Houston Botanic Garden

Situated along Sims Bayou at the former Glenbrook Park Golf Course, the master plan for the Houston Botanic Garden integrated existing natural features into the design while incorporating elements to address potential flooding concerns. We were involved in the initial site review and contributed to creating and implementing the vision, which included a visitor center, an iconic vehicular and pedestrian bridge spanning the bayou, hike and bike trails, an open lawn for community events, and an education area. The implementation of this master plan will unfold in phases.

In Phase I of the project, our team oversaw the development of essential facilities and infrastructure to support both early and future operations. Additionally, we designed the initial collection gardens, planned vehicular and pedestrian entry and exit points to Park Place Blvd, Interstate Highway 45, and residential streets, explored options for reshaping Sims Bayou, determined building siting, and laid out roadway and parking lot configurations. 

We 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.