Parmer Commercial Development Achieves Goals

Challenge: The Parmer commercial development in Austin, Texas, is a corporate campus featuring (The Pitch), an open-air community space, restaurant, and retail space that supports the Austin F.C. practice facility and the rest of the commercial campus.
Time constraints, design coordination, utility design in a confined space, complex building layout, site drainage concerns, evolving water capacity assumptions, and the need to satisfy the client’s schedule expectations were ongoing project challenges.

Solution: HR Green was the lead civil engineer for the development and most recently completed The Pitch and Sector 8 of the development. These two projects encompassed 380 acres of master-planned office space and community amenities, including the practice facility, junior-level stadium, and restaurant retail.

To support a compressed design deadline, the preliminary design was completed in tandem with the City review. The Pitch site specifically had many design challenges and required close coordination with the Austin F.C facility to incorporate existing site elements.

Utilities were a challenge in the design of the project due to several buildings in close proximity to each other. The narrow area has several shipping containers stacked to create a modern industrial design, and the site drainage was a key concern due to the complex building layout design.

Additionally, the water capacity assumptions provided by the City of Austin had increased since the initial plans were designed several years prior. However, our team considered future growth and overcompensated capacity assumptions in initial plans. The well-thought-out design of the Pitch mitigated any drainage issues, and runoff remains below capacity.

Throughout the final design of the building and landscape elements, the design team met weekly to coordinate and resolve design and utility challenges and ultimately to meet the client’s schedule expectations.

Benefit: The team’s efficiency in the design process minimized delays and accelerated project completion, which can was crucial for developments. The Pitch not only serves as a vibrant hub for the corporate campus but also enhances the surrounding community by providing recreational and dining options, and ultimately supports economic growth of the area.

“The Pitch was a very tight area with a lot going on. As an amenity open to the public, it was important that The Pitch area ties back into the extensive hiking and biking trails located on campus, is built to last, and adds value to the community.” – Joe Isaja, PE