Houston Botanic Garden

OWNER

Houston Botanic Garden

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Construction Cost: Phase I - $40 million

Completion Date: Phase I - 2020

Project Size: 120 acres



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Houston Botanic Garden

Houston
Texas

Walter P Moore was involved in the initial site review and is part of the team that created and is implementing the master plan for the Houston Botanic Garden. Located along Sims Bayou at the former Glenbrook Park Golf Course, the master plan incorporates existing natural features into the design and includes elements to mitigate potential flooding. When fully complete, the Garden will feature a visitor center, an iconic vehicular and pedestrian bridge crossing the bayou, hike and bike trails, an open lawn for community events, and an education area. Implementation of the master plan will be completed through a phased approach.

Phase I of the project included:

  • Facilities and infrastructure needed to support early and future operations
  • Initial collection gardens
  • Vehicular and pedestrian entry and exit to Park Place Blvd, IH 45, and residential streets
  • Reshaping options for Sims Bayou
  • Building siting
  • Roadway and parking lot layout

Walter P Moore also provided bridge design, floodplain mitigation, a wetland area that allows for water level control to stimulate vegetative growth, and a children’s lagoon in the south garden. Safety for young users of the children’s lagoon is a primary design focus. Most of the specimen trees on the former golf course were preserved for the garden development with improvements that minimize impact to the trees. Parking lots with decomposed granite provide a more natural look for the garden and also help improve stormwater quality through gravel filtration. As part of the site review, five pedestrian bridges were evaluated for structural integrity and improvements were recommended to extend the existing bridge life span.