Civic / Community / Culture

Interiors

Consulting Civic / Community / Culture

Architecture Engineering

Think What’s Possible

Page is a powerfully imaginative and collaborative architecture and engineering firm: one that’s ready for today and designed for what comes next. We pair form with function, reason with emotion, and ideas with expert implementation. At Page, the potential of what’s possible is paired with the practicality of how to make it happen. Our purpose is designing places smarter, while improving the experiences of those who work, live, and learn in them. From thought to finish, Page experts—of all disciplines—see the big picture, figure the best way forward, and deliver solutions in inventive and amazing ways. Imagine that.

is paired with the practicality of how to make it happen. Our purpose is designing places smarter, while improving the experiences of those who work, live, and learn in them. From thought to finish, Page experts—of all disciplines— see the big picture, figure the best way forward, and deliver solutions in inventive and amazing ways. Imagine that.

Visit our website at pagethink.com

Visit our website at pagethink.com

Visionary Thinking Empowering Communities

Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center / Arlington, Virginia

Civic / Community / Culture Leadership

Wendy Heger aia, acha Principal Market Sector Leader wheger@pagethink.com

Tiffany Yewens Market Sector Manager tyewens@pagethink.com

Bob Burke faia Principal / Board Liaison rburke@pagethink.com

Carla Fraser faia, LEED aP Branding & Graphics cfraser@pagethink.com

Ryan Losch aia, facha, Planning & Urban Design Key Practice Sector Advisor rlosch@pagethink.com

The Architecture of Buffalo Bayou Park / Houston,Texas

Civic / Community / Culture Visionary Thinking Empowering Communities

Since its inception at the end of the 19th century, Page has recognized the importance of unifying people and cultures around well-designed places and spaces. Providing people with a tangible representation of their community or leadership is a psychological facilitator for unity and growth.

Page’s history of Civic / Community / Culture sector projects began in the early 1900s while designing courthouses across the state of Texas. Our multi-sector and multi-disciplinary structure facilitate superior delivery of a broad range of projects.Our success develops repeat clients, for whom we provide a variety of services for a variety of project types.

Page delivers exceptional design for buildings, master plans, brand identities, and experiential graphics that are attuned to our clients’ unique requirements.

We begin by listening and approach every project with a focus to bring out the best in our clients and communities. Our partnerships with municipalities, non-profit organizations, community foundations, and cultural institutions has resulted in award-winning projects that have influenced communities while furthering the mission of our clients.

Travis County District Attorney’s Office / Austin, Texas

We start with your vision. We design for the future.

Design is the crux of what we do. Throughout the generations, Page has promised, and delivered, design that makes lives better. We believe buildings are important for what they do and for the positive impact they make on individual lives.

That’s why we have a solution-driven project focus that results in life-enhancing buildings and places. Our multidisciplinary services allow complete integration from conceptualization to engineering to interiors and more, resulting in an improved client experience and final product.

We recognize that good talent can be applied to complex projects regardless of industry. And good talent becomes great when it gains experience in a variety of situations. We create crossover teams so that individuals can work on different projects and share their own expertise and insights with other team members. Our collective commitment to visionary design is reflected in our portfolio of successful projects.

Our work spans the globe, from U.S. diplomatic campuses to mission critical facilities in the Middle East to five-star resorts in Africa and beyond. Since Page has multiple offices in the US and affiliates abroad, we have the capability to staff projects onsite as well as set up “follow the sun” workflows to increase efficiency.

While Page is distinguished by our portfolio of successes, we also are distinguished by our full spectrum of architectural and engineering design services. This allows us to provide an integrated “total design” single team approach. Our clients benefit from the highest levels of interdisciplinary coordination, quality control and quick response demanded on today’s cutting-edge projects.

Page Serves The Following Core Markets:

This we believe. As agents for positive change, we are driven by the ideals we hold dear. In the delivery of our services, we are guided by three core values:

Creativity

Think curiosity / innovation / imagination / optimism / originality.

