Award honors a resident-driven redevelopment that turned 158 aging apartments into 398 modern, sustainable homes without displacing East Austin families.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2026
AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Austin Housing Authority announced today that Pathways at Chalmers Courts has received the 2026 ULI Austin Impact Award for Best Project Design.
ULI Austin presented the award Aug. 26 at its Impact Awards Ceremony & Celebration, held at Austin PBS on the Austin Community College Highland campus. The annual awards recognize outstanding projects and people shaping Greater Austin’s built environment. Best Project Design honors design excellence paired with sustainability, resiliency and equitable communities.
“This award is a tremendous honor because it shines a light on both the architecture of Pathways at Chalmers Courts and the impact this community is having in East Austin,” said Michael Gerber, president and CEO of the Austin Housing Authority. “What makes it truly special is that residents were at the center of every decision. It shows what’s possible when affordable housing is created with the same ambition, quality and care as any other community.”
Chalmers Courts opened in 1939 as one of the nation’s first public housing communities. A three-phase redevelopment, completed in October 2024, replaced 158 aging apartments with 398 new, affordable homes. Residents stayed put until new homes rose across the street, then moved once into the finished community.
Residents helped design the community through surveys, workshops and design votes that shaped building orientation, materials, decorative screens and public spaces. The result pairs greater density with shaded courtyards, recreational areas and preserved heritage trees, and turns a former street into a Greenway connecting Chalmers to the surrounding neighborhood.
Rooftop solar offsets a portion of the development’s power needs. Passive solar orientation, natural shading, rain gardens, biofiltration ponds and native landscaping cut energy use and manage stormwater, and durable, low- and no-VOC materials keep homes healthier.
The community also includes a Boys & Girls Club, medical and dental services, classrooms, resident services offices, fitness centers, gathering spaces, a sports court, playgrounds and a splash park, all designed to support residents and strengthen the surrounding East Austin community.
The Austin Housing Authority developed Pathways at Chalmers Courts with Carleton Development, Nelsen Partners, DWG, Connect Structural, Dunaway and PHA Consulting Engineers.
About the Austin Housing Authority
Established in 1937, the Austin Housing Authority works to cultivate sustainable, affordable housing communities and partnerships that inspire self-reliance, growth and optimism. Through housing assistance, affordable housing development and preservation, resident services and community partnerships, the agency helps Austin residents build greater stability and opportunity for themselves and their families. Learn more at austinha.org.
About ULI Austin
ULI Austin is the local district council of the Urban Land Institute, a member-led organization that brings together professionals from across real estate development, land use and city planning to shape the future of the built environment. Founded in 1994, ULI Austin includes more than 1,000 members from the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Learn more at austin.uli.org.
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