AIA Austin Emerging Professionals & Women in Architecture Committees Present: Site Tour // Waterline with KPF
Thursday, July 18th from 4-6 pm
CEU pending Approval
Waterline is set to be the tallest tower in Texas, Waterline overlooks Austin’s Lady Bird Lake and embraces its natural surroundings through form and expression, taking inspiration from its namesake. . The project, which is currently under construction. The project continues public walkways from the adjacent park into the tower’s multi-leveled ground plane. Defined by sculptural columns and infused with natural elements such as stone and greenery, the pedestrian realm is activated by retail spaces, restaurants, and outdoor areas for interaction. Known as the Paseo, this space also encompasses a drop-off portico that connects to the nearby Rainey Street District. Easily accessible via foot, bicycle, and car, Waterline rests at the start of Austin’s first light rail line, connecting it to the wider city.
The podium conforms to the bend of Waller Creek with a gentle curve of the western elevation and wraps a parking structure with hotel space. Deep balconies are divided up by playful partitions, animating the facade. Above, office space and hotel amenities lift the tower from the podium, where exterior gardens celebrate the incredible views from the building. Accommodating the project’s office and residential space, the tower’s programs are bifurcated with indoor/outdoor residential amenities that are playful and porous in form and bring elements of the creek up into the tower. The mixed-use nature of the project lends itself to the stacked and striated design that rises up the tower as it leans away from the water. This movement is enhanced by the primarily horizontal façade expression, which is modulated by a series of vertical elements.
PPE Required:
- Long pants and substantial closed soled toed shoes ( hiking shoes, boots – no tennis shoes, no heels, no ballet flats, no loafers, no shorts) – anyone not complying with this requirement will not be able to walk the site. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Safety Vest
- Only hard hats, goggles, and gloves will be provided at the site (but are encourage to bring if you already have them)
Please Register
WiA Site Tour Sub-Committee Chair
Michelle Weinfield, PE, AIA
Michelle is an Architect with Studio8 Architects and thrilled to be the new WiA’s Site Tour Committee Chairwoman. A native Texan and long term Austin resident, she is active in AIA Austin and other local organizations whose mission is to improve the built or natural environment. She is on the hunt for fantastic new projects designed or built by women to schedule a tour. Please reach out with any leads.
Emerging Professionals (EP) Chair
Miren Urena, LEED AP B+C | Boka Powell
Miren Urena is a multi-faceted design professional from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, working in BOKA Powell’s Austin office. Miren’s affinity for forming partnerships with local community developers has resulted in a variety of sustainable mixed-use projects. Armed with strong Revit skills and good graphic sensibility, Miren brings efficiency and a fresh perspective to each project. Since joining BOKA Powell in 2016, Miren’s architectural talents have spanned schematic design, design development, and construction development. Her strategic planning and research capabilities have proven to be an asset on high-density projects such as The Domain in Austin, Texas. Miren is a certified LEED-accredited professional in building design and construction. Her portfolio includes office, mixed-use, residential, higher education, healthcare, religious and cultural, adaptive reuse, aviation. and corporate campus. She is the current Emerging Professionals Committee Chair for the AIA Austin Chapter.
Tour Guide:
Paulina Kolodziejczyk, Senior Associate Principal
My experience at KPF began in 2009 as an intern while studying for my Bachelor of Architecture Degree at Pratt Institute. In the last 14 years I have grown into the role of Senior Associate Principal at the firm, developing projects domestically and internationally; the work ranging from master planning to interior design. Some of the more notable projects that I’ve had the opportunity to design are: NYCHA Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, Crystal Plaza in Shanghai, 245 Park Avenue in New York City, and the Waterline Mixed Use Tower in Austin. My role as the Senior Designer has been to ensure that our team’s design intent is preserved from early conception through construction, and to help navigate challenges brought on by construction feasibility or budgetary restrictions. Each project has posed a distinctive set of challenges that have helped me expand and grow as an architect, and in turn help mentor the younger generation of architects who are joining our profession.