More than 10 years ago, Highland Mall languished as a “cavernous 700,000-square-foot shell” near I-35 and U.S. Highway 290 East, as architecture firm Perkins&Will puts it. Things have taken a turn in 2026 as the same property celebrates a major architecture award.
Built in 1971, Austin’s first enclosed mall closed in 2015 to make way for the main campus of Austin Community College, along with apartments, stores, restaurants, and offices.
A highlight of the mall’s transformation into an 81-acre, 1.3 million-square-foot mixed-use development was the second phase of the ACC campus, which just captured a prestigious award from the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
The second-phase project is one of nine recipients of the 2026 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence. A 15-member panel of judges chose the nine honorees based on factors such as design, planning, technology, amenities, economic impact, innovation, and sustainability.
For the second phase of ACC Highland, Perkins&Will and BGK Architects designed a nearly $153 million conversion of the middle of the former mall into business incubators, a health sciences and STEM center, a multimedia art gallery, and a culinary arts center, among other spaces. This hub serves ACC students pursuing careers in areas like culinary arts, nursing, health sciences, filmmaking, architecture, engineering, music production, and sound design.
Photo courtesy of Austin Community College
To overcome the former mall’s “barriers to connectivity,” the design included a public walkway to tie the campus to the surrounding community, ULI says. The walkway features art installations.
ULI says winning projects like the second phase of ACC Highland “represent the highest standards of achievement in the development industry — standards that ULI members deem worthy of attainment in their professional endeavors.”
The institute notes that ACC’s winning 420,000-square-foot project incorporated salvaged building components, including structural steel.
Photo courtesy of Austin Community College
Aziz Hussaini, ACC’s associate vice chancellor of campus planning, construction and sustainability, said receiving the ULI award is “a testament to the shared vision and dedication of everyone involved” in the project.
“Austin Community College set out to create more than a campus expansion. We sought to establish a vibrant, inclusive destination that advances education, workforce development, and community connection,” Hussaini added. “This recognition underscores the transformative impact that thoughtful design and strong partnerships can have in creating places that serve both current and future generations.”
