Sabre Commercial recently completed Saint Vincent, a new three-story retail-office building and renovation of an existing building in Austin’s iconic SoCo district. The ground floor features high-end retailers Marine Layer, Tecovas, Madewell and others, with the second and third floors reserved for Class A office space.
Sitting on the former site of St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, the mixed-use project is a chic addition to the neighborhood. Designed by Lake Flato Architects, its modern, textured brick and dark, elegant lines give the corner ultimate curb appeal.
To preserve the historic brick building’s character after the renovation, some materials of the old thrift store were integrated into the design. Salvaged doors and wood framing were used to create beautiful skylights within the reworked rooftop of the renovated building.
The project was not without its challenges. Because of their location in downtown Austin, the team worked around the construction and right of way restrictions required during SXSW. Due to the steep grade on South Congress, the team had to use three different pads for the three different elevations, and the engineer, the architect, and Sabre had to problem solve in the field.
Along with grade issues, the site also had old utilities and key changes had to be made to the final exterior brick mix. “The Sabre team had planned to connect to an existing sanitary line,” explained Matt, “but when dug up, it turned out to be an old clay pipe! So we had to readjust there.”
Despite the long hours required, Matt said he really enjoyed being on one project for a long period of time, working closely with the Sabre team and the contractors to stay on target. He was impressed that Lake Flato and the subcontractors were 100% willing to do whatever it took to finish the beautiful retail-office center, generously collaborating to solve issues in the field.
