Standing 28 stories tall, Norton Rose Fulbright Tower integrates the nearby park’s essence into its design, blending the natural landscape with the office tower.
The design connects indoor and outdoor spaces by extending interior lobby finishes into the public realm and flowing exterior planting into ground-floor retail areas, strengthening the link to Discovery Green Park.
Wide pedestrian zones and tree canopies along the building’s frontage enhance walkability. The streetscape connects to Lamar Street bike lanes, promoting alternative transportation. Ground-level retail spaces, including over 5,000 square feet of outdoor patio space, engage with the public realm and connect to Discovery Green across the street.
Tiered roof terraces showcase unique landscape themes: a “woodland garden” on the 12th floor, a “pollinator garden” on the 20th floor, and an “arid garden” and “pocket prairie” on the 28th floor. These terraces highlight Houston’s diverse ecology and offer city views.
Sustainability is central to the design. A 48,000-gallon rainwater collection tank supports irrigation and non-potable water uses. Native and adaptive plant species minimize water use and maintenance. These practices contribute to achieving LEED Platinum, WELL, and Fitwel certification goals, positioning Norton Rose Fulbright Tower as one of Houston’s most environmentally conscious buildings.
Brackenridge Park
At the confluence of the San Antonio River lies Brackenridge Park, a once postcard-worthy destination with a rich heritage obscured by years of neglect.
Reimagining cultural landscapes requires balancing historic preservation, ecological health, and visitor experience. Rather than opting for piecemeal rehabilitation as originally proposed by the city, S...
San Pedro Street Pedestrianization
SWA created a vision for transforming North San Pedro Street in the heart of Downtown San Jose into a vibrant pedestrian outdoor dining and socializing space, formalizing and enhancing what local restaurants and city leaders had begun during COVID-19. The design replaces the existing curbs and roadbed with plaza paving to create a continuous space for people w...
Resonant Memory: One October Memorial
Inspired by the shared love of country music that brought people from all over the world together for the Route 91 Music Festival, Resonant Memory is based on the shape of an acoustic guitar. The design makes particular use of the instrument’s sound hole as a recurring motif to represent absence, honoring the lives lost on October 1, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada...
Burlingame Town Square
SWA partnered with the City of Burlingame to transform a surface parking lot into “The Grove,” a vibrant 1-acre community gathering space envisioned as downtown Burlingame’s outdoor living room. Blending urban functionality with engaging public amenities, the design features a grid of deciduous trees, a central glass-clad fountain with a cascading waterfall, c...