AUSTIN | The Independent | 690 FEET | 58 FLOORS | Complete

[AustinGoesVertical]

So the Independent has yet to release exterior renderings or an official height... but the good news is that the floor plans offer some clues. First of all, the walls have window symbols along the entirety of the exterior facing sections, meaning it looks as though this building will be mostly glass. Unit C5 is the largest unit at 3,485 SF. It is described as a 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, with a study, media room, and butler's pantry. So, I would think this is the penthouse, even though it isn't labeled that officially. However, the site says that this floor plan exists from levels 52-58. So we know it will be at least 58 stories! This makes me think that floors 59-60 could house two-level penthouses and that those designs just haven't been released yet. This would mean floor 61 is mechanical, if original floor projections were accurate. It says that the most expensive unit will be over $3,000,000, and that's what makes me think the 3-bedroom floor plan isn't actually the penthouse because that would put the price point at over $861 per square foot, and that's if the price was at exactly $3,000,000, which it will be more. At 61 stories with 12 foot ceilings, this building would be 732 ft, which is in line with initial projections. I'd think they would go for high ceilings to compete with the Austonian, but they could opt for just 10 ft, because only 8 ft ceilings are the standard for residential buildings. Even at 10 ft ceilings, this building would be at least 610 ft. It looks like that top cube part, may not be an architectural addition after all. It appears as though the first 10 floors will be office or amenity floors because residential units don't start until the 10th floor. From there, the design calls for 3 tiers, that proceed to alternate the direction they jut out. It appears as though what they label as the "4th tier" is that cube at the top. So it's unclear if they'll add a spire, or crown. What do you guys think?