Andersson-Wise

"This city has done so much positive work, and I can promise you it doesn't stop at the border of Austin. This is what goes out and is talked about all over the United States and all around the world,"
- U.S. Green Building Council, Rick Fedrizzi

"Block 21 effortlessly strikes the difficult balance of cosmopolitan elegance and environmental stewardship, staying true to that understated, cool vibe that Austin is famous for." - Caitlin M. Ryan

"One of downtown Austin's newest, most high-profile high-rises is now ranked among the world's most eco-friendly buildings."

"The use of green building techniques and a focus on sustainability have helped Block 21, site of the W Austin Hotel and Residences and the ACL Live concert venue, gain recognition from Austin Energy and the U.S. Green Building Council."

"Both organizations will honor developer Stratus Properties at a ceremony today."
- by Gary Dinges

"Opened a year ago this month, the trendy W, 200 Lavaca St., has quickly become the city's place to see and be seen, playing host to scads of big-name musicians, film and TV stars — and even President Barack Obama." - by Gary Dinges

The University of Texas School of Architecture 2011 Student Architecture Award was presented to Andersson-Wise Architects for Block 21 and the W Hotel on Friday, Dec. 2. A student-led jury selected the project over two other finalists: the Arthouse at the Jones Center renovation by LTL Architects and Balcones House by Pollen Architecture & Design. The deciding factor in naming it the best building completed in the Austin area in the past year was "the complexity of the project and how well Andersson-Wise managed to accommodate every program of the building," says jury secretary Karl Gleason. "The W Hotel, we felt, managed to bring diverse programs, constituents, and clients together and create an innovative ensemble that seamlessly blends the functions of the building together." - Robert Faires

"You can make the argument that great architecture happens when an architect has designed a room (or rooms) where the light is good. That state of grace emerges when the proportions are right and the architect has solved the problem of how to get light into the room beautifully." - Helen Thompson

"Slated to open in late September of 2012, the 26,000-square-foot theater is the third venue Zach will manage. The Topfer Theatre joins Zach’s 230-seat Kleberg Stage and the 130-seat Whisenhunt Stage. Situated on city-owned parkland at the corner of S. Lamar Bvld. and W. Riverside Dr., the Topfer Theatre is designed by Austin’s Andersson Wise Architects." - By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin

"The new Topfer Theatre to open in September 2012 AUSTIN (KXAN) - The longest running theater in Austin embarked on a new chapter in February when ZACH broke ground on an expansion of its performance campus. The new facility, set to open in 2012, is sure to welcome audiences for decades to come."

"Dave Steakley is beaming more than usual these days. The Artistic Director of ZACH Theatre is generally a convivial kind of guy, but today, showing off the progress of the new state of the art Topfer Theatre on the ZACH campus on Riverside Drive, he can't help but smile."

"You would need to have a great sense of adventure and a deep love of nature to want to stay in a Montana cabin that has zero heating or cooling. But that's the point - at least for Andersson Wise Architects from Austin, who previously built an eco-lodge on Flathead Lake..." - Tafline Laylin

pages 60-63 "Projecting into the southern end of Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana is a small peninsula of scattered ponderosa pines, towering over a terrain of steep cliff, ridges, and ravines, sloping down to the water's edge. It is a rugged kind of beauty. Nested into this wilderness is a 600-sf cabin. . . " - Thomas Hayne Upchurch, AIA

"...Sitting atop the roof terrace, with a steady breeze drifting off the lake, one appreciates the fateful stuffy day that fortuitously engendered the tower concept. From this vantage point, one senses the spirit embodied in the structure, enhanced by the experience of passage upward and its climax at the rooftop deck, which reminds us that the journey can be as rewarding as the destination." - Mark T. Wellen, AIA

Andersson•Wise Architects creates a sculptural lakeside refuge that balances the wild with the refined.

"People have an inherent craving for an unimpeded prospect, coupled with a need to find refuge, as the British geographer Jay Appleton noted in his 1975 book The Experience of Landscape. In other words, humans want to have a view and a place to hide. Appleton’s theories inspired architects Arthur Andersson and Chris Wise of Austin, Texas, in their design of a four-building compound in northwestern Montana." - Ingrid Spencer

"Conceived as a place from where to enjoy the gorgeous view over Lake Travis. The tower stands out with its walls in darkened wood."

