Austin’s iconic skyscraper The Independent designed by Rhode Partners has just achieved LEED Gold status and won the 2022 Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Award of Excellence as the Best Tall Building — Residential. This net energy-neutral project is the only one in Texas to receive the award.
structural elements. This creates expansive city views and allows for flexible and spacious interiors.
The tower has 20,000 square feet of amenities and is net energy neutral for most of the year. Additionally, the 75kW solar power system and rainwater collection generate on-site power and water for the building. This building reflects Austin’s amazing creative spirit. It is a locally designed building with a much larger story to tell.
Residential tiers are pushed and pulled to cantilever four distinct blocks that make up The Independent tower. “This dynamic form is achieved by sliding and mirroring floor plates from a central core,” the designers explain. “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.
