816 Congress

A series of unsightly, under-performing and inaccessible roofs of an office building located blocks from the State Capitol were transformed into unique amenity decks and green roofs. The 15th floor terrace has become a retreat and event space, offering spectacular views of the downtown Austin skyline. The transformation of this building, initially designed for another era, has allowed it to now compete with modern and newly built office space.

The design focused on balancing accessible amenity space with screening unsightly neighboring views, while introducing a welcoming landscape experience. In the evening hours, the custom-designed LED lighting system projects a pleasant, uniform glow throughout the terrace that specifically matches the color temperature used on the nearby State Capitol to create a visual connection. In addition to introducing more energy efficient lighting systems, the landscape further supports sustainable strategies through utilizing A/C condensate for irrigation.