Project profile: Livestrong Foundation

After 10 years of leasing space in a suburban office building, the Livestrong Foundation found its permanent home in the 1950s-era Gulf Coast Paper Co. (GPC) warehouse in East Austin, an underserved community in the process of revitalization.

The adaptive reuse of the GCP warehouse transformed the concrete tilt-wall building to provide office space, meeting rooms, multi-use facilities, an in-house gym, an open-air courtyard, and parking for the staff of 62.

The building is situated on an inner-city, culturally diverse, and underserved neighborhood at the intersection of East 6th and Robert Martinez. The 30,000 ft2 "block" floor plate created challenges in providing the desired daylight and views for the foundation staff. This challenge was intensified as the building's zero-lot line relationship with the site's eastern boundary prevented the introduction of window openings. The south façade adjoins the freight railroad right-of-way, also used as a commuter rail and cyclist thoroughfare.
(2011 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects recipient)