworth House

photo courtesy of Gehry Partners LLP

Gehry Residence Gehry Residence was built

by Frank Gehry in 1978 and changed the expected small modern house into a large one. This house was made with wood, glass, aluminum, and chain link fencing.

According to archdaily.com, the Gehry Residence is still very much a classic among California’s architectural works.

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Keystone, South Dakota (U.S.)

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Barcelona, Spain

Sagrada Familia Construction on the huge church is still ongoing. Most of its original plans were destroyed or lost during the Civil War in 1936

Symbolic of freedom and

democracy, Mount Rushmore Mount displays the heads of George Rushmore Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

All photos courtesy of: Wikipedia.org

Christ the Redeemer Standing nearly 100 feet high and weighing in at 635 tons, this statue, created by French designer Paul Landowski, has become an icon for Brazil and Rio de Janeiro since its construction finished in 1931.

Famous Historical Landmarks

A Few of the Most Impressive and Memorable Buildings from Around the World

by OSCAR KELBAN

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Pisa, Italy

Leaning Tower of Pisa The identity of the true designer of the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s is still controversial -- both Bonnano Pisano and Diotisalvi have been suggested. The Tower is part of a cathedral complex in Pisa called the Field of Miracles

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Paris, France

Notre Dame Cathedral The Notre Dame Cathedral was severely desecrated during the French Revolution, resulting in the destruction of much of its religious imagery. During the 19th century, the Cathedral was repaired after a thorough restoration project

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St. Basil’s Cathedral Built to commemorate the capture of the Tatar stronghold of Kazan in 1552, the Cathedral was built in the span of six years, between 1554 to 1560, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible

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Rome, Italy

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The Roman Colosseum could

Roman seat up to 50,000 spectators Colosseum at a time, mainly for gladiator

Agra, India

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal was built as a tomb for Mughal Emperor Shan Jahan’s wife -- she died giving birth. The palace is an outstanding example of Mughal architecture

matches and games

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Siem Reap, Cambodia

The enormous temple was

dedicated to the Angkor originally Hindu god Vishnu, but was later converted to a Buddhist Wat

temple. It is the largest religious monument in the world.

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Holographic Skylines Augmented Reality and the Future of Architecture Story by OSCAR KELBAN

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What if you could see and interact with something that doesn’t yet exist? With the technology being developed right now, that may all soon be possible.

Many architects and designers, looking for new ways to improve their work,are turning to new sources of technology. One of the most prominent amongst these hi-tech innovations is AR, more commonly referred to as augmented reality.

AR works by projecting a potential design onto the environment around the viewer, so that they can get a more realistic idea of how it will look. With AR, the final product of a design can be viewed exactly as it would be once constructed, before work on it has even begun. Many teams of architects and designers across the globe have devoted themselves to this new technology and have recently made some astounding leaps in the field of AR.

Gravity

___________

Photos courtesy of: GravitySketch.com

Gravity is a project being developed in London, England. It consists of an electronic pen and a pad -- not too different in design from an ordinary sketchbook, but Gravity is anything but ordinary.

Gravity allows its user to sketch on multiple planes.

Designed to function along with a special pair of AR glasses, Gravity can bring a design to the third dimension and eliminate the need for a physical model.

The team behind Gravity consists of four engineers from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College

manifest their ideas smoothly and easily. As paper and pencil become increasingly archaic, the transition to non-physical design is more apparent every day.

Gravity is designed to fit that trend.

“In creative environments,” Sosanya says, “people rely on a pen and paper… this requires some perspective drawing skills. CAD (computer-aided design) tools are also [limited]…You can only create the shapes you know how to make with the software.”

However, Gravity did present a few challenges for the engineers. While the technology itself was little trouble for the team’s sophisticated abilities, the engineers had to make sure the interface would fit the needs of a wide variety of users.

