The Cross Creek Ranch acreage was worn-down pasture land when Trendmaker Homes bought the ranch, located about 30 miles west of Houston. The curves of the land’s natural creek had been straightened, the grass was pounded by cattle and the property was barren, without trees. Sediment filled the creek, which no longer supported wildlife. SWA devised a plan to restore the land, make it consistent with native vegetation and make the community a showplace for sustainability and sound ecology. 3200-acre Cross Creek changes the way housing developments are designed using the environment as key inspiration and sustainable landscape as a central focus. SWA’s planning concepts created a consistent identity for the project with an internal roadway network and the expansion of an existing waterway to help organize and maintain distinct neighborhoods. The water systems provide natural filtration services for the entire ranch, cleaning wastewater for reuse in irrigation. SWA’s full green design included re-forestation, establishment of wildlife habitat, water quality enhancement, an emphasis on native species and low-maintenance planting regimens. SWA created a natural system through planning and landscape architecture that will preserve the natural environment while fostering economic and community growth.
High Island Audubon Canopy Walk
High Island, Texas, a salt dome mound amidst the Gulf Coast flats, has been an active site for oil extraction over the past century. Today, it is primarily known as an international birding destination, with an outstanding variety of migratory birds that visit and nest in the nature sanctuaries managed by the Houston Audubon Society. SWA worked with HAS to dev...
Exploration Green
The Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) identified the increased needs for water detention due to the development increase in this area and bought an unprofitable golf course in 2005. SWA was engaged to design and master-plan the effort’s detention pond. The plan’s goals included flood mitigation and water quality improvements, along with the establi...
Magee Ranch
The project site is a beautiful 540-acre hillside ranch in suburban Contra Costa County, California. It was slated for development by the City of Danville as a clustered planned community. The development concept was to preserve the essential beauty of the ranch and to allow some 300 homes to be built with the least possible impact. The City’s Planning C...
Next C
Next C Water City is a new, fully self-contained sustainable city planned for 500,000 residents. Water was central to the Next C planning concept, supplied by two adjacent rivers and monsoon rains. The city is a system of wetlands, rivers, lakes, and canals, cleansing the water from up-river communities and managing floods during the monsoon season. Working wi...