SXSW recently announced its 13-story, 145,000 square-foot headquarters received LEED Gold Certification in addition to an Austin Energy 2-Star Certification. The striking center was designed to achieve the green building status, and Jones|Carter is proud to have provided civil site services for the new community landmark.

Check out our project highlight on this landmark development!

Located in the Capitol Dominance Corridor in Downtown Austin, the structure boasts various environmentally friendly features including rain gardens, xeriscaping and native landscaping, low plumbing features and low VOC interior finishes. Jones|Carter designed the three rain gardens on site. Pond one and two act as rain gardens and are situated on piers while pond three features granite walls and native aggregate.

Additional features helping the center achieve LEED Gold Certification include a rooftop terrace, compliance with the Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO), bike storage and shower rooms and an efficient mechanical system that is 14 percent more efficient than a baseline building.

Building a headquarters that was environmentally friendly and capable of achieving LEED Gold Certification were major goals for the client that the team was excited to achieve. In addition to their Austin headquarters, SXSW has taken many environmental initiatives ranging from producing collateral on 100 percent recyclable or biodegradable material to composting or recycling more than 75 percent of the trash collected at their annual festival.

Structures aiming to achieve LEED certification earn points across multiple categories including location and transportation, water efficiency, material and resources, indoor environmental quality and more. To achieve Gold status, a structure must earn between 60 and 79 points.

SXSW LLC. encompasses two floors of the building with the remaining space being leased to WeWork, Parthenon Capital and Butler Snow. The center features amenities such as an onsite gym, private rooftop garden and a 300-space parking garage with electric vehicle charging stations. Austinites and visitors can enjoy the SouthBites coffee bar equipped with collaborative indoor and outdoor workspaces.

The headquarters began construction in 2016 and was completed in early 2019. SouthBites opened to the public in June, with spaces for named tenants expected to open by early 2020.