As Sosanya puts it, “We spend the majority of our time investigating how people create. From professionals to grad-school children and everyone inbetween, we are interested in the creation process and offering tools that…can really fit into people’s lives in a meaningful way.”

Gravity’s impact on design in the future is undisputable. The technology will open the door for designers and architects to visualize their creations without the need for complex knowledge of that technology. And considering the path Gravity is already on, it’s not hard to envision that happening very soon.

Photos courtesy of: GravitySketch.com

What if you could take a drawing and make it real?

ARki ___________ Gravity allows a user to sketch their designs on multiple planes

London: Guillaume Couche, Oluwaseyi Sosanya, Pierre Paslier, and Daniela Paredes. Together, they intend to change the way people create forever.

“Engineering and design are about bringing ideas to reality,” says Sosanya. “We believe these two are partners... Great design paired with elegant engineering delivers innovation.”

Gravity was designed as a tool to help visual thinkers

A studio called ‘DarfDesign’ is taking AR to new heights with a product called ARki. Sahar Fikouhi founded London-based DarfDesign in 2012 and skilled designer Arta Toulami joined soon afterwards. Together, they are working to transform the architectural industry and bring it into the future.

“We wanted to develop a method that would utilise architectural digital models in a way that could allow designers to experience their work outside of the constraints of traditional computer screens,” says Fikouhi.

ARki, an app for iOS/Android devices, visualizes threedimensional designs from flat maps. “Its pretty similar to old school QR codes,” Sahar says, “but uses advanced image recognition algorithms.”

times of the day. ARki also allows the designer to add multiple layers to their model, such as different floors and scaffolding. It even allows for the labeling of certain parts of a building, like a gallery or a food court.

“This combination of interactivity and navigational freedom around a model were the key proponents to the development of ARki,” Sahar says.

Blueprints have been an integral component of any architectural planning since their popularization in the 19th century. They allow the best representation of a building without a physical construction. However, ARki may soon change that.

Sahar says their technology will “encourage more people to experience the significance of digital overlays such as ARki in their design methodologies.”

The Architect ___________ They may seem impressive, but while astounding on their own, these new innovations mean nothing if they cannot be utilised efficiently by an actual architect -- an architect like Chris Krager.

In 2001, Krager, along with fellow architect Christopher Robertson, founded KRDB, an Austin-based architecture firm which specializes in “design-build” projects extending from small, residential buildings to larger structures, such as hotels and studios, with Krager

Photos courtesy of: KRDB.com

ARki presents a virtual simulation of a potential building’s scaffolding

Photos courtesy of: KRDB.com

Photos courtesy of: DarfDesign.com

Photos courtesy of: DarfDesign.com

What separates ARki from other AR apps, however, is its ability to simulate various real-world conditions, such as weather and the effect of the sun at different

himself heading the entire firm. But just how does Krager go about creating his designs?

“When I started in architecture, many people were still hand drafting buildings, and building physical models by hand,” Krager says. “Now computer modeling and drafting are the status quo.”

Since he first began his career, Krager’s industry has rapidly evolved and adapted to the digital age, and Krager is not one to be left behind. He’s incorporated much of recent design technology into his design methods.

“Computer modeling and drafting is more efficient, more expedient, and the universal formats of the software... make presenting and sharing documents far easier than in the days of paper drawings,” Krager says. “When we ‘draw’ a building parametrically, we are essentially building it on the computer -- a 3-dimensional model. The various drawings; plans, elevations, sections, are essentially pictures of this model.”

Krager also utilises AR technology not unsimilar in function to Gravity and ARki. He says “3D models, and the ability to ‘walk around’ them, make visualization of the project much easier for the client. It also allows us to make design changes quickly.”

In the future, Krager says, he would like to see further development of ‘rapid prototyping’, a recent type of technology which takes commands straight from threedimensional computer software, then fabricates the components of a potential building. “Highly complex parts can be made,” Krager says, “which would have been very difficult and labor intensive in the past.”