Collaboration

Think sharing / community / camaraderie / civility / teamwork.

Commitment

Think integrity / respect / giving / discipline / rigor.

ARCHITECTURE

Page is known for their well-researched program-driven solutions aided by integrated multidisciplinary expertise and a strategic mindset. We bring global thinking and experience to bear on projects that build communities. Our portfolio reflects a commitment to visionary design, a record of innovation and fresh ideas and most importantly, demonstrated success with complex projects.

We develop a uniquely created design for every project that reflects the building type, client, need and location. We take pride in knowing that a Page project is one of the best possible solutions to the needs of its multiple stakeholders from owner to operator to neighbor.

ENGINEERING

Our in-house engineering experts lead development of the latest industry design codes and standards. Page engineers contribute to progress in safety, wellness, sustainability, energy and carbon neutrality, and increase our impact by working across disciplines. We use a combination of custom tools and Building Information Technology solutions to visualize and communicate how occupants and operations interface with complex integrated building and process systems. Adoption of advances in renewable energy, microgrids, Internet of Things and high-performance systems demonstrate our commitment to socially responsible design. Our multidisciplinary mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and process engineering practice areas work collaboratively with design and construction partners to bring your concepts to reality.

INTERIORS

Page believes that well-designed interiors can be a critical force. They help clients accomplish their mission, and improve the quality of people’s lives. Just like our interiors in our own offices, our clients’ interiors serve as positive, consistent visual reinforcements of their own cultural identity.

By combining the skills of our interior designers with those of our architects, planners, engineers, and visualization specialists, we offer our clients a range and quality of single point responsibility found in few other places. Our interiors services range from programming, space-planning and officing studies to the selection of furnishings, finishes and artwork.

PLANNING / URBAN DESIGN

We help our clients evolve, grow, and prosper because our process is informed by research, cutting-edge technology tools, and an appreciation for the unique culture of the people, organizations, and places we serve. Our interdisciplinary team of master planners, urban designers, architects, landscape architects, and programmers are dedicated to supporting the ongoing evolution of our urban areas, encouraging appropriate development and redevelopment suited to the particular conditions of each site we aim to transform. Through urban districts, institutional campuses, innovation districts, long range development plans, master plans, streetscapes and transit-oriented communities, our teams integrate the building blocks of community, sustainability, and resilience into innovative solutions.

LAB PLANNING / DESIGN

Page specializes in challenging projects for demanding clients throughout the globe. Laboratory facilities are among the most intricate and complex projects.

The unique challenges posed by highly toxic petrochemical corrosion labs, sterile environments for pharmaceutical manufacturing, biohazard high-containment suites, precise environmental control of animal laboratories are commonplace obstacles overcome by our dedicated technical team of architects and engineers every day. Page has specialists equipped with a thorough understanding of the safety standards and scientific equipment requirements foundational to the success of all laboratories.

BRANDING & GRAPHICS

Our visual identity and experiential designers create brand identities and graphic designs that support how places and environments are experienced. The orchestration of 2-dimensional design work including typography, color, imagery, form, technology and, especially, content, forms this basis. Examples of this work include wayfinding systems, architectural graphics, signage, exhibit design, retail design, and themed or branded spaces. We operate at the intersection of communications and the built environment. We provide architectural and placemaking visioning, and create overall design vocabularies that help clients hone in on the possibilities, character and nature of a project.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION / MODERNIZATION

Page’s historic preservation and modernization service begins by asking the question: “What can be done to help this building perform at its highest level?”.

Our integrated modernization approach unlocks the potential of existing buildings. Furthermore, historic preservation and modernization adapts spaces to support changes in the industry in buildings such as Courthouses, Historic Buildings, Hospitals, Government Buildings, and National Park Facilities, making them more efficient and sustainable, all while respecting the building’s history.

