Rhode Partners Wins aia Design award
September 30, 2020
Rhode Partners is excited to announce that the firm received an Award of Merit from AIA Austin for The Independent this month. A virtual ceremony was held to unveil the award from its specially delivered package from the AIA team.
“We tried to create a strong integration between the architecture and the structure,” says Brett Rhode. “It was a great experience. We had a lot of latitude from our client which helped tremendously. It’s very difficult to pull something like this off, typically, when you have economic and zoning constraints.” says Rhode about designing a project of this magnitude. The project is currently the tallest tower in Austin.
“The big idea was to make something with integrity that was not just decorated but had this integral idea about structure and living that came together and created a beautiful form on the skyline,” says Rhode. The building incorporates structural features like exposed concrete formwork and steel tension rods throughout the interior spaces that complement the curated material palette.
Since the project’s completion in 2019, The Independent has since received a feature in Texas Architect Magazine, press recognition and even a featured episode on the Science Channel.
