Project At a Glance

• Sector: Luxury Multifamily Housing
• Location: Fort Worth, Texas
• Total Square Footage: 386,124 square feet
• Total Units: 390 units
• Completion: March 2021
• Developer: Lang Partners
• Architect: GFF

After successfully completing The Monarch, Lang Partners selected our team led by Senior Project Manager Corey Pruitt to build phase II, The Cooper, in the Near Southside neighborhood in Fort Worth’s thriving medical district. The contemporary upscale apartments are connected via an intricately-designed sky bridge over Washington Avenue and encompass two separate city blocks between West Rosedale and West Oleander streets.

The Project Manager’s Perspective

As Senior Project Manager, Corey knows all too well that completing a project of the Cooper’s magnitude will always have its challenges. No matter how well-planned, each project comes with its own unique set of obstacles and critical elements to overcome. 

“The Cooper is surrounded by public access streets and sidewalks as well as overhead power lines, which limited our use of skytracks and similar construction equipment,” Corey explained. “This required us to coordinate more carefully and strategically plan out each phase of construction to ensure public safety and maximize our working space.” 

In addition, scaffolding was required to enable exterior trades to complete their work. This process had to be intricately managed so that once the work was finished, the scaffolding could be disassembled and re-erected at the next elevation. 

“While this was an ongoing process that required daily time management and coordination, the KWA team utilized all exterior trades to ensure we were keeping to our client’s schedule,” Corey added.

Another challenge the team overcame was creating efficient drainage for a ‘must-have’ feature on many renters’ lists: private balconies. Collaborating strategically with the design team, Corey’s crew incorporated the use of boot clips to allow water to drain properly. Seeing the effectiveness of this innovation, GFF has indicated they will begin to utilize this detail on future projects.

From Corey’s perspective, the most exciting aspect of the project wasn’t the features or amenities, but the project itself. “This was my first five-story project and I learned a great deal about the structural differences compared to a four-story building. For example, the original planned exterior brick masonry coursing did not allow for the structural relief angle required by code above 30 feet. With the help of GFF, our team was able to redesign the coursing layout using corbel brick to facilitate the relief angle needed while maintaining structural integrity,” said Corey.

The Cooper is a perfect example of KWA’s commitment to finding opportunities for our team members to grow and create innovative ways to make each project unique. From unique challenges and solutions, Corey and our team were able to deliver a beautiful and captivating completion that residents will appreciate for years to come.

About The Cooper

The five-story community designed by GFF offers a mix of apartments and townhomes packed with hotel-inspired amenities. Within each unit, residents can find expansive glass windows, wood plank-style flooring, lofty 10-12-foot ceilings, large patios or balconies, designer lighting and spacious storage pantries and closets. Additional features include a keyless entry system, direct-to-door dry cleaning services and chef-inspired kitchens to complete the vacation feel.

With unique amenities inside and out, the property features a first-of-its-kind hospitality bar, Craftwork at The Cooper, which is open to both residents and the general public. Derived from Fort Worth’s Craftwork Coffee Co., this on-site amenity provides local specialty coffee, craft beer, select wines, light grab-and-go food and poolside beverage service to The Cooper residents. Other community amenities include a coworking lounge, Fetch Package delivery and Tide lockers, a media center, fitness and yoga studio as well as a resort-style zero-edge pool with a lounging shelf, sundeck and personal towel service. Outdoor barbeque areas with grills and fire pits, a leash-free pet park, and a “paw spa” wash area offer additional outdoor luxury for guests and their furry friends.