"...This building, in Austin, Texas, has been build by Andersson Wise Architects. It resembles a lookout tower from the outside, charming and perfectly designed to fit in with its surroundings – it is just visible over the tree-line. The architects have done a fantastic job on this modern yet natural-looking tower, it is full of character both on the inside and out, yet it is inoffensive within the woodland surroundings..."

"There are a few small limestone cabins from the 1930’s located along Lake Travis, the longest of the Highland Lakes that terrace the hill country west of Austin, and they are used primarily in the summer. One such cabin sits on a slope rising from the water under a canopy of native oaks and cedars. It had one large room, a little sleeping room, a kitchen, and a porch facing the water..."

"Founded by Arthur Andersson and F. Christian Wise in 2001, Austin, Texas-based Andersson Wise creates some of the more inventive Western dwellings we've come across. Below is a trio of waterfront houses by the firm, each offering a different (and equally compelling) architectural approach to lakeside living..."

"'The last thing Austin needs is another beige building,' says Heather Plimmer, half of the local team behind the hotel's design. Plimmer, along with architect Arthur Andersson, are responsible for the design of five components of the block—on the aptly named Willie Nelson Boulevard—a development which in addition to the hotel includes office and retail space, condos and some of the best acoustics the city has to offer at Austin City Limits...."

"Located in the heart of the 2nd Street District, the hot-off-the-presses property features 251 guest rooms and suites as well as 159 W Residences. Perhaps the most exciting element, however, is the ACL Live at the Moody Theater, a 3,000-person music and performance venue that is not only connected to the eccentric-celebrating hotel, but will also serve as the new home to the 35-year-old Austin City Limits television show."

"The goal of this website is to feature highest quality web designs in the gallery and to recognize the talented designers behind them. There are several factors that go into the design review, and from thousands of submissions each year, only some of those will be featured on the site. The initial submissions go though a first-pass where the best are filtered from those. Then those that come from that initial review go through a final review to possibly be featured. If a site is selected to be featured, it will usually be added to the site within a week or two of submission." - The Best Design's Review Process

"Every so often you find a property that is so stunning, it takes your breath away. Stone Creek Camp in one such place, not for its sweeping grandeur, but for its quiet simplicity and complete elegance. Situated on Flathead Lake in Montana, this property has easy access to Glacier National Park, two downhill ski resorts, and three wilderness areas. Depending on the season, you can keep yourself busy with swimming, boating, and horseback riding in the summer months and skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. Or better yet, you could do nothing at all..."- Page 93

"The district, bordered by Colorado and San Antonio Streets, is chockablock with boutiques, coffeehouses, wine bars and design stores and is anchored by a mixed-use development across from City Hall. It contains is a 36-story W hotel and condo tower, which opened last December, and the state-of-the-art Moody Theater, the new home of the iconic PBS music series Austin City Limits..."

"There are a few small limestone cabins from the 1930’s located along Lake Travis, the longest of the Highland Lakes that terrace the hill country west of Austin, and they are used primarily in the summer. One such cabin sits on a slope rising from the water under a canopy of native oaks and cedars. It had one large room, a little sleeping room, a kitchen, and a porch facing the water..."

"This remote Montana Camp is situated along a sloping hill, leading visitors to discover the site progressively. From the gatehouses, a path leads down the hill to the master house, main lodge, and guesthouse. The buildings offer warm, almost cave-like spaces as well as expansive porches, open to the views and sunlight. Small windows and thick walls facing into the slope of the site are contrasted with entire walls that open up towards the lake. Inhabitants may choose to be outdoors while inside by sliding open walls or moving outside to spaces that are more civilized than the outlying wilderness. Similarly, with each bedroom’s separate screened-in space, it is always possible to sleep in nature and yet still be secure within the building..."

