Construction is Underway at The Birdsall Residences, Auberge Collection

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Construction is underway at The Birdsall, Auberge Collection within The RO, Transwestern’s thoughtfully planned, one-of-a-kind urban village coming to the intersection of West Alabama and Buffalo Speedway.

As The RO’s buzzing social heart, The Birdsall, Auberge Resorts Collection will provide unrivaled access to the community’s chef-driven restaurants and hand-selected retailers surrounded by avenues of green, cobblestone pathways, and original heritage oak trees. It will also serve as a place removed – a vibrant urban sanctuary with unparalleled accommodations.

Houston’s first Auberge-branded residences and hotel  will include 44 private homes situated above a 105-room boutique, luxury hotel. Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF), one of the world’s preeminent architecture practices with a portfolio includes Hudson Yards and some of the world’s tallest towers, most prominent hotels, and high-rise residences, is designing the 34-story tower. KPF’s design includes architectural references to River Oaks, incorporating materials such as reclaimed Cedar Bayou brick and estate landscaping influences, paying homage to the namesake of the hotel and residences: Birdsall Parmenas Briscoe (1876 – 1971), whose 50-year architecture career from the 1920s through the ‘50s, helped shape the storied heritage the beloved neighborhood.

Auberge Collection, the award-winning brand and operator of one-of-a-kind luxury hotels, residences, resorts, and private clubs, has collaborated with Transwestern’s development and hospitality teams on the planning, design, and placemaking of The Birdsall and will manage and operate the completed residences and hotel.

“Houston is a particularly meaningful city for Auberge Collection and for me personally,” says Dan Friedkin, Chairman, Auberge Collection. “As we continue Auberge’s strategic expansion into key urban markets, we are thrilled to add a new city property on The Friedkin Group’s home soil and pleased for this opportunity to celebrate what makes Houston such a wonderful destination with every touchpoint of our extraordinary new hotel, residences, and private members’ club.”

Transwestern is pushing to make The RO very different from anything that exists in Houston today, and bring more of a village-within-the-city feel. Hiring Dillon Kyle, one of River Oaks’ most respected architects, to design the entire residential experience is an essential piece of that.

The directive Kyle received was to imagine he’s building a custom home in River Oaks, only that home is now in a 34-story high-rise. In order to do so, Kyle was afforded the chance to truly collaborate with the Transwestern and KPF to shape the tower around the nuances that make a house a home.

 “I don’t think that happens a lot,” Kyle says. “Many times, condominiums are put into a resultant building that someone else designed. What’s important about [this collaboration] is that when we work on a project, modern or traditional, things like center lines, proportions, and light are all essential to the sense of space in a building that feels thought-out. And makes you feel good. These are things that matter — you don’t see them or notice them necessarily, but you feel them. People have an inherent sense of proportion. They just do. They respond to it.”

Kyle’s influence resulted in the terraces being widened and moved (all The Birdsall units now have at least 500 square feet of outdoor terrace space), the center lines and columns being altered, and even the elevator core moved around a bit to provide direct, private access into most homes. Kyle also inspired the covered yet open-air residents-only pool on the 13th floor with ironwork reminiscent of John Staub and Birdsall Briscoe back patios, and as well as the reclaimed Cedar Bayou brick selection featured on the tower’s lower levels. It turns out collaborative tweaks — those details Kyle obsesses over — make a world of difference.

The historic brick enclosing the lower levels relates well to the hotel and private members’ club within, which evoke the understated glamour of 1920s River Oaks. The high-profile New York-based design firm, Roman and Williams (Hotel Emma, Met British Galleries, Maison Estelle, Le Coucou, La Mercerie) bring their distinctive approach emphasizing historical depth and craftsmanship to the otherworldly hotel interiors that evoke the laidback grandeur of River Oaks. 

In the early days before founding their architecture and design firm, Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch created sets for Hollywood, deftly capturing the look and feel of specific locations and eras with unusual antiques, vintage pieces, and a focus on detail and craftsmanship. Movie stars and producers took note, and soon Standefer and Alesch were designing residential interiors for a celebrity clientele including Ben Stiller, Kate Hudson, and Gwyneth Paltrow, among others.

In an exclusive interview, Standefer and Alesch provide insight behind their designs for The Birdsall hotel, which references the sprawling oak groves from the first half of the 20th century when the River Oaks neighborhood was built. 

“We are fortunate to be in a place with our business where we can be very selective about our architecture and design projects. Transwestern Development Company and the teams at The RO and Auberge Collection understood our need to place quality and authenticity above everything else.”  Sandefer and Alesch say. “As a practice, we do not cut corners. Everything we make, from a lamp to a table to a hotel, is built to last. That kind of timeless integrity comes from mining historical techniques, using exceptional materials, and making things by hand. In this hotel, you can feel the hand in every detail. And every aspect is having a conversation with the landscape, the history of the neighborhood, and the future of what this new cultural hub  will become.”

Within the members-only spaces for hotel guests, residents, and club members — which include a cafe, walled garden, and living room — is a grand double-height library with a fireplace that recalls historic European homes of collectors and intellectuals. In the public Auberge restaurant, a hand-painted mural frames the open kitchen echoes the wooded view through the restaurant’s windows. In the guest rooms, doorways are trimmed with oak millwork for the kind of warmth that only wood can provide. Every aspect is having a conversation with the landscape, the history of the neighborhood, and the future of what this new cultural hub will become.

With construction underway, The Birdsall, Auberge Collection will be completed in late 2027. Exclusive sales for The Birdsall Residences are being managed by Compass Development Marketing Group in collaboration with Laura Sweeney of Compass and William Wheless of Wheless Realty. For information, contact The Birdsall Residences at TheBirdsallResidences.com.