Vision Plan | UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum

Planning for the Future

The UMLAUF Historic Preservation, Expansion, and Unification (HPEU) Plan is a vision to improve access to and expand the use of UMLAUF’s sculpture garden, museum, and grounds, while preserving and incorporating an adjacent site that includes the historic home of Angeline and artist Charles Umlauf, their private sculpture garden, and Charles Umlauf's studio.

Our Vision

As of May 2024, and after nearly a year of research, community engagement, and site analysis, we have a vision plan in hand. The HPEU Plan includes a preservation approach for the historic Umlauf home and studio, improvements to current facilities, new buildings to unify the site, and environmental strategies.

View the Full HPEU Plan

Our Vision

This plan was funded by the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum, the Austin Parks Foundation, H-E-B, City of Austin Economic Development Department, and Nelie Plourde, and was made possible by a generous in-kind donation from Page architecture firm.

HPEU Plan Summary

The HPEU Plan contains a lot of pages and a lot of detail. We’ve put together FAQ's and an overview of the main sections of the plan, below. In addition to this summary, the table of contents on page seven of the plan contains links directly to each topic covered.

Why does this plan exist?

The UMLAUF, in alignment with its mission, seeks to unite the 1985 Umlauf family historic homestead, a gift to the City of Austin from Charles and Angeline Umlauf, with the 1991 sculpture garden and a southern natural zone, creating a fully accessible 8-acre community space. Currently, only half of this property is accessible to the public. The HPEU Plan serves as a comprehensive guide envisioning a future sculpture garden and museum that provides diverse and equitable experiences for all of Austin, while preserving Charles Umlauf’s legacy, and uniting the community with art and nature.

Find more on this topic on pp. 9-14 of the HPEU Plan.

Who created the plan?

The UMLAUF hired Page architectural firm to create the HPEU Plan. Page had a team of consultants that included Asakura Robinson landscape architects, ArchiTexas historic preservation architects, Martinez Engineering for civil and structural, and Contour Collective for an ADA Assessment. In addition to this core team of experts, the UMLAUF engaged with Survey Works for a topographical and tree survey, the City of Austin Urban Forestry and Austin Beautiful Trees for tree assessments, and Horizon Environmental Services for an environmental resources inventory. The final plan was the result of an effort from all these organizations in addition to the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Watershed Protection Department, Transportation and Public Works Department, City of Austin Heritage Tourism, and more than 800 community members who participated in the community engagement process.

Find more on this topic on pp. 3-4 of the HPEU Plan.

Who paid for the plan?

The HPEU Plan was in large part paid for by the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum. The UMLAUF also received funding from the Austin Parks Foundation, H-E-B, City of Austin Economic Development Department, and Nelie Plourde, and is continuing to seek additional funding to cover the expenses associated with the plan. Page architectural firm provided a generous in-kind donation in order to make this plan possible for the UMLAUF.

How was the community involved?

The UMLAUF and Page conducted an extensive community engagement process that was used to inform the priorities for the HPEU Plan. The tools used included 4 public events; 5 focus group work sessions with subject matter experts on the topics of environment, art and education, and the surrounding neighborhoods; an online survey with 634 complete responses; tabling and collecting feedback at community events across the city; and 4 Technical Advisory Group meetings with experts across departments from the City of Austin. More than 800 community members were involved in the community engagement process.

Find more on this topic on pp. 31-59 of the HPEU Plan.

What research informed the plan?

Page and their team of consultants completed a thorough site analysis, including location analysis, watershed verification, flood zones, waterway setbacks, an Environmental Resources Inventory, drainage study, zoning, impervious cover, overlays, circulation, site access, edge study, slope analysis, topographical and tree survey, accessibility assessment, analysis of viewpoints, and overall site constraints. All topics were vetted through a Technical Advisory Group consisting of representatives from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Watershed Protection Department, Transportation and Public Works, and City of Austin Heritage Tourism.

Find more on this topic on pg. 61-91 of the HPEU Plan.

What about parking?

When asked how the public usually gets to the UMLAUF in the survey, 82.8% responded with “personal car.” When asked how the public would prefer to get to the UMLUAF, 67.27% responded with “personal car.” However, when asked to rank parking spaces on a list of priorities for the future, “more parking spaces” ranked low overall (sixth of eight options).

With this in mind, the HPEU Plan proposes circulation options that include an expanded parking lot with approximately 36 parking spaces (currently 22 spaces), while retaining separate entry and exit points. The plan also proposes moving the crosswalk to its own entry point so that pedestrian traffic is not entering and exiting at the same place as vehicular traffic. The UMLAUF is also considering the following strategies:

Leveraging existing public parking with wayfinding. The UMLAUF has quantified the number of public parking spaces within a 10-minute walk in this map.
Considering potential private garage partnerships and possible shuttles for busy weekends and events.
Encouraging and providing more materials on alternate means of transportation, including public transit, ride share, etc.

