2021 ULI Austin Impact Awards Finalists
We’re excited to share four TBG projects have been selected as finalists for the 2021 ULI Austin Impact Awards in multiple categories!
Q2 Stadium – Most Influential, Best Project Design
The new home for Austin’s first professional sports team is anything but merely a sports stadium — it’s a multifaceted civic destination with everyday allure exceeding far beyond sports. TBG has worked closely with Gensler Sports to lay the foundation for an immersive destination and catalyst to enhancements for the larger area through adaptive reuse of the McKalla Place site. The vision established to date prioritizes green infrastructure — including habitat creation, rainwater capture and reuse, pervious paving and drought-tolerant planting design — connections throughout the site and to adjacent destinations, and site activation for vibrant daily use, special events and match days.
Saltillo – Most Influential, Best Public Place
Long underserved and overlooked, east Austin is experiencing a full-fledged renaissance — and Plaza Saltillo exemplifies the area’s redevelopment potential as a vibrant, 18-hour activity hub. Encompassing six blocks of East Fifth Street from I-35 to the Plaza Saltillo transit station, the mixed-use development is bringing an array of commercial and residential components to the corridor in a compact, walkable urban form. The pedestrian-oriented design focuses on reconnecting the site to the larger urban area, improving connectivity, activating the edges, promoting community interaction though immersive paseos, and providing exceptional parks and open space for the community.
Waterloo Terrace – Most Influential, Best Project Innovation
Waterloo Terrace represents a more holistic approach to affordable housing. It responds to the construct of urban design through multifamily housing while celebrating the deconstruction of urbanity through natural elements. The entry sequence features large shade trees and lush native planting, creating an inviting arrival and a sense of place. Welcoming all users to experience life outdoors, the courtyard includes a large open lawn space, stone amphitheater seating, a firepit, and a community garden. Spaces within the courtyard encourage interaction between users and provide the backdrop for events and gatherings. Immersed in dense planting, all paths lead to the discovery of nature and education by engaging all senses. The sights, smells, sounds, textures, and even tastes of nature are all accessible within the courtyard.
Alliance Children’s Garden – Best Project Design, Best Public Place
It’s Austin’s epicenter of play for all children — and all those with fearless child-like imaginations. Located adjacent to the iconic Doug Sahm Hill and Liz Carpenter Fountain, the Alliance Children’s Garden represents the final phase of Town Lake Park’s multiyear development — and the 20-year development effort is ending with a flourish. Drawing from the surrounding cultural and natural context, the park design promotes imaginative exploration through immersive features, including distinctive arrangements of locally sourced limestone and hills mimicking the Edwards Aquifer’s rare qualities. Elements like a rock and slide valley, oversized fire ants, life-sized chess, sand play and original works of art and music will celebrate Austin’s rich heritage in an irresistible way.
Winners will be announced Wednesday, August 25.