We are just a few months away from completing construction of the Kingsbury Commons project. The Tudor Cottage is getting a roof, the jets on the water play feature are being installed, and the treehouse is starting to grow hair; it’s all coming together!

Check out this drone footage from the construction site!

Treehouse

Mell Lawrence Architects' artfully designed treehouse is starting to grow hair! Welders have begun attaching rebar across the entire surface area of the globe meant to mimic the hair follicles found on a seedpod you could find lying on the forest floor. As they weld on the rebar, the team will bend and pull apart the rebar to create windows to peer down from. The treehouse stands at over 30 feet tall and yet, it is tucked so neatly into the hillside that one doesn’t even realize it’s there before they discover it standing over them.

Tudor Cottage & Terrace

Roof rafters have been installed on the Historic Tudor Cottage and in the coming weeks the cottage will be receiving a new shingle roof. The northern wall of the cottage has been removed to be replaced by large glass doors which will open up the cottage, letting light spill into the historic building.

Concrete has been poured for the terrace which extends north of the Tudor Cottage and provides ample seating and room for small events. The walls of the terrace were poured into board molds and will be used as seat backs along the edge of the terrace.

Restrooms & Volunteer Hub

Roofing have been installed for the new restroom building and volunteer/storage building and workers are now focused on the interior walls. Once construction is completed in 2021, the new restrooms should easily accommodate all the new visitors to the park. The storage building or volunteer center just north of the restrooms will house all the equipment necessary to maintain this 84-acre green space and serve as a meeting space for our volunteer events. Both buildings are tucked into the hillside and have a vine covered façade which is meant to blend them into the hillside.

Interactive Water Feature

The form layout and grading is currently in progress for the new interactive water play feature. The water play feature replaces the previous splashpad that drew thousands of visitors to the park every summer. The new feature was masterfully designed by Ten Eyck Landscape Architects and Greenscape Pump Services, Inc (GPSI) to evoke the hydrology of an aquifer recharge system like the Edward’s Aquifer that characterizes much of Austin’s landscape. Its jets and waterfall, which are set to be installed after Thanksgiving, offer kids and adults alike a fun way to escape the Texas heat.

Ribbon Wall

Excavation of the footings for the Ribbon Wall is in progress and footings will be poured next week. The Ribbon Wall, as we like to refer to it, is a limestone wall that wraps around the entirety of the Kingsbury Commons construction, The wall rises to seat height and falls to be flush with the ground offering a place to sit and making all the new elements of the park more cohesive.

The Ribbon Wall also offers the Conservancy a unique opportunity to recognize and honor our generous supporters. For $1,000 or $84/month, you or your loved one can be honored with an etching in the Ribbon Wall and become a part of Pease Park’s history and its future. Learn More Here