STRATEGIES / ANALYTICS

To support clients before and beyond traditional professional services we have a dedicated strategies and analytics team that develop and employ a broad array of tools, techniques, and processes to help our clients make informed project decisions. Our in-house team brings expertise, energy and passion to clarifying client challenges and opportunities sometimes before the nature of or need for a facility or real estate project is confirmed.

Our team members collaborate with Page and consultant specialists, designers, engineers, and clients to clarify goals, assemble information, and evaluate alternatives. Their understanding of business dynamics and organizational complexities allows them to efficiently and effectively facilitate productive discussions and target research. Custom data exploration and visualization differentiates our deliverables, not just to explain and summarize findings, but often also serving as interactive decision-making tools that help bring clients and their stakeholders into the evaluation process. We specialize in capturing and analyzing clients’ existing performance data to identify areas in which operational and spatial efficiency can be improved to save time, resources, space, and money while optimizing performance.

BUILDING SCIENCES

Page approaches sustainable design through the interdisciplinary lens of building sciences to create higher performing, healthier, more resilient buildings. As one of the first signatories of AIA 2030 Commitment, we are invested in leading the industry towards carbonneutral buildings and advocating for resilient solutions to help our clients prepare for the future.

We believe that intention requires rigor and through our data driven and integrative process, we collaborate early and often to ensure designs are informed by our building performance analysis. With experience across a wide range of environmental certification systems, our multidisciplinary team is well qualified to provide a holistic and comprehensive approach to sustainable design.

COMMISSIONING

Page recognizes the level of investment and importance of facilities that function as designed from the day they open. Our Commissioning service provides this assurance to owners and operators as well as minimizing costly construction rework. This is accomplished through a collaborative process that includes the building owner, design professionals and the general contractor under the guiding hand of the Commissioning Authority.

Our Commissioning staff has developed a solid track record for Page as a Certified Commissioning Firm (CCF). The exacting standards of our teams of professional engineers, architects and field technicians in service of our clients support delivery of construction quality.

We perform Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing in accordance with NEBB standards. Page is an independent testing firm with absolutely no affiliation with manufacturers, factory representatives, vendors/ providers, contractors or installers of HVAC-related equipment and systems.

Think what’s possible

Donor Recognition

Significant Municipal Buildings and Campuses

Aquatics Centers

Area / District Plans

Environmental / Experiential Graphic Design

Property / Evidence Facilities

Modernization / Repositioning

Park Architecture

Regional Transformation

Project Details

Project Size

92,513 Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / Sustainability

Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center Washington, DC

Page, as part of a larger design-build team with Coakley & Williams Construction, was selected as the design winner for the Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center design competition. In association with MJMA, Page provided architecture and sustainability services for the design of Arlington’s first free-standing aquatics center. The center will be a showplace for environmentally sound redevelopment of what was formerly a brownfield site near the Potomac. The 10.5 acres that the center will contain the center will also feature public gathering areas, casual use space, rain gardens, parking and associated infrastructure.

Arlington County provided the design-build team with very specific program requirements for the facility, including a 50M competition pool with spectator seating, Leisure Pool, Fitness, Locker Rooms, and Community Rooms. From this program, the team went through the process of coordinating closely with the Owners to arrive at a final design solution. Being a design-build project, the design team had the benefit of going through multiple design phases while the Contractor monitored costs, resulting in a project that was designed to fit within Arlington’s specified budget.

Project Details

Project Size

70,000 Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / Interiors / Experiential Graphic Design / Code Compliance

City of Houston ALIEF Neighborhood Center Houston, Texas

The Alief neighborhood is the most diverse community in the City of Houston, with over 45,000 people across a broad spectrum of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Officially opened on January 14th, 2023, this new neighborhood center raises the bar for facilities of its kind, not just in Houston, but anywhere in the Unites States. It is a new model for how a variety of community functions can come together in a single facility—a resilient one stop shop offering valuable services and amenities for an entire community from birth through old age. The new 70,000-square-foot Center and renovated park are home to afterschool and summer enrichment programs, youth recreation leagues, and activities for seniors. The public library provides access to books and technology. The Center houses a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic and expands Houston Health Department’s Diabetes and Wellness Network.

