Designing for Affordability: Four Austin Communities Shaping FK Architecture's Texas Housing Work
As Austin continues to grow, expanding access to affordable housing requires more than increasing the number of units available. Projects must respond to development constraints, resident needs, construction realities, and the long-term costs of operating and maintaining a community.
Bailey at Berkman
For FK Architecture, those considerations are interconnected. Nationwide, the firm has designed more than 5,000 affordable housing units, with a growing portfolio across Texas that reflects its broader experience in multifamily, affordable, and mixed-use residential design.
That experience will help shape the conversation at the upcoming BUILT National Multifamily Housing Summit, where FK Architecture Managing Principal Ken Linehan, AIA, will lead the roundtable discussion, Affordable Housing: Aligning Development, Design and Long-Term Performance. Ken will be joined by Ariana Brendle, Vice President of Acquisitions at National CORE, and Jen Canchola of Juno to discuss how development and design decisions can support both immediate project needs and long-term performance.
Four FK-designed affordable housing communities in Austin show how those considerations are already taking shape.
Bailey at Stassney
Expanding Housing Options Through Partnership
Developed with National CORE, The Bailey at Berkman and Bailey at Stassney will bring a combined 208 affordable apartments to Austin. Each 104-unit community will serve households across a range of income levels, with permanent supportive housing included at both properties.
While the communities respond to different sites and resident needs, both incorporate spaces and services intended to support residents beyond their individual homes. The projects also demonstrate the collaboration required to move affordable housing from concept to reality. That relationship will continue at BUILT, where National CORE's Ariana Brendle will join Ken and Jen for an affordable housing roundtable to discuss the latest trends.
Red Oaks Apartments
Red Oaks Apartments, developed by Housing Trust Group, adds 70 affordable residences in Northwest Austin, with studios through three-bedroom apartments serving a range of household sizes. Energy-efficient features and resident-focused amenities show how design decisions can support everyday living and a community's long-term performance.
EKOS City Heights, developed by McDowell Housing Partners, brings another dimension to FK's Austin portfolio. The 179-unit community serves residents age 55 and older and includes a mix of affordable and permanent supportive housing. Shared spaces and amenities are designed to support independence while providing opportunities for connection and community.
Looking Beyond the Cost to Build
Together, the four projects illustrate why there is no single model for affordable housing. They serve different resident populations and respond to different sites, development requirements, and community needs. What connects them is the need to consider affordability beyond the initial cost of construction.
EKOS City Heights
Energy use, insurance, maintenance, material durability, resiliency, and replacement costs all influence how a property performs over time. FK's affordable housing work considers those factors alongside site planning, building configuration, resident amenities, and sustainable design strategies. The firm's experience also includes working with public, private, and nonprofit partners to navigate the zoning, incentives, and funding considerations that influence affordable housing development.
As industry leaders gather in Austin for the BUILT National Multifamily Housing Summit this September, the relationship between development, design, and long-term performance will remain central to the affordable housing conversation. Bailey at Berkman, Bailey at Stassney, Red Oaks, and EKOS City Heights provide four examples of how FK and its development partners are responding to that challenge across Austin.