Reflecting Rhode Partners’ innovative approach to design, the tower features a central circulation core combined with four striking cantilevered sections, which are enabled by exposed structural supports. This configuration allows for expansive views of the city, spacious interior configurations, and 20,000sf of amenities. As demonstrated by its LEED Gold Certification, The Independent prioritizes sustainability and is net energy neutral for a significant portion of the year. For instance, by incorporating technologies like a 75-kilowatt solar power system and a rainwater collection system, it creates renewable energy and water resources onsite.
The Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Awards program recognizes projects that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, representing the best innovations in the typology. An awards ceremony will be held at the CTBUH International Conference in Chicago in October 2022. In addition to the project's award, The Independent will also compete for the title of "Overall Category Winner". It will then be included in CTBUH’s annual publication Tall Buildings + Urban Habitat.
Of winning this award, firm founder Brett Rhode says “This building reflects Austin’s amazing creative spirit. It is a locally designed building with a much larger story to tell. We are proud to announce that The Independent is now LEED Gold Certified and hope that it inspires thinking about sustainability and local character for large-scale projects. We are honored to receive this award on behalf of our entire team.”
About The Independent
Located between Austin’s Seaholm District and Shoal Creek, The Independent rises 688 feet and currently holds the title of tallest residential tower not only in the city, but west of the Mississippi. With a total size of 1,002,000 square feet, the tower has 363 apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms that incorporate floor plans that offer unique views and spatial qualities to residents. A 30-foot cantilever suspends the 34th-floor’s amenity deck over the city. The floor-to-ceiling glass window wall is made possible by the design choice to remove most structural elements from the building’s perimeter, allowing for unimpeded 360-degree views protected by Austin’s Capitol View Corridor.
Residential tiers are pushed and pulled to cantilever four distinct blocks. This dynamic form is achieved by sliding and mirroring floor plates from a central core. The mirroring of the floor plates resulted from the owner’s programmatic requirements to provide a diversity of unit orientations with the same floor plan. At the top of the building, woven stainless-steel mesh wraps around the building’s mechanical systems, including a massive liquid damper tank that limits the sway of the 58-story structure in high-altitude winds.
The Independent has received over a dozen awards prestigious awards, including an AIA Austin Design Award of Merit, DNA Paris Design Awards’ 2021 Architecture - Big Scale Building Award, CTBUH Tall Building of Excellence Award for Residential Design, the Council on Tall Buildings & Urban Habitat’s 2021 Interior Design Award of Excellence, and The Chicago Athenaeum’s 2021 International Architecture Award.
