Music Capital of the World.” From intimate venues to iconic festivals like SXSW, the city is a backdrop for every genre. In a city renowned for its vibrant and eclectic culture, architectural expectations are high.
Born from the desire for an authentic, immersive experience, Natiivo is a home-sharing-based owners’ concept, offering owners the ability to list their unit on any home-sharing platform. By combining the local atmosphere of a homestay with the hotel-type amenities, Natiivo provides an option for people with a flexible, modern lifestyle.
With locations in lively cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tennessee, and Denver, each Natiivo location embodies the quintessential character of its city, assimilating to become part of them. Unique touches spark curiosity
and delight.
Photo courtesy ©2022 Kevin C Korczyk
As a new hospitality concept launching in Austin, Natiivo aimed to make a splash with the first-of-its kind, 33-story residential/hotel condo building. The plan was for the project to reflect its surroundings, comfortably speaking the language of the city, built with premium materials, and outfitted with upscale fixtures. Guests could enjoy round-the-clock concierge service, co-working spaces as well as a 1,672 m2 (18,000 sf) terrace and garden on the 10th floor. Natiivo also would offer guests and residents a rooftop swimming pool, lounge seating complete with a fireplace, and stunning views of the area.
Situated right in the popular Rainey Street area of downtown, the city of Austin was chosen for this new venture due to its high standards for embracing innovation, driving change, and constant growth.
Photo courtesy Jeremiah Jhass
Working closely with project partners STG Design and AECOM Hunt, KSC helped bring to life a design philosophy which would bridge Austin’s urban environment with the city’s natural surroundings. The result? An exterior featuring a rippling metal art wall that KSC fabricated and installed to disguise the building’s parking garage behind it.
Illusions in color
With incredibly lofty expectations, the building design could not disappoint. The Natiivo exterior project was not without challenges, though. The first nine levels of the building would be dedicated to parking yet still needed to be eye-catching. According to Vince Neault, business development manager at KSC Inc., the outcome was a garage screen made of individual .125 aluminum fins. Each fin perforated in a different pattern and then bent askew at different intervals. “When installed in a predetermined sequence, the effect was sound waves being created by a guitar,” says Neault, which was appropriate for this live music destination.
The design also needed to draw inspiration from the modernness of Austin while still paying tribute to its natural surroundings, including Lady Bird Lake, which is only steps away. Neault says the cool colors lend themselves well with the surroundings. The lack of hue and saturation allowed the screen to blend well with the area.
The KSC team helped craft completely custom finishes for both the uniquely textured garage screen and aluminum composite paneling used throughout the exterior of the project.
The 2,230 m2 (24,000 sf) .125 aluminum perforated and formed post-painted aluminum plate and aluminum composite products were chosen for this project due to their light weight, formability, and durability—making them the perfect solution for a garage screen. “The aluminum alloy chosen lends itself well to formability and punch perforating,” says Neault. In addition to a spirited music scene, Austin is also home to some active weather, like extreme heat, humidity, high wind, and hail. Neault says, “This heavy gauge aluminum sheet weathers well, especially when treated, to resist the elements.”
The garage screen was crafted using computer numerical control (CNC) machining technology and eight different types of angles of the same post-painted aluminum metal plate throughout. With the addition of different panel sizes, the team could create a ripple effect. Based on where the sun hits throughout the day, how the light reflects the metal, and where a viewer is positioned in regard to the building, the plates also give the illusion of different colors.
Sound wave inspiration
After original design plans changed from a more abstract-shaped building, the focus shifted to the garage, with KSC playing an integral role in the focal piece of the building—the architectural garage screen and exterior paneling used throughout the exterior. Views to the majority of the other sides of the building would eventually be blocked by other projects in process, yet the project owners still wanted to make a splash on the downtown skyline. With music in mind, the design team came up with the sound wave concept, allowing fresh air movement needed for a parking garage. Neault says the radio wave inspiration to the screen comfortably speaks to the language of Austin, reflects the vibrancy of the area, and added the perfect hint of drama to a groundbreaking project.