In the heart of East Austin’s historic Saltillo district, a new landmark has emerged that bridges the gap between the city’s industrial past and its high-design future. Completed in late 2025, the “Centro West” development represents a monumental partnership between global architecture firm Gensler and the legendary manufacturer Acme Brick. Moving away from the generic glass-and-steel aesthetic of modern office parks, Centro West is a tactile, 330,000-square-foot mixed-use campus that functions as a living catalog of masonry craftsmanship. As we move into 2026, the project has been hailed as a masterclass in “material storytelling,” proving that the humble brick remains the most versatile tool in a designer’s arsenal.
A Warehouse Reimagined: The Vision for Centro West
Located within the Saltillo Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) district, Centro West consists of two five-story buildings that draw heavy inspiration from the East Austin warehouse vernacular. Gensler’s design team sought to “stitch together” the urban fabric by creating a structure that feels as though it has always belonged to the neighborhood. The scale and materiality of the nearby industrial ruins are echoed in the project’s rugged forms, but with a refined, contemporary edge.
The development is more than just a corporate headquarters; it is a mixed-use ecosystem. Alongside Acme Brick’s Austin offices, the campus includes 17,000 square feet of public parkland, elevated walkways, and a large rain garden. By incorporating public-facing retail and cultural programming on the ground floor, Gensler has transformed a private office building into a communal gathering point that anchors the Saltillo district’s social life.
The Palette of 227 Shades: Material Innovation
The defining characteristic of Centro West is its sophisticated use of color and texture. Acme Brick supplied over 230,000 bricks for the project, utilizing seven distinct shades to create contrasting facades for the two primary buildings. This “tonal choreography” prevents the massive development from feeling monolithic, instead offering a visually rich experience that shifts in appearance as the Texas sun moves across the sky.
Beyond the color, the masonry work is a testament to technical precision. Some bricks were inserted lengthways into the structure to create a diagonal, tactile pattern that adds depth and distinct shadow lines. This “projecting brick banding” is a hallmark of Acme’s recent Texas-based projects, where the goal is to prove that brick can achieve a sense of movement and lightness usually reserved for glass.
The “Live Lab”: Interior Design and Sustainability
The interiors of Centro West function as a “living lab” for the future of work. Following years of research into employee experience, Gensler designed the office spaces to be entirely people-centric. The layout is characterized by open office plans, three outdoor terraces, and a central skylight that sends natural light dancing across the exposed brick walls. By leaving materials like steel, concrete, and brick exposed, the design achieves a “Regional Minimalist” aesthetic that is uniquely Austin.
Sustainability was at the core of the construction process. The building is designed to be highly energy-efficient, utilizing the thermal mass of the bricks to naturally regulate temperature. The integrated rain garden and fountain at the northern end of the campus help mitigate stormwater flow, while the use of locally manufactured, durable materials ensures that Centro West will stand for a century, requiring minimal maintenance.
A Public Interface: The Through-Block Alley Park
One of the most innovative features of the development is the through-block alley park that connects the buildings’ lobbies. This space functions as a pedestrian-friendly artery, providing a venue for public art installations and ground-floor retail. It is a radical departure from the traditional “lobby-as-barrier” model, instead inviting the community to walk through the heart of the corporate campus.
In early 2026, this alley has become a cultural hotspot, hosting rotating artisans and digital displays on a 25-foot screen. It serves as a bridge between the private world of the office and the public world of the street, reflecting Austin’s welcoming and eclectic culture. The alley is not just a passage; it is a destination where the “wabi-sabi beauty” of the hybrid timber and masonry construction provides a serene background for the city’s social life.
The Legacy of Centro West in 2026
As we look back on the architecture of 2025, the Gensler and Acme Brick partnership stands out as a turning point for Austin’s skyline. By choosing “tactility over transparency,” the team has created a building that honors the history of the Seam while pointing toward a sustainable, tech-integrated future. Centro West is proof that even as Austin evolves into a global innovation hub, it can stay grounded in the red-clay dust of its heritage.
Ultimately, the project is a celebration of the “Make Believe”—the idea that a corporate campus can be a public park, and a brick wall can be a work of art. In the hyper-digital landscape of 2026, Centro West reminds us that the most meaningful encounters are often the ones where we can reach out and touch the very walls that hold us.
