march 2011
OFF THE DRAWING BOARD The projects highlighted in this issue of Off the Drawing Board include a large master planned community located west of Houston, and an outlet center near Galveston. If there’s a project you’re working hard on that you’d like to feature, let us know! elizabeth.sims@tbg-inc.com
ALIANA Richmond, Texas area 2,000 acres tbg team Tom Afflerbach, Brent Spraggins, Katie Robillard, Kerry Niester, Brian Baughman, Guthrie Alexander, Travis Crow, Andy Hutton, Susan Cita services provided Planning and Landscape Architecture estimated completion 2023
Aliana is a 2,000-acre master-planned community located west of Houston in Richmond, Texas. TBG’s scope includes master planning, visioning, landscape theming and design implementation. TBG is currently designing and completing construction documents for the grand re-opening in February 2012. Projects include the Grand Parkway entry, the model home park, neighborhood parks, major parkway landscaping, roadway planting renovations and signage. TBG challenges and lessons The first phase development was previously master planned and designed by SWA. Travis Stone, formerly of Newland, was hired to develop the remainder of the project for the owner and hired TBG to come on board. Re-branding the community and redesigning the master plan while trying to incorporate some of the existing design elements and infrastructure has been the biggest challenge so far. tidbits While developing the branding and theming for the development, the design team has drawn from the Gaelic meaning of Aliana, which is “light bearer” and “illuminated.” Hardscape elements and landscape features draw inspiration from this meaning, inspired by Scottish landscape and from Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was an architect and designer in Scotland during the Arts and Crafts movement and the main proponent of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom.
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GALVESTON PREMIUM OUTLETS Texas City, Texas area 47 acres tbg team Jason Radcliff, Kelli Trou, Elliott Doerle, Travis Crow, Jessica Vonderou, Blaine Weinheimer services provided Entitlements (PUD amendment, permitting) and Landscape Architecture (hardscape and planting design) estimated completion 3Q 2012 architect CREATE Architects and Planners (NYC)
Galveston Premium Outlets is a 350,000-square-foot retail development in Texas City, located on Galveston Bay. Project elements include custom tensile fabric shade structures, a large pond-like water feature at the food court overlook, enhanced flatwork finishes and, potentially, showcased cisterns at select entry plazas. This development will be the first of its kind that does not include the characteristic promenade roofs. Instead, the design relies heavily on trees and alternative shading devices throughout to cover part of over 100,000 square feet of open pedestrian spaces. The architectural style has been described as Southern Coastal Plantation and requires a careful balance between elegant, formal patterns and sweeping, playful geometries. A fairly subtle color palette is scheduled for both the architectural and hardscape finishes to help accentuate the bright and lively colors of the near-tropical planting plan. new products used This project incorporates a custom blend of surface-seeded concrete materials including recycled glass, shell and other aggregates to support the beach-like edge along the water feature. challenges and lessons The owner, a division of Simon Property Group, recently experienced major changes in its corporate structure and responsibilities. Former developers are now in charge of directing aesthetic considerations, instead of in-house architectural reviewers and experienced civil coordinators. The local municipality is offering tax incentives to help fund sustainable initiatives, which may result in options such as rooftop PV panels and an expansive rainwater collection system to help offset the high costs of potable water for irrigation use. tidbits The 100% DD package for this project was just completed and issued for pricing. The team was asked to begin looking at a similar project in Tampa, Florida. TBG also produced the planting and irrigation design for Round Rock Premium Outlets, which opened in 2005. This project is in a race to prevent Tanger Outlets from building a similar project in League City. The design schedule has been compressed by a month in order to “be the first shovel in the ground.” TBG’s team is going to win.
2011 TEXAS ASLA AWARDS Park Seventeen Merit Award: Design/Constructed/Commercial Category TBG Team: Jim Manskey, Bryan Padgham, Seth Atwell, Kent Mendenhall Williamson County Sustainable Roadsides Merit Award: Planning & Analysis Category TBG Team: Sean Compton, Jacob Walker, Kim Doerle, Charlotte Tonsor, Ronnie Stafford, Guthrie Alexander, Mindy Cooper Congratulations to both project teams!