UNStudio Invited by Austin Transit Partnership to Lead Architecture and Urban Design for Project Connect with HKS and Gehl UNStudio Invited by Austin Transit Partnership to Lead Architecture and Urban Design for Project Connect with HKS and Gehl
News - 6 March 2023

UNStudio Invited by Austin Transit Partnership to Lead Architecture and Urban Design for Project Connect with HKS and Gehl

Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) has selected UNStudio, HKS and Gehl to create system-wide architecture and urban design for the light rail program of Project Connect, a major expansion of Austin’s public transit system.

This interdisciplinary team brings together architects and planners with collaborative mindsets and local knowledge. Their global infrastructure expertise includes similar award-winning projects in Los Angeles, Melbourne, The Netherlands, Doha, and Beijing.

“The design team brings both broad international expertise delivering transit and public realm projects at the highest level of design and an acute sensitivity to Austin’s specific culture and heritage.  Project Connect gives us the opportunity to stitch our community together more closely and to adapt our core values to our continued growth and our increasingly urban future,” said Peter Mullan, ATP Executive Vice President for Architecture and Urban Design.

In November 2020 Austin voters approved Project Connect and the creation of the independent entity Austin Transit Partnership to implement this landmark investment in transit.

In partnership with the City of Austin, CapMetro and the community, ATP will deliver on the community’s vision for transit in a way that embeds equity, sustainability and transparency as overarching priorities.

“Project Connect will create a human-centric transit system that celebrates Austin’s culture, history and diversity, while making the city more accessible for all of its citizens through an efficient and sustainable transportation system,” says Ben van Berkel, Founder and Principal Architect of UNStudio.

“We are thrilled to contribute to the city of Austin in such a meaningful way alongside our partners HKS and Gehl,” van Berkel adds.

HKS is a global architecture, design and planning firm with offices in Austin, and Gehl is an urban strategy and design firm that centers public life and the human experience in the city transformation process.

Project Connect is designed to improve access to essential jobs, health care, education, entertainment and more—making the communities of Austin more livable, equitable and sustainable. This transformative investment includes $300 million in funding to prevent the displacement of people and creating more affordable places to live.

Citizens of Austin who would like to get involved in Project Connect are invited to do so. Click here to learn more.

Read the full press release here.