The program for the new community center sought to combine functions from three city departments into one, all-inclusive facility: Houston Parks and Recreation, the Houston Public Library, and the Houston Health Department.

Project Details

Project Size

115,000 Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / Interior Design / Project Management / Code Analysis / Space Planning / Construction Documents

Ashburn Recreation Center

Loudoun County, Virginia

The Ashburn Recreation Center is conceptually inspired by its role as the neighborhood’s largest public space and park. As a fitness amenity and a social hub, the center will provide a place for the neighborhood to gather and to engage with each other. The 4 main program elements, an aquatic hall, a gymnasium, a fitness center and a community childcare are organized around a lobby which extends out into an exterior courtyard. This central space is the heart of the building and will be designed as a comfortable space, welcoming visitors and encouraging them to stay. All the activities of the center can be viewed from here.

Project Details

Project Size

City Hall and Library: 54,683 Square Feet

Public Safety Building: 14,420 Square Feet

Parks Maintenance Building: 3,000 Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / Interiors / Planning / Programming / MEP Engineering

City of Buda Municipal Complex Buda, Texas

The new City of Buda Municipal Complex is located on Main Street east of downtown. There are two new buildings on the site, a City Hall and Library Building as well as a Public Safety Building. Situated adjacent to Stagecoach Park, the nine-acre site has a heritage of longhorn ranching, giant oak trees and wildflowers. The buildings are sited to preserve several heritage oak trees and provide a natural landscape responsive to the occasional movement of stormwater through the site. The designs convey a sense of transparency, encouraging residents to observe, participate and engage in the processes that shape their evolving city. The main building is the new home of the Library and City administrative offices, City Council Chambers and the Economic Development Corporation. The citizenfocused City Hall and Library Building create a central hub for Buda civic life and lay the foundation for continued community growth. Within the building, a consolidated customer service area reduces redundancy and confusion, streamlines civic processes, and provides flexibility for future growth. Page is working in collaboration with Dewberry on this project.

The Public Safety Building provides a new home for the Buda Police Department and provides easy access at a prominent main entry and a gated enclosure for secure officer parking. The secure yet welcoming reception area provides for public interactions with the Department and a community meeting room public meetings and interdepartmental training. For quick responses to community needs, the Public Safety Building parking has two egress routes leading to Main Street. Additionally, a Parks Maintenance Building serves city staff with Parks office space, storage and a shared break room for Public Works and the Parks Maintenance crew. It is equipped for rooftop solar photovoltaics. Page is working in collaboration with Lopez Salas Architects on these two projects.

Project Details

Project Size

Original 220,000 Square Feet

Rebuild 3,000 Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / MEP Engineering / Interiors / Furniture Planning / Programming / Commissioning

Harris County Jury Assembly Plaza and Rebuild Houston, Texas

A glass pavilion sitting on top of a downtown Houston green space serves as the entrance to an underground jury assembly space for Harris County, Texas. The Jury Plaza is the centerpiece for the consolidated Harris County Courts complex. Located in the center of a nine-square-block campus, the facility is the initial point of contact for jurors serving multiple courthouse / judicial facilities. Four underground assembly rooms were designed and constructed, each accommodating 250 people. The rooms are connected to civil, criminal, juvenile and family courts via secure pedestrian tunnels.

While portions of the Jury Assembly building basement and adjoining tunnels received water during Hurricane Harvey, the building exterior remained intact with no damage to the roof, curtain wall or other structural damage. Since the hurricane, Page successfully completed a refresh of the basement assembly rooms, offices and corridors with more resilient materials. The updated finishes and furnishings reflect the evolution of the use of the facility, including a coffee bar / food kiosk, flex seating with internet connectivity, updated tunnel finishes and directional signage. The architectural team worked with the Harris County judges and County Clerk to expand the street-level glass pavilion with a larger conditioned lobby, security processing zone and queuing area for an improved juror experience.