"Something happens with the sky in Austin on the hottest summer days. Just as the sun disappears over the horizon, but before the day turns to dusk, the sky turns a rich cobalt blue. This is for only a moment, and during that moment, there is a feeling of magic in the air." page 30

"Zach Theatre will release designs today for a sleek 430-seat theater that will be surrounded by a tree-filled plaza and grounds. Slipped onto Zach's site at South Lamar Boulevard and West Riverside Drive, the new building promises to help establish an arts park on Lady Bird Lake." - By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin

"Of the series of Highland Lake that terrace the hill country to the west of Austin, Lake Travis is the longest, winding over 60 miles through the natural terrain. There are a few small limestone cabins from the 1930s on Lake Travis, used primarily in the summer. One such cabin sits on a slope rising from the water. Our clients requested two additional bedrooms with baths and a living area for larger groups to gather in. Rather than add onto the old cabin, we chose to open it up inside and locate the new sleeping quarters in a separate building..." page 56

"I’ll never forget one evening when we were all there in January,” says architect Arthur Andersson. The “there” was Martin and Connie Stone’s residence on Montana’s Flathead Lake; the “we” consisted of Andersson, designer Mimi London and Connie Stone, the client who had brought them together…

"Andersson-Wise Archtiects of Austin, Tex., recently finished an addition to the Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University. For Arthur Andersson, the addition was an opportunity to add to his original design for the museum, which had been completed in 1996...."

"When the Beach Museum at Kansas State University looked for an architect to design an addition to its 1996 Charles Moore building, it turned to Arthur Andersson and Christopher Wise, who had worked for Moore in his Austin, Texas, studio. For Andersson and Wise, the challenge here was to complement their mentor without aping him…

"Arthur Andersson, AIA, looked to Southwestern cliff dwellings when designing Block 21 in Austin, Texas. The mixed-use project contains the television studios and performance venue for “Austin City Limits,” office and retail space topped by a W hotel, and private residences. Those high-rise caves inspired him to design shaded balconies carved into the east and west façades, for longer hours of daylight without heat gain..."

"...Arthur Andersson is the firm's design vision, while Christian Wise focuses on structural issues. Together, the architects set out to create greater privacy for the bedrooms and to establish a separation between the first floor's living and dining areas—endowing each new room with proportions conducive to comfortable seating arrangements..."

"…This keen awareness of context is perhaps the keystone of all Andersson-Wise designs. From churches to university halls to private residences, their national portfolio of work echoes Moore's influential tenet that architecture is about enhancing a sense of place. Good design involves careful consideration of local history and culture, neighboring structures, sun orientation, and climate…"

"In the heart of Austin's new 2nd Street District, Andersson·Wise Architects, in association with BOKA Powell of Dallas, is designing a 29-story destination W hotel and condominium tower with street level restaurants, retail space, a 1000-person recording studio for KLRU's "Austin City Limits," and a 30,000-sq.-ft space for the Dell Discovery/Austin Children's Museum..."

"Over two decades, Arthur Andersson, AIA, and Chris Wise, AIA, of Andersson-Wise Architects have developed a strategy for designing projects by drawing inspiration from the cultural and physical imagery of their context. Through client and design team collaboration, the firm's work seeks to uncover and understand the complexities of each site…"

"It's kind of a pilgrimage getting from the house to the lake," explains architect Arthur Andersson, who, with partner Chris Wise, designed first the boathouse and then the residence for the Martin family in the hills west of Austin, Texas. A 200-foot wood-and-steel-cable suspension bridge begins a few hundred yards from the Martin home, swoops up over a hill and a creek, then meets a stone staircase that leads down to the shores of Lake Austin…

"This light-filled Austin home is notable first for its substantiality. Viewed from across the long, crushed-gravel entry drive, the wide structure with its butter-colored stucco walls, limestone sills and soft grey-green window trim appears to have been standing for at least a century. It projects the look of a European country house that might have gradually expanded over several generations…"

"Trustee Hall is the first building completed at St. Edward's since the 2001 implementation of a new campus master plan. Designed by Andersson-Wise Architects of Austin, Trustee Hall is all the more significant because it initiates a building campaign expected to accommodate an eventual doubling of the school's current enrollment…"

"…The pair decided the only way to meet their alfresco expectations was to hire an architect to create a house that was as open to nature as they are. They admired Arthur Andersson's work–specifically a home in Dallas–and he was fascinated by the idea. 'I was excited about the concept of living mostly outside,' says the architect, who is based in Austin, Texas…"

"Amidst the backdrop of a unique set of site conditions – an interstate highway, railroad tracks and a waterfront–sits a testament to the process of collaboration, and a native son's commitment to his hometown of Tacoma, Washington…"

