The Pitch - Food and Beverage Venue

The Pitch is a retail, food, and beverage venue comprised of twenty-three modified 40-foot shipping containers that sits adjacent to the Austin FC practice facility. When you arrive at The Pitch, you’ll see several groupings of containers artfully stacked and combined into two-story structures. Three shipping containers stand upright adding a unique vertical element to the eye-catching design, while simultaneously acting as disguised equipment enclosures. The units house concessions, retail, and community spaces that overlook the well-landscaped courtyard and the nearby pond through wall-sized windows.

The shores of Parmer Pond received the necessary site preparations while the offsite manufacturing team at Falcon Structures modified the shipping containers. Thanks to offsite manufacturing, the pond wasn’t disturbed by significant construction, but instead, workers poured foundations, and landscapers prepared for the container’s arrival. Once the containers entered the scene, development teams finished out the space.

Each cluster of stacked and combined shipping containers creates an interactive design that energizes visitors, encouraging them to explore each corner of the venue. The use of containers created a unique solution that works with the surrounding land versus intruding on the natural space by the pond. Shipping containers take center stage in this technical design, helping to

minimize material waste that would have likely been inevitable with traditional construction for a similar project.

Container-based offsite construction was the more cost-effective choice when compared to the brick-and-mortar alternatives considered for the project. Based on careful research, the team at The Pitch chose to work with shipping containers because the modular units were more flexible and easier to modify with lower upfront costs. Falcon helped minimize cost-related design limitations to create a unique food and beverage environment. Additionally, the quick site setup helped the other project contributors quickly complete their work to shorten the time to revenue.

Not only was offsite construction the least expensive option, but it was also a creative design choice that matches the uniqueness of Austin. The Texas city prides itself on its distinctive culture with slogans like, “Keep Austin Weird,” so it was an easy choice to use an uncommon, container-based offsite building method. The eye-catching shipping containers give the project an intriguing look that also aligned with the project budget, making offsite construction a perfect fit.

The time it took to get the containers on site and set up was drastically shorter than traditional stick-built construction. The team at The Pitch loved the speed of offsite construction because it allowed for a shorter project timeline but also because it began to excite the community as they watched the setup take place and the facility come to life.

Now that the building is finished The Pitch draws food and fun-loving Austinites together to celebrate. While at The Pitch, the community can feel proud, not only of their soccer team, but for their vibrant city and shared comradery.