AR technology is becoming increasingly accessible to everyone, even regular people with no engineering background. Soon, the entire world may be using AR to construct entire towns and cities. “Through Gravity and our other work we are looking to truly democratize the creation process,” Sosanya says. “Creation is one of the oldest human traditions.”

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mural in downtown Austin

Unique but United

AN INDEPTH LOOK AT AUSTIN’S NEIGHBORHOODS story by GRACE OLWELL Across the river a stately home sits atop a hill with a steep driveway leading from the gate to the double doors. South of the city a suburban two-car garage home situated in a cul-de-sac surrounded by similar styles. Up north two story home with the garage out front and a back porch is nestled on a plot of land.

Situated in central city area colonial bungalow rests on a green lawn with strategically placed hedges.

These houses may seem vastly different, but they are all located in Austin. They range from Westlake Hills, Circle C, Northwest Hills, and Rosedale, respectively.

Demonstrating the sheer variety of architectural styles available around Austin.

Austin, is the fastest growing city in the fastest growing state in the U.S. Economically, culturally and politically, Austin is constantly expanding. Though often overlooked, the architectural community in Austin is just as diverse and is thriving off the new influx of residents. From iconic buildings like the Frost Bank Tower and the Austonian to classic Austin oddities such as the Cathedral of Junk and Congress bat bridge. The contrast between the cool modernism of Tarrytown to the sprawling homes of Westlake and down to the suburban houses of Circle C is clear. The roots of Austin culture run deep and influence this separation of not just communities, but the actual styles of the houses.

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Austin has always had funky and mixed architectural styles to match the city’s reputation, however, many people think this surge in diversity is due to the increase of population and popularity of Austin, Robert Olwell, a long time resident of central Austin, says that people who move to an area of Austin with a reputation, usually want to get that community or experience and therefore create it themselves “I think people adapt themselves to their built environment,” and Jerri-Ann Yzanga a homeowner in the hills of Westlake says “you find ‘community’ in all sorts of neighborhoods.” Many people are looking for a specific type of “community” when they’re house hunting and that is often one of the main influences on choosing a house. For example, people who move to south Austin, one of the youngest hippest areas, tend to want a funky and spontaneous atmosphere. Since the vast majority of people moving there desire such an

“people adapt

themselves to their built enviornment” 27

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atmosphere, it is then created and intensified even further.

This effect can be seen all over Austin creating this separation and intense variety throughout the city. This contrasts with the idea that the people in a neighborhood make it that way, when in fact they just highlight that atmosphere. Olwell believes the neighborhood makes the people. He says people choose the neighborhood because of specific factors, the neighborhood doesn’t choose the people.

However, other factors contribute to a houses value besides community or architectural style. For instance Jodi Havranek, a resident of Circle C, says she chose that area “for its price point and location relative to UT,” rather than an appealing design or neighborhood with a reputation. Olwell says, “ mainly we were guided by location because we wanted to be in the center of the city and have the size needed,” illustrating location as a larger factor in his decision.

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Taking all this into consideration one common denominator seems to be the top attraction for all potential homeowners.

Angela D’Andrea, an experienced realtor says, “School district is always the biggest draw” because many people looking for a house either have children or are expecting children and want

“the neighborhood

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makes the people”

to plan ahead for their child’s needs. She also explained that while size is a concern, many buyers will choose proximity to their jobs over house size. In Austina worsening stop-and-so work traffic, commute length becomes an increasingly critical factor.

When it comes to high end homes, those around $800,000, architectural style plays a larger role in decision making because the buyer wants their home to make a statement about their success. For these buyers all the personalization that come with designing a house create a more enviable and comfortable home. Mark Walters, a resident in North Austin says “ I think you are much more emotionally and psychically comfortable living in a house for which you feel a strong personal connection to the architecture.” Having the ability to influence the style of your house not only allows for increased eye appeal but also a deeper connection to and comfort in that home. Since most of us spend the majority of our lives in built environments and a smaller percent of our lives in natural environments, studies suggest it is inevitable that architecture, whether residential or commercial, impacts human behavior in both positive and negative ways. Proving another reason that higher end buyers will feel the need to exert more control over the specific style.