Project Details

Project Size

1,000,000+ Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / MEP/FP Engineering / Civil Engineering / Structural Engineering / Planning / Landscape Architecture / Programming / IT/Low Voltage

Texas Facilities Commission 2016 Texas Capitol Complex Master A/E Phase I Buildings

Austin, Texas

Page was engaged to develop the 2016 Master Plan for the Texas Capitol Complex, perform the 2018 Upgrade to the Master Plan, and serve as Master Architect/Engineer for Phase I projects.

The project is a comprehensive master plan for the 40-block area around the downtown Texas Capitol Complex, outlining a strategic vision as well as long-term goals for the most prominent site in the state’s real estate portfolio. Three guiding design concepts emerged from this analysis: (1) a vision for a new Cultural Gateway and Texas Mall approaching the Capitol grounds from the north; (2) an attitude toward east/west streets that proposes well defined urban connectors with both strong pedestrian and vehicular roles for 11th Street, 15th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; and (3) the establishment of a Historic Precinct around a cluster of notable structures and significant landscape features that would serve as a garden district within an otherwise compact urban environment. Each state-owned site in the district was assessed in terms of its development potential, and a strategy was outlined to relocate 1,200,000 square feet of state offices from lease spaces around Austin to the Capitol Complex. Six new office structures are proposed in three near-term phases.

As part of design services, Page developed a comprehensive Owner’s Project Requirements document (OPR), that establishes the quality expectations and technical standards for the development of the buildings proposed. The OPR also sets goals for energy efficiency and life-cycle cost analysis, serving our state for many years to come.

Project Details

Project Size

17,389 Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / Engineering / Interiors / Consulting / Commissioning / Program Verification / Sustainability

City of Houston Robinson-Westchase Library

Houston, Texas

Page transformed a 17,389 -square-foot, one-story neighborhood library built in 1991. The scope of work included demolition of over 90 percent of the existing building and adjacent sidewalks. The project reconstructed the interior slab, walls, and building systems. Approximately 70 percent of the exterior walls were replaced to allow for enhanced daylighting and views to the adjacent hike-and-bike trail.

The library was completely reconfigured to provide a generous children’s space, a new teen space, adult reading room and living room, meeting space, conference room, and staff work area. The entry hall is designed to accommodate an automated sorter, displays, books on hold, food kiosk, seating, and information desk.

A double-height axial entry hall with clerestory windows was added to organize the floor plan, bring in natural light, and signal the entrance from the street. A canopy and metal accent panels were added to highlight the exterior entrance.

The LEED-certified project utilized high-performance glazing, including fritted glass on the southwest corner to admit natural light while limiting glare. Low-emitting materials, access to transit, and recycled rubber flooring contribute to the building’s sustainability.

The reimagined library opened to an enthusiastic community and continues to be among the system’s most-used locations.

Project Details

Project Size

42,309 Square Feet

Services Provided

Architecture / Engineering / Planning / Programming / Community Engagement / Graphic Design

BakerRipley East Aldine Economic Opportunity Center

Houston, Texas

Page was selected by the non-profit community development organization BakerRipley, formerly Neighborhood Centers, Inc., to design a new seven-acre mixed-use economic opportunity center campus to improve lives in the lower-income East Aldine area. The project is a component of a larger 61-acre town center development in an unincorporated area within the City of Houston. The Texas Legislature created the 14.8 square-mile East Aldine Management District in June 2001 to enhance the area’s physical, social and economic well-being.

BakerRipley prioritized comprehensive community engagement in the development of this project. Page worked closely with the client to develop the engagement strategy, establish event agendas, facilitate engagement and document stakeholder participation. The programming phase of the project also included two town halls, seven targeted community member participation workshops and intercept interviews. The project team subsequently developed a comprehensive program including preliminary design concepts, material selections and site planning concepts that trace directly to community input.

