Moontower Student Housing

  • area / size 275,000 sqft
  • Completed 2020
  • Location Austin, Texas, , United States
  • Gensler and Chelsea Kloss Interiors collaborated to design Moontower Student Housing located near the UT Campus in Austin, Texas.

    Moontower is an amenity-rich, contemporary housing option for University of Texas at Austin students, with an unmatched location only steps away from the heart of campus.

    The tower features a multi-function amenity-driven lobby, a co-working style study lounge, an outdoor terrace, and a roof pool deck. Wellness amenities like on-demand spin and a fully equipped fitness center, in addition to shell tenant space for the Longhorn Baptist Student Ministry and a garage with a car-sharing program, all support and enhance the social and cultural lifestyle of UT students and young families in Austin.

    The outdoor roof terrace on the third level offers meditative areas lush with planters, trees, and benches. The turf deck features a variety of group seating, offering hang-out areas with cacti, festoon lighting, and a screen for watching games).

    Adhering to local zoning requirements, the design forgoes tiered setbacks in favor of a cleaner, more vertical façade, achieved by placing the mass of the building farther back in the lot. Views from the street helped to inform much of the design, and the architecture features a framed portal on the rooftop pool deck, adding a focal point to both residents and passersby.

    The U-shaped footprint maximizes rooms with windows and views. Living rooms on corner units feature glazing to celebrate clear, unobstructed views of the UT Tower. The facade is made of stucco panels, arranged in patterns to vertically segment the building and create visual interest.

    The unit mix ranges from studio to five bedroom layouts, while the majority of unit types have a four bed/four bath configuration. All units share a shared kitchen and living room.

    Catering to market demand, the program maximizes the number of private bathrooms, with a nearly 1:1 bed/bath ratio. Quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, tiled bathrooms, and exposed concrete ceilings give a refined but industrial aesthetic.

    With a prime location, a host of amenities, and generously sized bedrooms—at a minimum of 9’x10’—Moontower offers a smart mix that appeals to both students and parents.

    Design: Gensler
    Interior Design: Chelsea Kloss Interiors
    Photography: Ryan Conway, Brian Mihealsick