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1. Rosedale house located in central Austin, picture by Robert Olwell. 2. Northwest Hills house located in north Austin, picture

by Jane Walters. 3. Westlake Hills house located west of the river, picture by Juliet Yzanga. 4. Circle C house located in south Austin, picture by Maddy Havranek.

Due to costs, the ability to exert a significant amount of control over the style of your home is limited to a smaller group of buyers. D’Andrea says that in the higher price points architecture is key, meaning when there is a smaller budget to work with the main goal usually doesn’t include architecture. When buyers are asked to rank the 10 most important elements to a dream home, ideal architectural style usually didn’t show up until around number five. It was normally listed after location, facilities available, size and

“architecture

evolves with society”

Austin is a very economically attractive location drawing in an extremely diverse population and is the youngest big city in the U.S., creating a unique lifestyle.

Everyone comes to Austin searching for contrasting ideals, creating a “hodge podge of styles,” as described

by Walters, throughout the city; synthesizing the weird traditions and customs that Austin is so well known for.

Unintentionally every new person or family moving to Austin escalates this, by selecting a neighborhood and accentuating that community. Whether they choose the suburban homes of Circle C, expansive homes of Westlake Hills, family friendly areas in Rosedale, or southern styles of Northwest Hills. They embrace those ideals and add their own unique take on the city, triggering diversity and growth in every aspect of this city and its culture.

photo by http://www.austintours.us

age. Due to this lack of focus on architecture until higher up homes the career has been in danger of disappearing. While architecture is a staple of any cities skyline and culture it is becoming increasingly less important to the average homeowner. New technology is emerging and taking the place of many jobs involved in this profession. To compete architecture is constantly expanding and changing to match this changing environment. The future

of architecture is unclear but D’Andrea says “it will always be important and expanding because architecture evolves with society.” Architecture is a pillar of culture and will always retain importance in society.

photo of dowtown Austin

French Legation

Delving deeper into the roots of Austin’s archtiectual growth, a breif history of the four oldest homes in Austin and national events that occured that year.

November 4, 1841, first wagon train arrives in

California.

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The French Legation Museum began in 1841 as a private home built for, Alphonse Dubois. The property has had two other significant owners including Dr. Joseph Robertson, and the State of Texas who appointed the Daughters of the Republic of Texas the caretakers of the property. A reconstructed carriage house was erected and now houses the offices, gift shop and meeting room. The French Legation Museum opened to the public in 1956. According to frenchlegationmuseum.org.

Oldest Houses Oldest Houses in in Austin Austin

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Janurary 23, 1855 the first bridge over the Mississippi River opens leading to Wisconsin.

Washington Hill commissioned Abner Cook to build a home for himself and his wife on 17.5 acres of land two miles from town. In 1856, Hill leased the property to the State of Texas, to bue used for a temporary site for the Texas Asylum for the Blind. After the Civil War, the house was leased to the U.S governemnt to be a hospital. The Cochrans purchased the House in 1895, and the Neill-Cochran House remained in the family until 1958 when it was bought by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Texas. According to nchmuseum.org.

Neill-Cochran

Wilikins-Heath The home is a City of Austin Historic Landmark for its representation of a Victorian era Queen Anne Cottage. Built in 1886 by Virginia Alma Day Wilkins and her husband Frank Wilkins, the house was restored in 2005. No detail was forgotten in restoring this home to its original glory, all the exterior paint is representative of the era and the wallpaper was tracked down by an architectural historian. According to bizjournals.com.

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December 25, 1888 the 1st indoor baseball game played at fairgrounds in Philadelphia.

