featured on Modern in San Antonio | 200 Austin Highway
What was once a nonfunctioning drive-through bank is the site of a brand new Class A office building in the Alamo Heights neighborhood of San Antonio. Located at the intersection of Broadway and Austin Highway, the building is one of the area’s many real estate revitalizations. TBG’s San Antonio Managing Principal, Elaine Kearney, worked with Ridgemont Properties and Studio 8 to design 200 Austin Highway’s landscape architecture.
Elaine, along with other contributors, was interviewed about the project for an article by Modern in San Antonio (MiSA). In explaining the building’s transformation the article states, “The back of the building faced a residential neighborhood, and designers did not want to neglect this view for both tenants and neighbors,” posing a test for everyone involved. Elaine goes on to cite the additional challenge that was the outcome of the Texas snow storm, which took place right after landscape installation and caused the loss of many plants. This presented to be the greatest challenge – more so than having to switch to virtual communication as a result of the pandemic, at least on landscape architecture end of things.
In a separate video interview by MiSA with Elaine and Studio 8’s Megan Moshier, the two discuss the building’s environmental location, stationed right in the middle of a flood plain. This component greatly influenced its design. Elaine also explains the desire that was to establish an inviting entrance. The office space is located off Austin Highway, but as stated the back side faces a residential neighborhood, an element which was kept in mind throughout the design process. TBG included many trees in the design to soften the entrance, as well as designed outdoor space for tenants to gather using outdoor seating.
200 Austin Highway offers a location for Alamo Heights entrepreneurs to grow and thrive. Despite the many curveballs thrown at the project’s construction, it all came together and has received positive community feedback.