East Austin Project Wins IIDA Award

November 19, 2024

Rhode Partners staff attended the awards ceremony for the IIDA Texas Oklahoma chapter this week. Of 125 entries, Starlight was recognized for its interior design excellence in the Living category. The IIDA awards recognize the highest quality and achievement in interior design and honor the creativity and innovation of the best of Texas and Oklahoma designers.

Starlight is a 5-story urban infill apartment project located in East Austin featuring studios, one and two-bedroom apartments along with townhome units. The project’s guiding design principles reflect the midcentury modernism that defines the iconic resort style of Palm Springs. The project achieves this by using minimal exterior materials and integrating the midcentury modern design languages into a contemporary package using brick screens, recessed balconies, and exterior breezeways and patios. Starlight’s interiors mirror this design intent with custom millwork, a robust art program, plush furnishing, and sculptural fireplaces. Indoor and outdoor amenity spaces are designed to blend together with open layouts and desert landscaping in the pool deck, cabanas, and sky lounges.

Central to Starlight’s program is the unit mix to accommodate multiple price points for units to ensure affordable, standard, and premium apartments. The significant difference between these unit types is not related to square footage or layout but to the level of finish, ensuring that all unit variations have the same livability while providing the required price points for the market.

The project’s material palette comprises sustainably sourced wood floors, recycled nylon carpet, and locally sourced clay, porcelain, and ceramic tiles. The amenities and corridors showcase a local art program with works from Landry McMeans, Dan Grissom, James Needham, Hamish Robertson, and others. A classic Knoll Luxe textile designed by Ross Littell in 1958 creates continuity between the amenities spread throughout the building.

We’re grateful for a strong collaboration and partnership with the project team to create Starlight:

Owner/Developer: Ledcor Architecture, Interior Design, FFA, Signage & Wayfinding: Rhode Partners Contractor: Skybeck Construction Structural Engineer: Viewtech MEP Engineer: V3 Consulting Engineers Civil Engineer: 360 Professional Services Landscape Architect: Lee & Associates