Due to the increasing number of students, the Goddard School made the strategic decision to expand their building. In order to complement the existing structure, h+uo’s Erik Ulland used a craftsman style, including: a low-pitched gabled roof, wooden brackets supporting metal window awnings, and the use of wood and stone building materials on the facade. The expansion also includes a tower where owner, Ryan Rastelli’s office resides.

Ulland successfully overcame the challenges of having to work with existing grades, as well as working around tight sight constraints with existing sloping conditions.

About Goddard School

The Goddard School uses the most current, academically endorsed methods to ensure that children have fun while learning the skills they need for long-term success in school and in life. Our talented teachers also collaborate with parents to nurture children into respectful, confident and joyful learners.

The architecturally unique prospect housing offered by the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, Heart House, and the very progressive Jeremiah Program, will prove to be the social hub of Austin’s most successful net-zero development, as well as a welcome home for many in need.

Originally founded in Minneapolis, the Jeremiah Program is expanding into Austin, providing single mothers and their children with the support and tools they need to overcome poverty and succeed. The Jeremiah Program accommodates families with transitional housing, early childhood education, life skills training, and support for career-track education. h+uo architects were selected as the designers for the Austin center.

The project has been approved for the construction documentation phase and is being led by h+uo Senior Partner, Tom Hatch.

About Jeremiah Program

The Jeremiah Program simultaneously prepares single mothers to succeed in the workforce and readies children to succeed academically, reducing generational dependence on public assistance. The program currently has two operational sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, serving 300 women and children at any given time. In addition to expansion in Austin, the Jeremiah Program is also looking into expanding in Fargo, ND-Moorhead, MN.

The second Houndstooth Coffee is open for business and it is in the heart of downtown Austin. The newest store on Congress Avenue, at the southwest corner of the Frost Bank Tower, was originally home to Seattle’s Best and later, Texenza. h+uo partner, Randall Owen, along with architect, Kelly Stephenson worked with Houndstooth owner, Sean Henry to infuse the Houndstooth brand on the former coffee shop space.

Construction of the new Acton Academy is in progress and moving along quickly. The school, located along Alexander Drive in East Austin, is a modern take on the old schoolhouse design. Each of the the two buildings that form the campus contain large open spaces that can be opened to the large outdoor decks. The airy and open spaces promote an interactive learning experience for the students.The design and construction team are very pleased with the project’s progress.