Austin Community College Rio Grande Campus Renovation and Addition

Austin, Texas, USA

Honoring an esteemed history while propelling a campus into the future through innovative sustainable design practices.

Client

Austin Community College

Project Size

150,000 SF

Completed in

2020

Associates

Studio8 Architects

A revered Austin landmark and registered historic site, this renovation builds upon a legacy spanning over a century as a flagship campus for the ACC system—a leading institution of post-secondary education in Texas. Beyond honoring the neighborhood’s historical character by preserving its original architecture and design elements, the building elevates the campus by offering a renewed environment that inspires and enriches its users, optimizing student success and improving accessibility for all. Sustainability practices which led to the project’s achievement of the highest green building certification possible include utilizing recycled water and recycled or regionally available building materials, the preservation of more than 80% of the existing structure while minimizing its energy use and diverting more than 75% of construction waste from the landfill via reuse or recycling. While honoring the past though historical preservation, this project boldly embraces a more sustainable future.

With our project teams, we are reinventing a priceless educational asset in Austin’s urban core, with careful restoration of the 100-year-old main building that features advanced, flexible learning environments for 21st century learning.

Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC Chancellor

To call this project a ‘renovation’ is an understatement. This was a real transformation to a 21st century learning environment…It really had a function as a ‘campus in a box.’ All the critical functions that you would see on a community college campus reside within this building.

Adam Bush, AIA, Overland Project Design Principal