2400 Nueces

Project Details

Project Description

The residential environment at 2400 Nueces was intended to advance two significant goals of the University of Texas at Austin. First, it was designed to provide a living/learning environment for UT upperclassmen that would enhance academic performance, improve GPAs and encourage higher four–year graduation rates. Second, it was intended to improve friendship formation among non-freshmen (especially the increasing number of transfer students)--a factor that has significant correlation with academic performance. In a post occupancy evaluation done after the first year of operation of the building, 86% of students said that their GPA went up or stayed the same compared to their performance in previous residences (with 26% reporting that it went up). Almost 90% of respondents said their friendship formations went up or stayed the same in 2400 Nueces with 44% reporting that they went up. Dozens of design moves, from mixing various sizes of units on the same hall to creating spacious elevator lobbies with pleasant light and views, to creating highly desirable study and lounge spaces both indoors and outdoors all contribute to making a residential environment that is healthy, productive and desirable, both from the perspective of residents and the University. In the POE, 67% of the residents said that living in 2400 Nueces “makes their life better” compared to previous residences, while only 3% reported less satisfaction than with prior residences. In addition, 2400 Nueces has made a significant contribution to efforts to make the West Campus neighborhood in Austin a more compact, sustainable community by increasing pedestrian and bicycle commuting. The project extends an adjacent pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use environment and fosters a strong sense of connectivity with the campus. The architectural treatment of the building is designed to maintain a pedestrian and neighborhood scale while creating the higher density that is essential to achieve sustainability and community-building goals. The project is broken into 10 “bars” of residential units—each of which is marked by a distinctive material and color. The bars are organized into an S-shaped configuration that creates two great outdoor rooms—an active court with a pool that has views to the hills of west Austin and a quiet court that is oriented east toward views of the campus. A LEED Gold certified project, 2400 Nueces is a model of sustainability, not only from an urban design point of view, but also in terms of its energy efficiency and resource utilization. Building performance and energy usage was maximized in all phases of construction and occupancy. Energy efficient practices include optimizing orientation to control solar loads by facing 75% of units north or south, maximizing day lighting and natural ventilation and using a reflective “rainscreen” skin on much of the building. 2400 Nueces includes 304 units with 622 rooms and almost 10,000 square feet of academic space on the ground level, including space for UT’s International Office. Units include a wide range of living configurations including studios, one/two/three/four bedrooms and townhomes in an effort to encourage a diverse population.