Three individual buildings totaling 42,309 square feet are situated around courtyards and gathering spaces with connections between each to create the feel of a campus. The North building includes the Welcome Center, a credit union and flexible retail footage that also can be used as assembly spaces. The two-story West building houses classrooms, multipurpose spaces on the first floor and shell space for a future clinic on the second floor. The East building is a high bay column-free space that includes a maker space, a commercial kitchen incubator, a cafe and a youth lounge.

Project Details

Project Size

11.7-Acre Park with Two Restaurants, Administration Building and Underground Garage

(The Grove 17,180 Square Feet /

The Lakehouse 4,650 Square Feet / Administration Building 3,120 Square Feet Parking Garage 254,010 Square Feet)

Services Provided

Architecture / MEP Engineering / LEED Consulting

Discovery Green Houston, Texas

Discovery Green returns 12 acres of land that were mostly open parking lots to a natural green space in the heart of downtown Houston. The Gold LEED certified park houses a range of architectural elements which includes two restaurants, a park administration building, underground parking for 600 vehicles and numerous site features such as a bandstand and shade structures of various sizes and configurations. It provides a central focus for new development and a core of outdoor activity nearby the city’s convention center, ballpark and arena.

Carefully designed to create a shield from hot south and west sun, porch roofs pitch up to the north to achieve balanced daylight for the outdoor spaces below as well as to induce air movement, drawing warm air up and out. The south-facing roofs of the café and park building porches house photovoltaic collectors that provide a portion of the power needed for the park. Other green initiatives include daylighting for 75% of occupied spaces, low volatile organic compounds (VOC) materials used throughout and a landscape irrigation system that reduces the volume of required potable water by 50%.

Page was a partner on the project team which included Hargreaves Associates, Lauren Griffith Associates and a large team of local engineers and specialists.

Project Details

Project Size

Expansion: 400,000 Square Feet

Original Convention Center: 410,000 Square Feet

Services Provided

Planning / Programming / Architecture / Interiors / MEP Engineering / Civil Engineering / Fire Protection Engineering

Austin Convention Center and Expansion Austin, Texas

Page served as Prime Architect / Engineer and managing entity for the Austin Collaborative Venture design team on the first phase and subsequent expansion of the Austin Convention Center. The initial project scope also included site selection, programming and interior design, as well as the development of a District Master Plan and Urban Design Guidelines for the surrounding 40-block Central Business District area.

Covering four city blocks in Austin’s CBD, the 410,000-squarefoot first phase integrated what is often an intrusive building type harmoniously into the fabric of the city. The arrangement of the building circulation and smaller-scaled programmatic elements serve as a peripheral “ring” surrounding the large exhibition spaces, enlivening the city’s streetscape with a “village” of building elements that could be designed in scale, proportion, color, material and character representative of the city, region and neighboring district. Ten years after the completion of first phase, an expansion doubled the size of the convention center. Reception halls, meeting rooms, pre-function spaces and circulation towers are expressed as individual elements linked together by entries, porches and terraces in order to create an appropriate scale along pedestrian-oriented streets. Larger volumes of the exhibition halls and ballrooms are tucked behind. The concourses that tie all of the functions together culminate in an elegant corner pavilion which is the new “front door” for the whole facility. Its impeccably detailed curtain wall integrates an innovative approach to structure with careful attention to sun control and natural ventilation. The “tour-de-force” of the building is a large glass screen wall on the west face of the pavilion designed in collaboration with sculptor Jamie Carpenter. The glass screen becomes a piece of glass sculpture and provides sun shading and a solar energy farm.

