MWM DesignGroup conducted a detailed existing conditions survey of the historic Dougherty Arts Center, a culturally significant facility built in 1947 as a Naval Reserve Center. The assessment balanced the building’s historical value with evaluations of its structural condition, code compliance, and the feasibility of adapting it to meet the City of Austin’s evolving programmatic goals.
The project faced significant challenges: the site sits atop an unremediated former landfill, lies within a 25-year floodplain, and the building was in poor condition with hazardous materials present, including asbestos and lead-based paint. MWM conducted a thorough code analysis considering these constraints, comparing rehabilitation requirements against the project budget and the City’s needs.
The study concluded that the existing budget was insufficient and that, even if rehabilitated, the facility could not fully meet the City’s objectives for the Arts Center. This project highlights MWM’s expertise in evaluating historically significant structures in complex urban environments.