Austin Community College (Formerly known as “Highland Mall”)
Name of Building
Austin Community College (Formerly known as “Highland Mall”)
Town or City, Country where the building was originally established
Austin, Texas
Date the building was designed and/or first built
years the of the mall: 1971-2009.
Years of college campus: 2014-present
Years of college campus: 2014-present
Name of Architect, Builder, or Primary Patron Responsible
Fonder of the mall - Austin Malls Inc., a subsidiary of the Rouse Company.
Founder of the campus: Architect Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects (BGKA).
Builder(s) Of the mall: Los Angeles' Katzman & Associates designed the complex.
Founder of the campus: Architect Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects (BGKA).
Builder(s) Of the mall: Los Angeles' Katzman & Associates designed the complex.
Culturally Specific Time Period
mid-century modern / early modernist commercial architecture.
Geo-Location
30.326120452711425, -97.71370518465483
Materials
Steel framing, reinforced concrete floors/slabs, masonry or concrete block or stucco/clad exterior walls. (I did not find a reliable source confirming exactly that for Highland Mall.)
Size and/or Scale of Building
750,000-square-foot enclosed mall on an 81-acre site.
Architectural Type
Public
Formal Style
Mid-Century Modern Commercial
Building Description
The exterior maintains portions of the mall’s original structural footprint, but it has been reimagined with expanded glazing, clean metal panels, and updated entryways that signal openness rather than retail enclosure. Landscaped walkways, native plantings, and broad pedestrian plazas soften what was formerly a sea of parking, transforming the site into an inviting educational district with a contemporary civic presence.
Inside, the transformation is even more pronounced: large former retail halls have been opened into expansive learning commons filled with natural light, collaborative seating, and flexible study zones. The interior design celebrates industrial elements exposed ceilings, structural beams, and polished concrete floors—while layering in bright color accents, glass-walled classrooms, and advanced technical labs that support a wide range of programs. The central corridors that once guided shoppers now act as academic spines, connecting maker spaces, simulation areas, faculty hubs, and student services in a fluid, campus-like environment.
Inside, the transformation is even more pronounced: large former retail halls have been opened into expansive learning commons filled with natural light, collaborative seating, and flexible study zones. The interior design celebrates industrial elements exposed ceilings, structural beams, and polished concrete floors—while layering in bright color accents, glass-walled classrooms, and advanced technical labs that support a wide range of programs. The central corridors that once guided shoppers now act as academic spines, connecting maker spaces, simulation areas, faculty hubs, and student services in a fluid, campus-like environment.
Names(s) and location(s) of the museum holding the object(s)
Originally it was a Suburban shopping mall. Now revised as a College campus (Austin Community College), plus mixed-use (residential, retail, community)
Image source
Source 14
https://sites.austincc.edu/highland/wp-content/uploads/sites/228/2022/04/RS2297_20170531-HLC-Campus-Photos-ca-004-lpr-web-1-1140x436.jpg
Source 15
https://www.austincc.edu/wp-content/uploads/RS25712-HLC-campus-page-banner-2-1.jpg
Source 16
https://magazine.texasarchitects.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/09/HighlandCampus_upper_level.jpg
Source 17
https://magazine.texasarchitects.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/HighlandCampus_cafe.jpg
Source
https://highlandatx.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2009-Highland-mall.jpg
Source
https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/be0e09d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1365+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkut%2Ffiles%2F201504%2F16692518593_c35a729280_k.jpg
Source
https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-LK329_SHRINK_GR_20151123142958.jpg
https://sites.austincc.edu/highland/wp-content/uploads/sites/228/2022/04/RS2297_20170531-HLC-Campus-Photos-ca-004-lpr-web-1-1140x436.jpg
Source 15
https://www.austincc.edu/wp-content/uploads/RS25712-HLC-campus-page-banner-2-1.jpg
Source 16
https://magazine.texasarchitects.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/09/HighlandCampus_upper_level.jpg
Source 17
https://magazine.texasarchitects.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/HighlandCampus_cafe.jpg
Source
https://highlandatx.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2009-Highland-mall.jpg
Source
https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/be0e09d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1365+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkut%2Ffiles%2F201504%2F16692518593_c35a729280_k.jpg
Source
https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-LK329_SHRINK_GR_20151123142958.jpg
Creative Commons or other copyright information
Image 1-8: Creative Commons
Student First and Last Name
Justin Forster
Bibliographic references for the item
Source
- Highland Campus, Building 1000 | The Future of ACC Highland | Austin Community College District (no date). https://sites.austincc.edu/highland/phase-1-master-plan/.
Source
- Texas Society of Architects (2025) Design Awards 2018: Highland Campus - Texas Architect Magazine. https://magazine.texasarchitects.org/2018/09/05/design-awards-2018-highland-campus/.
Source
- Highland ATX (2022) A rich history - Highland ATX. https://highlandatx.com/a-rich-history/.
Source
- MALL HALL OF FAME (no date). https://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2009/06/highland-mall-airport-boulevard-and.html?
- Highland Campus, Building 1000 | The Future of ACC Highland | Austin Community College District (no date). https://sites.austincc.edu/highland/phase-1-master-plan/.
Source
- Texas Society of Architects (2025) Design Awards 2018: Highland Campus - Texas Architect Magazine. https://magazine.texasarchitects.org/2018/09/05/design-awards-2018-highland-campus/.
Source
- Highland ATX (2022) A rich history - Highland ATX. https://highlandatx.com/a-rich-history/.
Source
- MALL HALL OF FAME (no date). https://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2009/06/highland-mall-airport-boulevard-and.html?
Citation
Fonder of the mall - Austin Malls Inc., a subsidiary of the Rouse Company.
Founder of the campus: Architect Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects (BGKA).
Builder(s) Of the mall: Los Angeles' Katzman & Associates designed the complex., “Austin Community College (Formerly known as “Highland Mall”),” World Architecture, accessed June 28, 2026, https://worldarchitecture.artinterp2.org/items/show/176.
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