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A Note from the Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Buffalo Bayou Partnership was extremely fortunate and honored to have Chris Reed’s Harvard GSD students focus on Buffalo Bayou’s eastern sector in their Fall 2016 studio. Immediately upon their arrival in Houston I knew this was an outstanding group of young people. They were inquisitive, sensitive, caring, and, of course, very bright. Like most designers, especially artists, the students were immediately drawn to the vast post-industrial landscape that encompasses the eastern bayou stretch. As we visited one site after another, their enthusiasm and excitement grew, and I began to see their minds churning as they looked at four massive gravel silos, an abandoned city sewage treatment plant, and an expansive wooden wharf with looming cranes. They could even see possibilities as they toured a noxious steel recycling facility. The students also immediately understood how any bayou enhancement had to respond to not only the industrial legacy of this area but also to the rich cultural life of the nearby Fifth Ward and East End, two economically Previous spread, Fall 2016 Final review.
Anne Olson
depressed neighborhoods. They understood that they needed to look at the bayou beyond a landscape lens and consider it through an economic and social lens, and think about jobs, housing, and basic city services. At Reed’s kind invitation, I traveled to Boston in mid-December to attend the students’ final review. At first I declined—I was busy at work, the holidays were quickly approaching, and it would be cold in Boston. But once I decided to go, I found myself looking forward to seeing what the students produced. The work didn’t disappoint. I walked into the room and was immediately blown away by the beautiful visuals and models. It was clear that the students had put hours upon hours into their projects. As each student team presented their proposals, my excitement grew and I started to think about all the visionary work before me. The work exhibited a thorough understanding of Buffalo Bayou’s ecological and environmental challenges. Several projects addressed Houston’s severe flooding problems. Others addressed climate change. As project after project was explained, I realized how much