Located in the southwest quadrant of the Bridgeland master-planned community, which will house 70,000 residents upon completion, Prairieland Village comprises a variety of land uses adjacent to natural spaces that connect to the Cypress Creek boundary to the north and John Paul’s Landing to the south. At the heart of Prairieland’s design is the relationship between water and nature, best expressed through the project’s commitment to Low Impact Design. Strategies include a network of water capture and cleansing features, including streetside bioswales, detention lakes, and aquatic wetland shelves. Additionally, to promote pollinators within the community, Bridgeland selected native Texan butterflies as the mascot of Prairieland and incorporated them into their educational materials and signage. The related landscape treatment promotes a diversity of native host and nectar plants while minimizing the use of maintained turf.
A key feature of Bridgeland’s low-impact design is the 22-acre Chrysalis Lake, featuring a boardwalk, overlooks, and educational graphics to accompany activities including kayaking and canoeing. An iconic pavilion provides a gathering place for residents to enjoy sunsets and starry nights. Eight bioswale flumes in the neighborhood collect and clean approximately 29 million gallons of rainwater annually, removing up to 90% of pollutants before releasing into the lake, enhancing water quality and mitigating flood risk in Northwest Houston.
Phase one features 6.25 acres of bioswales, 5.3 acres of pollinator plants, a one-mile-long ‘green’ street, 7.5 acres of forestation, 7.3 acres of bottomland meadow, 2.25 miles of aquatic edge, and 1.3 acres of habitat islands.
Woodbury
SWA provided planning services related to entitlement and land use for 1,400 acres of land in the City of Irvine, representing the last “flat land” development within the Irvine Ranch. Fundamental to the planning of Woodbury was the concept of a village “commons” with a mix of retail, residential, and office uses, which also includes a recreation c...
Kunming Eco-Communities
The concept for the Kunming Eco-Town is based on an understanding of the historical natural processes of the location. The masterplan restores balance in the landscape through sensitive development. In using a watershed planning approach to determine the most sensitive lands and subsequently, where development is appropriate, the issues of a healthy, functioni...
Esencia
Esencia, a planned community in Rancho Mission Viejo, California, emphasizes health and well-being. This premium real estate development, which is integrated into a 17,000-acre open space preserve characterized by oak canyons, creeks and orchards, envisions wellness holistically. It offers residents extraordinary views, comprehensive access to nature, and a ra...
Santaluz
This planned community 30 minutes north of San Diego is a testament to the collaboration of a visionary client, talented land planner, and creative designers and marketers. Set gracefully on its rolling site and preserving over half its acreage as open space, Santaluz is both a model of environmental planning and a financial success, out-performing all its loc...