Project Details

Project Size

6-Blocks

Services Provided Master Planning / Programming / Architecture / Interior Design / MEP Engineering

2nd Street District Austin, Texas

The 2nd Street District is centered on Austin City Hall and on a quarter-mile-long portion of 2nd Street that has become a lively pedestrian-oriented retail street. The project revels in relationships between places for work, living and relaxation and in a synergy between public and private realms. The goal was to integrate office, residential, commercial and public spaces into a coherent ensemble where each element reinforced the others. The interests of a diverse constituency including the City of Austin, multiple real estate developers, corporate occupants and a wide range of retailers had to be synthesized into a coherent, productive solution.

The master plan placed City Hall in a prominent spot on the axis of Drake Bridge and created a half-block plaza on its south side oriented to Lady Bird Lake. The two office blocks flanking City Hall were kept to a six-story height to provide a compatible frame for the more central, but smaller scaled public functions. The three blocks away from the lake accommodate taller buildings and residential functions above ground floor retail. The lively collections of shops, combined with appropriate scale and rich tactile materials, gives Second Street a strong, urban character. The 18-story building on the west end includes an art cinema and recreation deck in addition to residential uses. The residential/hotel building across 2nd Street from City Hall incorporates a large performance venue. With the notable and appropriate exception of City Hall, most of the buildings emphasize the longstanding role of urban structures as ‘fabric’ and draw architectural character prominently from urban design goals. The robust masonry character of the office buildings and City Hall, though completely contemporary, was inspired, in part, by local historic structures.

Project Details

Project Size

2.5 Acre Park

Services Provided

Programming / Design / Construction

Documents / Construction Contract Administration

Martin Rutchik Concert Lawn Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Dallas, Texas

The Martin Rutchik Concert Stage provides an outdoor performance venue or up to 65 musicians in groups such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Wind Symphony. Choral groups such as area church choirs perform as do small ensembles and individuals offering a variety of musical presentations.

A primary goal of the project was to locate the stage and shape the existing topography to create a natural amphitheater without disrupting the present vista from the Camp House to White Rock Lake. Moreover, the stage was crafted using a field of Pennsylvania blue greenstone trimmed with Tennessee Crab Orchard buff flagstone, which extends in bands through the three-tiered retaining wall seating for 265 patrons. Viewed from above, the stage and seating with flagstone banding resemble a stringed musical instrument meticulously sited into the landscape. The backdrop for the stage is a three-layer planting scheme of low Chinese Fringeflower backed by medium Needlepoint Holly which, in turn, is backed with tall Greenback Magnolias. The stage is sized to accommodate a temporary 40’ x 40’ shade canopy with overhead lighting and provides for a temporary guying system for wind loads.

Project Details

Project Size

160 Acre Park

14,692 Square Feet of Buildings

Services Provided Master Planning / Architecture

Buffalo Bayou Park Houston, Texas

Buffalo Bayou Park includes the part of the bayou which meanders east along Memorial Drive between Shepherd and Sabine Street in downtown Houston. Page designed two buildings and two large pavilions in the 2.3-mile, 160-acre park, which was planned and designed by landscape architecture firm, SWA. The design of the park restores the natural landscape which was adversely affected by the channelization of the bayou six decades ago and focuses on “passive” recreation and destination points, such as hike and bike trails, a dog park, event venues and food service.

The structures, from simple shade pavilions to larger amenity buildings, create landmarks and places of focus, while employing consistent architectural elements that visually connect the park from end to end between Lost Lake and Water Works. The design begins with simple concrete piers that create rhythmic, well-proportioned bays and a practical, durable structural and functional framework. Galvanized steel spanning members, cantilevered generously on all sides, form a gracious and shady canopy over the piers. Natural wood soffits and delicate louvered grills add warm color and soft light to contribute comfort and intimacy. Glass and wood infill panels contain conditioned space flexibly as required. The largest structure, the Lost Lake Building, occupies a high ridge above a re-established lake. It creates a long thin volume parallel to the lake in order to capture great vistas, nestle into mature trees, and lay amiably and naturally in its topography. At the Water Works Building the same architectural vocabulary is employed to frame an important plaza that acts as a gateway to the park.