Working with the Austin Community Design & Development Center (ACDDC), Heimsath Architects was engaged as associate architects on the 58-unit Live Oak Trails Apartment Complex for Foundation Communities. This affordable housing complex is one of only a few to have been constructed west of Austin. Heimsath Architects worked with the owner and other team members from the earliest conceptual design to produce distinctive clustered living units on a challenging site. The architects refined several prototype units that could be arranged in different configurations and adjusted vertically to adapt to the sloping terrain.
Blocks of units are clustered around a central courtyard with landscape features that also take advantage of the sloping terrain. The outdoor areas for the upper and lower level buildings provide distinct public spaces. The architects developed this concept in close collaboration with the civil engineers and landscape architects thereby unifying the entire site while meeting Foundation Communities' detailed requirements. The project has earned a 4 star rating under the Austin Energy Green Building program.
