[JoninATX]

Winner announced to redesign Waller Creek: MVVA and Thomas Phifer & Partners

BY CAITLIN M. RYAN

10.18.12 | 10:30

On Thursday morning, City Hall saw a packed house as architects, designers, city officials and reporters waited for the announcement of which talented team would be selected to implement its designs for Waller Creek and thereby reshape the future of Austin.

Post-announcement, Lee Leffingwell kicked off the press conference with, "This is significant milestone in the history of Austin, Texas, that we will go ahead in the development of Waller Creek here in Austin."

The area that will be impacted by MVVA and Thomas Phifer & Associates' design concept represents 11 percent of downtown. The design concept features a chain of parks that aim to heal and reconnect the east and west of Austin: The Lattice, The Grove, The Refuge, The Confluence.

"It was a difficult and rigorous process that we went through with the jury" said Stastny, and he revealed that the decision was unanimous upon final analysis.

This team stood out as a front runner many months ago when on Meet the Designers Night on May 15, we noted MVVA and Thomas Phifer & Associates recieved "a noticeably different introduction from Stastny, who lauded the group for its 'mature approach' to design."

The Waller Creek Conservancy has not yet had a chance to sit down with the winning team to discuss timing or finances as Thursday morning's announcement was the first made. However, development is already underway according to executive director of the Conservancy, Stephanie Lee McDonald, who says the Conservancy is working in conjunction with the city's Tunnel Project, which is already 65 percent complete. "When they come up to ground, we want to be able to make sure that our design can be a part of what their design is so we don't have to go back and redo anything."

http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdet...-waller-creek/