Filed under: arts, Austin, design, go green, lifestyle | Tags: Beck-Reit & Sons, chris krager, Dwell magazine, East Austin housing development, geothermal HVAC, green homes in Austin, green housing, KRDB, linkedin, modern architecture, net-zero energy community, sol austin
Earlier this week I posted about the South 5th, SOL Austin & Cobra Studios projects, which represent a wide cross section of innovative housing options in the Austin area. I had the opportunity to visit each project last week. Below are some of my notes & observations on the SOL Austin project – please chime in if you have other thoughts you’d like to share!
SOL Austin
The overview: Designed by KRDB in Austin and built by Beck-Reit & Sons. 38 single-family lot development on 5.5 acre site currently under construction. Located within an existing neighborhood 3 miles East of downtown on site of former tree nursery. Units range from 1,200 – 1,800 s.f. Prices on available units range from $217,000 – $349,500. 12 Units are currently sold. Additional pricing information can be found through the Good Life Team website.
Green Stats: First net-zero energy neighborhood in the U.S., all homes feature the following: Geothermal HVAC, solar arrays ranging between 3-6kw per home, high efficiency glass & SIP construction. reuse of 150 live oak saplings from original tree farm & all homes are rainwater collection ready. The sub-grade bio-filtration system is the first of it’s kind in Austin & allows park space to inhabit the space where an unsightly detention pond would have been.
Goober on the Street (Moi) Review: I’m not even going to try to pretend that I have an unbiased opinion of this project. I’ve been tracking it’s development since I first attended the East Austin Studio Tour in the fall of 2007 and viewed the Sol-art exhibition (which was hosted in shipping containers scattered about the site). My own home is only a few streets away and I’ve kept an eye on progress since they broke ground on the streets & utility work a year ago. Also weighing heavily on my bias is the fact that I’d been fascinated with architect Chris Krager & his work with KRDB since seeing his East Austin debut project on the cover of Dwell Magazine in 2002.
All that said, I like the SOL Austin project. I like it, but I’m not sure if I LOVE it yet. I’m anxious to see how the community comes to life a year or two after it’s been filled with homeowners. The individual floorplans are practical & innovative. In most cases the tightly situated homes are sited so that windows do not look into neighboring homes, but some homes with private courtyards may not feel as private given the close proximity to neighboring homes. The exteriors are brightly colored, which in general I like, but at times the facades resemble collages of construction remnants (see photo at left), with their different textures & surfaces.
I’m eager to know how well these homes perform in the long run. As a net-zero community I have high hopes for their impressive efficiency stats. If successful, the SOL Austin project could set the bar for other communities on the East side.
Summary: An innovative, affordable community on the East side whose success may be measured in kw’s, not $$’s.
Additional photos can be found on my flickr page.
Filed under: arts, Austin, design, go green, lifestyle | Tags: Cobra Studios, condos in Austin, East Austin housing, green homes in Austin, KRDB, linkedin, sol austin, The South 5th
The South 5th, SOL Austin & Cobra Studios projects represent a wide cross section of innovative housing options in the Austin area. I had the opportunity to visit each project last week. Below are some of my notes & observations – please chime in if you have other thoughts you’d like to share!
The South 5th
The overview: Designed by Sprout Design in Austin and built by Acero Construction. 18 townhome style condo units in current phase, Phase II construction includes 14 additional units. Located in the 78704 zip code & has a private community pool/cabana. All units have attached garages and average 2,000 s.f. of living space plus an additional 1.000 s.f. of private exterior space. Prices start at $450,000.
Green Stats: HERS index of 55 (30% more efficient than an Energy Star Home). Projected 5-star Green rating & LEED Gold Certification. Each home is outfitted with it’s own 3kw solar array (all data collected from The South 5th website).
Goober on the Street (Moi) review: The South 5th is definately cool. Fancy-cool. The polished concrete floors & modern styling is enough to make you feel like you’re in the home of a museum cureator. The roof patio is to die for - maybe even literally, because it’s going to get pretty hot up there during a mid-July afternoon in Texas.
My biggest criticism of The South 5th is that the first-floor garage necessitates a 2nd floor kitchen & main living space. Without even having to live there I am annoyed by the number of trips involving stairs that would be required to carry shopping bags to the kitchen or master bedroom. At $225/s.f., I can only imagine that the person buying this house does a fair amount of shopping when they aren’t lunching with the ladies or visiting art galleries. I would be interested in a dumb waiter option, but perhaps the hired help can take care of the heavy loads?
One last nit-picking item: is the graffiti on the pool cabana wall a nod at the urban “styling” of the project? One can only hope that white primer is thick enough to cover it up properly. As an architect friend of mine put it, “that was the saddest little misguided attempt…”.
Summary: Clean lines, great detailing, excellent 78704 location. Great for someone who loves to climb stairs & has a boatload of cash on hand to purchase.
Additional pictures of the project can be found on my Flickr page.
Filed under: Austin, design, go green, lifestyle | Tags: Austin, chris krager, east austin, green building in austin, KRDB, linked in, perry road, sol austin
At the homebuyer informational meeting in mid-February, Chris Krager of KRDB told the crowd that they hoped to have building permits in hand and foundations on the ground sometime in March. For the next month I anxiously patroled Perry Road, awaiting signs of movement. After 6 long weeks of making excuses to drive or run by the site for a peek at progress, nothing had changed. I went out of my way to pass by the site less and less. My hope dwindled. The lot sat empty, paved roads led to nowhere and curbs held back nothing but weeds and soil.
But then yesterday something happened. On my way to work I peered through my neighborhood and spied a contractor’s van on the site. So I decided to pass by for a closer look on my way home last night. Sure enough, the outlines of 2 new houses have started to take shape. Hooray for progress!
