Austin Youth Housing Designed by CMH Architects and Jordan & Skala Engineers

Dallas-based design firm, Craycroft McElroy Hendryx (CMH), and Jordan & Skala Engineers have partnered to take on an Austin youth housing community-service project of designing a 45-unit housing project on the LifeWorks campus in Austin, Texas, for youth who are aging out of foster care and looking to enter college and the workforce. With a modest budget and high aspirations, LifeWorks invited CMH, Jordan & Skala and CF Jordan, an award-winning general contracting company from El Paso, Texas, to invest in an opportunity to create an apartment community that caters to young adults with various living needs, but all who have similar goals of bettering their futures. As previewed in CMH’s architectural designs and Jordan & Skala’s proficient engineering plans, LifeWorks’ brand new three-story, single-loaded apartment buildings will create a sense of independent living and community socializing, and serve as a convenient location to Austin Community College (ACC) and local transit for commuting to work, for many young adults who need support to begin the next stage in their lives.

“It was an easy decision for us to get involved with the LifeWorks project,” said Brian Hendryx, principal at CMH Architects. “We are always looking for ways to give back to the community, and this LifeWorks project is such an incredible opportunity for us to invest in the lives of the next generation of our workforce. We had to do it!”

Jordan & Skala Principal Andy Smith agrees with Hendryx that this project is an investment for his firm. “LifeWorks is already serving these youth with great resources and services,” said Smith. “To offer them a place to live while continuing their educational and career growth is just something our team feels fortunate to support. CMH and our team are working diligently to ensure we’re creating first-class and Four-Star Austin Energy Green Building certified apartments for these residents, and we can’t wait to see the finished project.”

LifeWorks is an Austin-based non-profit organization that supports youth and families in their determination to achieve self-sufficiency and make generational change. With the addition of a housing development on LifeWorks’ campus, the organization will be able to offer what they believe are the four basic cornerstones necessary for their clients to achieve success – counseling, housing, education/workforce support and youth development.

“We are so thrilled to have these reputable partners coming together to create on-site housing for our youth and families,” said LifeWorks Executive Director Susan McDowell. “We have always provided housing resources for our clients. But now, we can offer them housing that we know will truly fit their individual needs, and serve as a very convenient and central location to ACC and public transportation. We are blessed that CMH, Jordan & Skala and CF Jordan understand that their time and expertise is a life-long investment into the futures of our LifeWorks family.”

Some GREEN features of the LifeWorks apartment complex include transportation accommodations, like bike racks, urban parking reduction, electric car recharging stations and close proximity to the Austin mass transit. Other GREEN considerations include open-air outdoor lounge spaces and high-efficiency mechanical and plumbing systems. Some solar features are also under consideration.

The LifeWorks apartment complex is projected to open in late 2013. For more information on LifeWorks, visit www.lifeworksaustin.org.

Scheduled for a groundbreaking in early 2013, the LifeWorks apartment complex will offer a mix of efficiencies and one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Each building of the complex will service a different demographic, housing efficiencies and one-bedroom units in one building; two-bedroom, one-bath units in a second building; and two-bedroom, two-bath and three-bedroom, three-bath in a third building. These varying living quarters offer appropriate settings for single residents, roommates and families.