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This home was built in 1910 by esteemed architect Charles Page for Fannie Badger Bailey and her husband. The Craftsman architecture of this home resembles the building style begun by architects Greene & Greene of Pasadena, California during the Arts and Crafts era in the early 1900s. The Bailey-Houston House was designated a City of Austin Historic Landmark in 1987 and has been beautifully restored by the current owners. According to oldhouses.com.

Bailey-Houston April 28, 1910 the 1st night air flight (Claude GrahameWhite, England).

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SOUTH BY SOUTH

EAST

How the East Austin neighborhood is changing story by PIPER NEULANDER

STAND ON EAST CESAR CHAVEZ for only five minutes, and you’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like living and working in East Austin. Old, crumbling houses mixed in with newer, modern styles. Boutiques selling wigs and allnatural juice businesses are nestled next to gas stations or a Mexican weekly newspaper. At night the air is alive with music and young people bar hopping, but a block away from the activity is a silent and calm artist’s studio. The culmination of old and new in this up-and-coming Austin neighborhood is unlike any other place in the city.

East Austin hasn’t always been so saturated with diversity, but it has always been an area of change. “It’s one of those neighborhoods, because it’s downtown, that’s always changing,” says Janine Sisak, a resident of East Austin since 2003.

East Austin with its close proximity to downtown and Lady Bird Lake has become a widely sought after neighborhood for new Austinites.

However, these changes don’t always positively affect the residents who have lived in the neighborhood for a long time. The areas popularity has drawn up Caption here hahahagbhgdyatewtra ayudyffd

than prices, and these rising prices force some people to move. The median listing price is now $325,000, jumping more than $150,000 in two years. The weekend crowds have also become a negative factor for some locals.

Sarah Andre, a regional planner, has witnessed the change in this Austin neighborhood and says “Some people have told me they are grateful they can get certain services now - like having a sidewalk repaired, others are angry, others happily cash out of their house and move elsewhere...The responses are as unique as the people, really.”

One homeowner, Janine Sisak, has mixed feelings about these changes. She says she appreciates the new sustainability of the area, but recalls the peace and quiet that originally drew her to the neighborhood.

“It used to be so quiet here, and now with the bars and restaurants its more of a destination place,” She, like many new residents now, was first attracted to East Austin because of it’s “location with respects to the lake, and the location downtown, and the affordability,” Recently, she is not as enamored with the yaydrd yayay yrsd5ase taesr

A salon and boutique on E. Cesar Chavez

Juan in a million, a popular restaurant (top) A new vet on E. Cesar Chavez (bottom)

area, and says she doesn’t like “the drawbacks of living in a city which is difficulty parking, and not having the trail system be peaceful.”

Janine also witnesses the effects of rising land prices on her neighbors firsthand. When she first moved in in 2003, the house to her right was home to two sisters, and their brother lived in the house to the left of Janine’s. The house across the street was occupied by those siblings’ mother, and one of their brothers. Now, two of the family sections have moved away, and Janine thinks that in 10 years, “none of them will be here.” She says, it’s sad to see the multigenerational families that grew up in East Austin leave, and expects the number of families moving out to increase.

Laura Mcquary also lives in East Austin. She believes the neighborhood’s growth is sometimes inhibited by poorly designed new houses. “I think sometimes the developer mentality for East Austin is to build things of lower quality then they would in other parts of town,” says Mcquary.

Things aren’t all bad though, clearly the neighborhood has many attractive aspects, or people would not move there.

One cause of East Austin’s growth is the growth of the city of Austin in general. As Austin’s downtown grows and becomes more expensive, people flock to the areas

surrounding it, including the East Austin neighborhood.

Jay Colombo, an architect at the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, believes East Austin specifically will see an increase in people because of lower land costs in comparison to other neighborhoods surrounding downtown in west Austin. Colombo speaks on the growth of East Austin, saying “Developers are buying much larger chunks of land, and doing more interesting developments” in East Austin.

