Austin Community College District (ACC) Rio Grande Campus, Building 1000 was awarded Best Project Innovation by the prestigious Urban Land Institute (ULI) Austin Awards.  

The ULI Austin Annual Impact Awards recognize projects embodying the ULI mission to influence the future of the construction environment and create a transformational and positive impact on communities across the globe.

The Best Project Innovation award was presented for originality, creativity, innovative land use, sustainability, financing, and supporting public transportation. The award was presented on Tuesday, August 29. The Rio Grande Campus was also a finalist in the Most Influential Project, Best Project Design, and Best Public Space categories. 

About the Renovation

Rio Grande Campus, Building 1000, reopened in October 2022 after a five-year renovation of the building that began in 2017. Check out images from the grand opening in the album above.

Built in 1915, the campus was originally a junior high school, then home to Austin High School. It became the flagship campus for the college in 1975. 

The renovation included strategic preservation techniques to maintain the historical exterior while providing modern finishes inside. The 139,000-square-foot building includes updated classrooms, offices, and student services. It is the home of the ACC & University of Texas at Austin PACE (Path to Admission through Co-Enrollment) program, as well as ACC’s deaf and hard-of-hearing programs and the Army Futures Command Software Factory. 

Tags: award, rio grande, rio grande campus, ULI, ULI Austin Annual Impact Award, Urban Land Institute