Lamar Union

Austin, Texas

Once a predominately single story, 1960’s era, surface-parked retail strip center on nine prime acres just south of downtown, Lamar Union is now a vibrant, vertical mixed-use community. Two of the iconic former tenants, The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and The Highball, were rejuvenated and expanded to anchor the new development, along with seven new restaurants, local retailers, 443 apartment units, and more than 1,300 structured parking spaces. The design team worked within the existing entitlements and in consultation with the neighborhood association to accommodate the developer’s required program, while addressing neighbors’ concerns regarding traffic, affordable housing, pedestrian and bicycle connectivity and water quality. The resulting development has been honored as a model for responsible urban redevelopment by the City of Austin, the Austin chapter of the Urban Land Institute and Texas Society of Architects.

In association with collaborating architect Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.

Project Information

Location
Austin, Texas
Completion Date
2016
Size
5 Story / 3 Buildings | 443 Apartments | 85,000 SF Retail | 7 Restaurants | 1,300 Parking Spaces
Studio
Architecture, Planning
Typology
Multifamily, Mixed Use, Adaptive Reuse, Retail, Parking Structure
Category
Architect of Record, Interior of Record
Program
Lobby, Fitness, Pool, Lounge

BOKA Powell Credits

Partner
John Orfield
Design Team
Eric Van Hyfte, Bryan Campbell, Dan Schaffer, Scott Case, Thomas Stastny, Mike Smith, Nathan Wilcox, Alison Moore, Kyn Sledge, Nicole Joslin, Sarah Simpson, Michael Krentz

External Credits

MEP Engineer
EN Incorporated, Nichols Engineering
Structural Engineer
Sterling Engineering
Landscape Architect
DWG
Consulting Design Architect
Michael Hsu Office of Design
Multifamily Common Space Interior
Michael Hsu Office of Design
Alamo Drafthouse Interior
Weiss Architecture