Janine and Laura both have many good things to say about this gentrification as well. They like the increase in amenities, as well as the many positive effects on the design

“The responses are as unique as the people, really” of the neighborhood. “I like that the neighborhood is improving,” says Janine of the upgraded feel new residents are creating through fixing up old homes. Janine also has two children, and she likes the idea of raising them in a city environment. “I believe that raising kids in a city can be really educational.” She says she is happy to be able to raise her children in a setting full of culture and diversity, “I love that, you know, it’s multicultural, there are a lot of people here from the hispanic background. And there are artists here and it just feels really diverse.” Laura also attributes much of East Austin’s uniqueness to its diversity, calling it “The most diverse part of Austin.”

The city of Austin benefits from these changes as well,

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though in different ways. Colombo speaks about Austin’s focus on becoming a sustainable city. He says as amenities grow in residential areas, it allows people to live and work without the need to drive long distances, which is how it has been for Austin in the past. “We’re no longer going to necessarily be a car organized city where you literally have to drive everywhere to get to anything.” Says Colombo “To shop, to eat, you know, your whole life.” As the city of Austin grows Jay says “there will be some gentrification around the city, where some people will still wanna be close to that [downtown], and be connected to that [downtown]. But they may not be able to afford to live downtown.”

Andre and Colombo are both proponents of East Austin’s growth, despite certain setbacks. “For the people who lose their homes or are forced to move out that loss is huge, and for them all the positive in the world does not really make a difference,” says Andre, but she also believes that “the positives are great - more places to walk to, eat, shop, better parks, better city services, the list goes on.”

Jay also concludes the positives outweigh the negatives in the wider view of the entire city of Austin “I think that again, it’s unfortunate that some residents that currently live there will not be able to continue to live there. But I feel like ultimately, for the sake of the city, its probably the best thing.”

Change in East Austin may have to continue before the effects can truly be measured, but this neighborhood is no stranger to adaptation. The mélange of cultures and backgrounds between residents, restaurants and store owners has been occurring for many years, but like any slow-cooked meal, the wait seems to be paying off. This neighborhood may have been stewing for a while, but the results smell delicious.

“For the people who lose their homes or are forced to move out that loss is huge, and for them all the positive in the world does not really make a difference”

Janine’s house (top) and a tractor for construction on the lot next door (bottom) Photos by Piper Neulander

SINCE 2009 WE’VE DESIGNED LANDSCAPES THAT WORK WITH TEXAS’ UNIQUE NATURAL CONDITIONS, NOT AGAINST THEM

Photo courtesy of: StudioBalcones.com

102 San Antonio St. Austin, TX 78701 512.383.8815 29

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: n i t s u A t Eas r u o T e k i aB ASF and Illustrations

by PIPER NEULANDER

Stop One: Juiceland

Start off your day with a delicious smoothie from Juiceland. Located at 2601 E. Cesar Chavez, Juiceland is a local and delicious juice shop serving up a variety of fresh and delicious juices and smoothies. Their employee Christy recommends the Honey Bear.

Stop Two: East Austin Succlents Are you a true hipster? Test your knowledge of all things botanical at the beautiful cactus and succulent nursery at 801 Tillery St, and you can always ask about purchasing one of their famed arrangements, according to their website.

Know East Austin like a hipster, after venturing to these fun locations you’ll be a connoiseur of all things hip. Hop on your bike and lets go!

Stop Three: Franklin’s Barbecue Franklins! Whether you’re a newbie to E.ast Austin or have been around a long time, you’ve heard of the mouthwatering barbecue. However, make sure to get their early, their website says they close whenever they run out!

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Stop Four: Solid Gold

Treat yourself to some shopping at Solid Gold, a clothing and accessorie boutique at 1601 E. Fifth St. Both ffordable and cute, you’ll be able to dress for true hipster success.

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