"…Moore's influence can be sensed in the inscribed oval of the entry vestibule, and in the eclectic mix of pointed-arch openings and modernist window walls; yet the edifice charts a new course with durable materials, such as slate and copper; subtle color, such as natural wood finishes; and substantial detailing, such as the thick vestibule walls and the deep returns on brick end walls…"

"…It appears as if the solid nature of the concrete and steel bridge was designed to create a contrast with the fragility of Chihuly's glass. Here two semi-enclosed pavilions - the Seaform Pavillion, on the east side of the bridge, and the Venetian Wall to the west - were created as experiential installations of Chihuly's art…"

"…With parishioners pouring out the doors of each of the three Sunday services, and especially on holidays, Rev. David Henderson recognized the need to increase space. And principal architects Arthur W. Andersson, AIA, and F. Christian Wise, AIA, of Andersson-Wise Architects in Austin, Texas, conducted full-day charettes with the community to determine what else the end users felt was important in their house of worship…"

"…The most dramatic departure from the campus vernacular is the concrete south facade, which picks of the color and some detailing of the Main, yet is unequivocally modern in its finish and construction–with huge, monolithic slabs. 'Concrete is a 2,000-year-old material,' says Wise, 'but we used it to show how buildings are made today…"

"In July 2002, the Bridge of Glass, designed by artist Dale Chihuly and architect Arthur Andersson, opened to the public, linking downtown Tacoma, Washington, to the Arthur Erickson-designed Museum of Glass…"

"Arthur Andersson has been involved in the transition of Tacoma since his Austin, Texas-based firm, then known as Moore/Andersson, won the competition for the Washington State History Museum. Completed in 1996, the museum became a catalyst for the rebirth of Tacoma's historic downtown…"

"Conceived by master artisan Dale Chihuly and designed by Texas-based Andersson-Wise Architects, the $10.7-million bridge funded by federal, local, and private endowments marked a highly collaborative project that was completed on a parallel schedule with the Museum…"

"…while the striking Chihuly Bridge – a 500-foot path linking the museum to downtown Tacoma – houses three permanent Chihuly installations. Designed by Arthur Andersson and Chihuly, the bridge also features towers that look like giant , jagged ice crystals…"

"…So Andersson, the last of the architectural partners of the great Charles W. Moore, bought the cottage, gutting its small, cramped spaces to produce one big room, with a loft for the bedroom and bath…"

"...This house, designed for House Beautiful by the Texas firm (Moor/Andersson), reflects Andersson's assessment of our pivotal moment in time."

"…The building opened to favorable reviews on August 10, 1996. Michael Sullivan thinks that the demanding process worked for Tacoma: 'The museum has been the creator of character and purpose, defining the streetscape, bringing people here for leisure and intellectuatual time…"

"The tall, distinctive bell tower of Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral gleams like a beacon on the flat plains of Fargo, North Dakota, a place where long winters and harsh winds call for a strong counterforce of faith…"

"…As cities evolve, buildings of relative levels of importance, from landmark to workaday structures, combine to make a place. A goal for the history museum as we understood it was to simultaneously create a landmark structure, one whose character and presence evoke a lasting image on its own, while respecting the legacy and physical prominence of its neighbor, Union Station…"

"Austin architect Arthur Andersson and New Orleans designer Ann Dupuy revitalize a stately residence in central Texas…"

"A composite villa designed by the two architects as their own home and workplace in a leafy suburb of Austin. Although they wanted plenty of space, their design also had to blend with the surrounding houses and make no changes to the natural environment, so they split the volumes into three small independent buildings around a courtyard and a long, narrow swimming pool..."

"Gethsemane Episcopal Church, the cathedral church of North Dakota, burned to the ground in the fall of 1989. The trauma this inflicted on the congregation led many of its members to a critical self-examination on how to rebuild, and caused those members to take an active and healing part in the process of building a new church..."

"Charles Moore has designed hundreds of houses over the past 35 years and has played a central role in bringing traditional symbols of domestic architecture back onto the contemporary scene. The pitched roof, the clearly defined front door, an interest in local styles, and emphasis on a distinctive sense of place are all things Moore helped reestablish long before the term Postmodern was ever used to describe his work..."

"Many young architects seize on their first built work as a way of demonstrating everything they've learned. Arthur Andersson thinks that's a mistake and believes the smartest approach is for the neophyte to take it easy. "The most important thing a young designer can have is patience, rather than trying to do it all at once," the thirty-year-old architect observes..."