Mixed-Use Urban Infill

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