Find visuals of the proposed expanded parking on pp. 96, 98, and 159 of the HPEU Plan.

What is the proposed site concept?

When The HPEU Plan envisions four zones:

The natural zone, not currently open to the public, would include a new exploration boardwalk that will allow the public to walk through the natural environment, offering insights into the site’s ecology and providing scenic vantage points. This area would be free for the public to enjoy.
The welcome zone would include improvements to the parking lot, relocating the crosswalk, access to the natural zone, food truck and vendor areas, and a new building referred to as “the gateway.” The gateway would move the admissions desk and gift shop out of the current museum gallery, and would also include classroom and workshop rooms for programmatic and educational purposes.
The garden + museum zone would include the current facilities and will retain its exploratory essence with subtle enhancements, prioritizing site accessibility and improvements to landscaping. A new building referred to as “the treehouse” will sit near the back (northeast) of the garden and serve as a connection to the historic homestead located up the hill.
The historic homestead zone includes recommendations for preserving the historic Umlauf home and studio in alignment with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. Modest landscaping improvements will allow guests to enjoy the Umlaufs’ private sculpture garden. Adjustments to the driveway would allow for fire access and limited parking.

Find more on this topic on pp. 93-104 of the HPEU Plan.

What changes are proposed in the landscape?

Three main zones will be represented in the landscape: historic homestead, garden + museum, and natural zone.

The historic homestead will complement the surrounding neighborhood with lawn space and border planting to define spaces for gatherings and events, buffer planting to screen views from surrounding properties, and direct lines of sight to Angie’s garden and downtown.
The garden + museum zone will maintain existing natural aesthetic and utilize a signature plant pallet to diversify species, enhance visual interest, and manage water on site.
The natural zone will increase plant diversity to provide food sources for wildlife, capture and reduce water runoff, and provide educational opportunities.

Find more on this topic on pp. 122-136 of the HPEU Plan.

What sustainability strategies are being implemented?

While the City mandates a certain baseline of sustainability, the UMLAUF aims to surpass these requirements by adopting a holistic approach to site improvement. This commitment encompasses every stage of the process, from planning and financing to designing, constructing, managing, renovating, operating, maintaining, and decommissioning buildings.

At the forefront of the site’s objectives is the enhancement of landscape and stormwater management to bolster resilience during both droughts and floods.

The Plan divides sustainability efforts into 6 categories:

Health: Safeguard occupant health and well-being
Energy: Reach net zero annual energy
Carbon: Reduce embodied carbon by 50%
Ecology: Enhance ecology and biodiversity
Water: Minimize water feature and irrigation water consumption
Resilience: Preserve the site through flood and rain

Find more on this topic on pp. 149-191 of the HPEU Plan.

What are the design guidelines for the project?

Design guidelines are a set of principles or standards that offer direction and recommendations for creating and developing spaces or structures. The HPEU Plan’s design guidelines aim to establish a framework that connects the site’s historical and natural elements with the wider community, expanding the existing offerings.

Harmonize: Attunement of form to natural and historic resources; careful placement of elements to blend in
Synergize: Leverage environmental opportunities for high performance design and landscape
Materiality: Use of natural materials
Topography: Working with contour to enhance access, views, and discovery
Views: Locate important program spaces to optimize view sheds
Transparency: Glazed volumes provide views out and also dissolve the building into the trees and sky
Interpretive: Architectural opportunity to frame educational experience
Biophilia: Holistic, healthful building, environmentally beneficial to occupants and ecosystems

Find more on this topic on pp. 137-148 of the HPEU Plan.

Community Engagement Overview

The UMLAUF, in partnership with Page architecture firm, completed a community engagement process to gather feedback from the public and integrate the community’s needs into the plan. The community engagement strategies included:

• A public survey with 634 complete responses
• Tabling at community events across the city
• Five small group work sessions with representatives from arts and education groups, environmental groups, and neighborhood groups
• Four public events
• Four meetings with a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) consisting of subject matter experts on the various technical aspects of the plan.

A more in-depth look at the community engagement process and outcomes can be found in the HPEU Plan.

8/24/23 Public Session #1

Project introduction
and engagement activity to define community priorities

9/25/23 Public Session #2

Community survey results
and initial design ideas

10/23/23 Public Session #3

Summary of findings from
engagement activities,
and review of guiding principles and design progress

5/29/24 Public Session #4

Summary of the final plan

The UMLAUF presented the HPEU Plan to the below Boards & Commissions, receiving support from the plan from each commission. The HPEU Plan was formally adopted by Austin City Council in October 2024.

07/15/24 Arts Commission
08/07/24 Historic Landmark Commission
08/21/24 Environmental Commission
08/26/24 Design Commission
09/23/24 Parks Board

Community Engagement Overview

A Note from the Umlauf Family

Below is an excerpt from Angeline and Charles Umlauf’s original letter of intent for their gift to the City of the Umlauf home, studio, and private sculpture garden. Click on the image to read the full letter.