Our master plan for a new neighborhood in Houston proposed 400 new residential units while focusing on health and sustainability. The low-rise, high-density plan is a contextual and upgraded extension of the existing neighborhood, keeping a scale appropriate to nearby houses in the adjoining blocks.
The concept of the design was to introduce a new central street to tie together three courtyards representing different parts of an ideal neighborhood: retail, education, and community. A series of shops on the western side of the site form a retail hub with an enclosed court and town center. The campus of an existing daycare center acts as the education courtyard. The last courtyard is for communal use, with a large swimming and wading pool, a basketball court, playground, and a greenhouse with garden beds where children and neighborhood residents can grow their own vegetables for healthy meals. Three additional courts with parks and children's playgrounds create smaller precincts within the district.
The new residences comprise three different housing types, all with porches and courtyards, based on precedents characteristic of Houston. With a unique sensibility, the new community is still closely tied to its surrounding neighborhood.