On October 31, The Architect’s Newspaper’s Facades+ conference series returns to Austin. The event will feature seven expert-led presentations as well as a Methods and Materials expo gallery that showcases the latest exterior cladding products. AN worked with Arthur Andersson and Chris Wise, founders of Andersson / Wise, as the conference co-chairs, to bring together the day’s program.
Blending Nature and Culture: The Museum of the Big Bend’s Innovative Facade
Larry Speck, design director at Page and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, will start the day with a presentation of a recently completed expansion at the Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine, Texas. To match West Texas’s rugged desert landscape, a heavily oxidized Corten steel cladding was applied to the new structure. Speck will compare the design of the museum to an earlier completed courthouse, also located in Alpine.
Shaping the Austin Skyline: Google’s Block 185
The next presentation highlights Block 185, Google’s office tower in Downtown Austin. Figuring prominently along Lady Bird Lake, the building is distinctive for its sail-like curved glass facade and stepped terraces, which overlook the waterfront. William Butler, partner at Pelli Clarke & Partners; Brett Bickford, project executive at DPR Construction; and Steve Abbring, tendering manager at Permasteelisa Group, will discuss the design and execution of the project.
Light on the Land: Contextual Facade Design at Shield Ranch
After our morning break, Arthur Andersson and Chris Wise will take the stage to present the design of Shield Ranch, a summer camp for underprivileged children along Barton Creek. The pair will discuss their use of prefabricated systems, passive cooling strategies, and local materials, as well as the technical challenges of building off the grid.
Zilker Studios: Insulation and Electrification for High Performance Design
Next up, Scott Ginder, founding principal of Forge Craft, will share the design of Zilker Studios, an all-electric affordable housing development in Austin. Ginder will also cover the building’s use of heavy insulation to achieve a high energy-performance rating and compare Zilker Studios’s EUI to other recently completed affordable housing complexes designed by the firm.
Sustainability and Building Science
The following session is a roundtable convening construction and sustainability experts in the Austin area. Covering topics including material health, climate resiliency, and carbon reduction the group includes Gail Vittori, codirector of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems; Kristof Irwin, principal at Positive Energy; Erika Bonfanti, associate principal at Acton Partners; and Eric Rauser, owner of Rauser Construction. This panel will look toward the future, speculating how the industry can shift its baselines to improve sustainability in the built environment.
Facade Forward: Crafting Austin’s Next Icon at the Moody Center
The final presentation of the day will cover the University of Texas’s new Moody Center along I-35. Benedict Kim, technical director at Gensler; and Mark Waggoner, senior principal at Walter P Moore, will discuss the implementation of the building’s massive roof, which features a dramatic 72-foot cantilever, as well as a curved glass facade.
Click here to find more information about Facades+ Austin and register.