Essay 19.2
ZIEGLER COOPER
MixedUse Urban Infill Exploring architectural influence on successful urban neighborhood developments
Weingarten Realty and The Hanover Company’s Driscoll in Houston, Texas
One Lake’s Edge at Hughes Landing in The Woodlands, Texas
REPAIRING DECADES OF SPRAWLING DEVELOPMENT As cities like Houston continue to attract enormous growth in population, city developers and designers have begun to rethink the old sprawling growth model. Dense and thoughtfully organized urban infill that includes a diverse mix of building types and lively, shared public spaces makes greater economic sense and is more resilient and sustainable. Today, this paradigm shift is resulting in the emergence of new urban neighborhoods that are more human in scale and relevance. Mixed-use urban infill development that knits together places where we 2
live with places where we work,
but rather, by society who has to live
and where we can thrive, is the
with the depressing effect of poor
necessary trend for the future as we
design. Good placemaking design
seek to create beautiful, enduring and
does add to initial development costs;
walkable urban districts were people
but good design also adds long-term
want to be.
value to the public realm by creating
ENDURING DESIGN AND PUBLIC REALM
a dynamic interplay of space with the built environment.
When architects design a building or a group of buildings the most important spaces are often those we
“Inspirational
leave untouched; or, the public realm.
architecture has the
Sadly, cities are full of examples where
power to uplift the
these
spaces
seemingly
received
no design consideration at all. The
human spirit and
long-term cost of poor placemaking
provide a constant
design is not borne by developers
vision of excellence.”
or the architects that designed them,
- Scott Ziegler, AIA
Hine’s Aris Market Square in Houston, Texas 3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SCOTT ZIEGLER, AIA Endeavor’s Red River in Austin, Texas
As Founding Principal of the firm and leader of the Urban Architecture
When designing buildings, there are
considerations
beyond
through human-scale architecture.
initial
We are currently engaged in
cost-benefit analysis and even taste
designing
urban
village
projects
in design or style. Attention should
across the country to fulfill our mission
be given, rather, to whole-life cost
of creating a better world through
and human benefit. In this way,
architectural design.
Studio,
Scott’s
reflects
his
design
belief
that
experience beautiful
architecture enriches people’s lives and expresses the spirit of our time through art, craft and technology. As
what remains after a developer has
With over 42 million square feet of
Residential Practice Area Leader, Scott
completed a well-designed project is
high-rise apartments, condominiums,
plays an active role in shaping the
the added element of lasting value
hotels, lofts, corporate, commercial,
urban landscape through his published
derived within the public realm. Done
and
well, public places become a part of
constructed, we have the experience
writings in professional journals on the
us and endure for generations. They
and expertise to match any challenge.
inspire and connect people.
mixed-use
projects
already
As we work with our clients, they find that we design buildings that are
AUTHENTICITY
subjects of sustainable urban growth strategies and high-density mixed-use developments.
not only beautiful, but also buildings that perform well. Our collaborative
Working to bring the visions of
studio structure allows us to bring
owners and developers to the best
together our expertise with multiple
reality possible, we create authentic
building types as a single team for the
design that taps into the historic and
master planning of mixed-use urban
700 Louisiana, Ste 350
cultural identity of its context, but
development.
Houston, TX 77002
also captures the spirit of its time, providing 4
memorable
experiences
We would enjoy bringing our experience to your team.
Ziegler Cooper Architects
t: 713.374.0000 www.zieglercooper.com