Amazon AUS20 Tapping the city’s culture and energy
- Client Amazon
- Location Austin, TX
- Size 330,000 sf
- Completion 2025
- Program Open offices, events center, café, coffee bar, exterior terrace
- Delivery Negotiated GMP, Design-Build
- Photographer Jason O'Rear
Nestled within an office tower in Austin’s Domain district, Amazon AUS20 distills the city’s creative energy, outdoor lifestyle, and vibrant food scene into a dynamic workplace. Spanning nine floors, it seamlessly integrates work and social experiences with a café, event space, marketplace, and coffee bar—embodying the eclectic spirit and authenticity that draw so many to live and work in Austin.
A creative pulse, woven into place
The workplace flows from vibrant social hubs at its core (City Limits and Outskirts) through inviting transitional zones (Porches) into focused, light-filled workspaces along the perimeter (Horizon), creating an energetic yet seamless experience.
At the heart of the workplace, City Limits brings people together with a café, event space, and kitchenette, channeling Austin’s live music scene, nightlife, and indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Bold colors, rich textures, and a mix of traditional and nostalgic elements celebrate the city’s creative spirit.
Porches create distinct, personalized entries to each workspace neighborhood, framing the transition from social to focused work areas.
Positioned along the perimeter, Horizon provides layered, light-filled workspaces that serve as a respite from the high-energy core. With panoramic views of downtown Austin and the vast Texas landscape, these areas encourage deep focus, immersion, and belonging.
Horticulture: creating a workplace oasis
A robust horticulture program—larger than a typical tech fit-out—introduces a lush, oasis-like atmosphere, reinforcing Amazon’s commitment to wellness and biophilic design. The interior palette balances vibrancy with a visually cooling effect, ensuring a seamless transition from the blazing Texas sun to a calm, inviting environment.
A playful visual identity
Inspired by Austin’s bold street art and distinctive signage, WRNS Studio crafted the environmental graphics in-house, seamlessly integrating interiors and visual identity. This hands-on approach adds a personal, playful layer to the design, reinforcing the project’s deep connection to Austin’s creative spirit.
A mural by local artist DAAS wraps the café, infusing the space with Austin’s artistic pulse. Outskirts, the breakout conference area, extends this creative motif, embracing the city’s offbeat authenticity with unexpected, engaging spaces that spark collaboration.
Sustainability as a core principle
Amazon AUS20 is among the first projects shaped by Amazon’s new Workplace Sustainability Guidelines, aimed at significantly minimizing embodied carbon. In alignment with the Guidelines’ highest standards, materials were carefully chosen to minimize environmental impact,
including low-GWP insulation, FSC-certified wood, third-party verified EPD products, and Red List Free materials. Key sustainability strategies include:
• Resilient, low-impact materials across flooring, ceiling, and finishes
• Reclaimed light fixtures repurposed from attic stock
• Biophilic elements enhancing indoor air quality and connection to nature
Navigating change, designing for the future
As the project neared completion, Amazon pivoted to a fully in-office, assigned seating model, requiring rapid design adaptations. Our workplace strategy evolved in real time, integrating more desks while maintaining openness and flow. Early structural adjustments—from core-shell coordination for a future monumental stair to strategic infrastructure planning—ensured seamless execution.
Not just an office, an Austin experience
Amazon AUS20 is more than just a workplace—it’s an experience. Thoughtfully layered, culturally attuned, and sustainably designed, the project strengthens Amazon’s presence in Austin while offering flexible, people-centered work environments.
