FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Noon Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011
Contact: Stephanie Lee McDonald 512.350.7021(m)

Waller Creek Conservancy encourages innovative designers to explore possibilities for Waller Creek

The Waller Creek Conservancy invites the most innovative and qualified landscape architects, architects and artists to join forces to explore designs to transform the flood-ravaged, urban area along Waller Creek into a lively, livable, workable landscape.

Waller Creek Conservancy founders, members of its Board of Directors and City officials formally launched “Design Waller Creek: A Competition” at a news conference today, Nov. 9, 2011, at City Hall.

“Design excellence has been the defining factor that has created successful public places in other cities around the world,” Tom Meredith, chairman of the Waller Creek Conservancy, said. “We have an opportunity to create a space for Austin that goes well beyond something that is aesthetically pleasing or a site that functions well.The special opportunity that Waller Creek presents is to connect a variety of interests and entities and completely transform the way they interact and relate.”

The competition is expected to attract local, national and international designers.  Designers must apply by Dec. 16, 2011. After the open call for portfolios, a rigorous evaluation by a team of leading design professionals will narrow the field to eight to 10 teams.

Another panel will select four of these teams to participate in the design concept phase. All teams will include landscape architects, architects and artists willing to work in a collaborative manner to produce awe-inspiring concepts.

Participants in the design concept phase will address:

• Creating a healthy ecosystem.
• Inspiring independent inhabitants, from higher education to live music, to act in a cohesive manner.
• Bridging two parts of a city divided by an imposing interstate.
• Designing a destination, two parks and a variety of other open spaces in such a way that they are sure to attract residents from across the city and Austin visitors to the area.

  “We know these are ambitious goals, but we believe they can be accomplished through innovative, collaborative, and novel design,” Meredith said. “Our hope is that in the fall of 2012, we can present the community with a design concept that is the connective tissue for Waller Creek.”
  Although the role of urban planning is a function of a municipality, the Conservancy recognizes the growing limitations government bodies face, both in terms of time and financial resources. The goal of hosting the design competition is to create a grander, more comprehensive plan than the City of Austin would otherwise be able to do on its own, and to ensure its implementation in an expedited manner.

Donald Stastny, FAIA FAICP FCIP, leads the competition. Stastny, a practicing architect and urbanist, is a noted authority on the orchestration of design competitions. He is leading the competition concerning the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

For more information, including how to register and a timeline of the phases for the competition, go to www.wallercreek.org/competition.