Project Description
The Performing Arts Center (PAC) is the first purpose-built, district-wide Fine Arts facility in the 134-year history of the Austin Independent School District. Approved via special bond election, the state-of-the-art venue was completed on time and below budget (under $350/sq ft), and serves more than 84,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade at 129 schools.
The PAC is centrally-located in the Mueller Development, a mixed-use redevelopment of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, which closed in 1999 and left behind a 700-acre parcel of land in central Austin. Upon its completion, the development will be home to approximately 13,000 people; generate 13,000 full-time jobs and 10,500 construction jobs; and contain 4 million square feet of office and retail space, more than 5,700 homes, 140 acres of public open space, and a major children’s medical center and health research campus. Just three miles from downtown, the development is at the geographical center of the students of the Austin Independent School District, and provides the opportunity for the PAC to be situated at the heart of a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood rather than on a sprawling suburban site.
In acknowledgement of the framework laid out by the Mueller Development, great care was given to foster active, dynamic street edges. A landscaped plaza and amphitheater are open to the public, while a ribbon-like aluminum and steel trellis wraps around two sides of the building, converging at a dramatic, cantilevered porch that defines the main entrance. Glass and translucent panels bring in light during the day, and create the effect of a glowing lantern during evening performances. The massive volume of the auditorium is broken up by metal panels in alternating colors that mimic the Douglas fir cladding of the lobby, reinforcing the continuity between interior and exterior.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a spacious lobby. The trellis outside continues into this space, defining a narrow gallery consisting of panels with rotating exhibitions of student artwork. Clad in maple and walnut, the main auditorium seats 1,200 people on two levels. Mechanized acoustic drapes allow the space to be tuned to the needs of any performance—from a full orchestra to a solo vocalist—at the touch of a button. In addition to the main auditorium, the facility contains a 250-seat black box theater; 4,690 sq ft dance studio; 2,600 sq ft multipurpose room; kiln room; and individual recording studio.
The project has received LEED Gold certification, and became the sixth commercial building to earn a 5-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building. A 60 kW rooftop solar array will offset up to 8% of the building’s annual energy needs, while daylit offices and public spaces reduce the overall energy use. Graywater is used for toilets and all irrigation, eliminating potable water used for irrigation, and all plant species are native or adapted. When compared to a baseline case study, the PAC achieves the following: 23% less overall energy use; 100% less irrigation potable water use; and 33% less indoor potable water use. 44% of building materials were sourced within 500 miles, and the building contains 33% recycled content.