979 Springdale

979 Springdale transforms aging food distribution warehouses into a vibrant East Austin hub. Preserving the character of the 60-year-old structures, the design welcomes diverse new uses while strengthening community identity and ownership. Today, the site thrives with local breweries, a bouldering gym, an art gallery, a community theater, an event venue, restaurants, food trucks, and offices. New open-air corridors invite breezes, sunlight, and greenery into the heart of the large warehouse, while shaded pathways connect tenants and parking. Repurposed warehouse steel shelving, first envisioned for shading and planting, evolved to shape circulation and define the site’s distinctive design language. A new pavilion with a restaurant patio and planted playscape anchors the property along Springdale Road. By reimagining existing structures, the project prevented massive landfill waste while establishing a model for sustainable, community-driven redevelopment.

“I liked this project’s exploration of how to refurbish existing structures while creating interesting spaces of shadow. There were some wonderful examples of bringing shadows to the building and at the same time creating portico areas that can be used by all the people using the building.”

—Víctor Legorreta, Hon. FAIA