California-based Swinerton recently broke ground on east Austin’s new multi-use mass timber office. The company, an industry-leading construction management firm, has partnered with Dick Clark + Associates (DC+A), as well as Lindgren Development for the design and build. Swinerton itself will occupy the building, and each floor will highlight its own mechanical system.
The new building, known as Workbench, will incorporate sustainable design and will be made to showcase mass timber to interested clients. DC+A Principal Mark Vornberg says, “Many of the project partners have been ingrained in East Austin for decades. The opportunity to bring together a built environment ‘design collective’ under one roof and within a mass timber building is beyond exciting. The neighboring community has been supportive of this development, and we look forward to continuing this bond.”
As an alternative to concrete and steel for building, mass timber has risen in popularity internationally in recent years. Both the biophilic and sustainable elements of the material have made it appealing to integrate into office, multi-family, civic, academic buildings, and more. These buildings can be more efficiently cooled and heated, and the construction completion timeline is streamlined. Workbench itself is expected to be completed in January 2026 and is said to store around 500 metric tons of CO2.
Workbench is leased primarily by women-owned and operated firms, and additional project partners include Beck-Reit Commercial Real Estate, Legacy Lighting, Fort Structures, and Art + Artisans. The first floor of the building will feature Legacy Lighting’s showroom and a restaurant space. The second floor will be occupied by Swinerton and feature a traditional mass timber system with exposed mechanical equipment overhead. DC+A, Legacy Lighting, Fort Structures, Beck-Reit Commercial Real Estate, and Art + Artisans will occupy floor three. This floor will showcase a raised-access flooring system with hidden ventilation.
Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay updated on Swinerton’s latest projects.
