Located in the southwest quadrant of the Bridgeland master-planned community, which will house 70,000 residents upon completion, Prairieland Village comprises a variety of land uses adjacent to natural spaces that connect to the Cypress Creek boundary to the north and John Paul’s Landing to the south. At the heart of Prairieland’s design is the relationship between water and nature, best expressed through the project’s commitment to Low Impact Design. Strategies include a network of water capture and cleansing features, including streetside bioswales, detention lakes, and aquatic wetland shelves. Additionally, to promote pollinators within the community, Bridgeland selected native Texan butterflies as the mascot of Prairieland and incorporated them into their educational materials and signage. The related landscape treatment promotes a diversity of native host and nectar plants while minimizing the use of maintained turf.
A key feature of Bridgeland’s low-impact design is the 22-acre Chrysalis Lake, featuring a boardwalk, overlooks, and educational graphics to accompany activities including kayaking and canoeing. An iconic pavilion provides a gathering place for residents to enjoy sunsets and starry nights. Eight bioswale flumes in the neighborhood collect and clean approximately 29 million gallons of rainwater annually, removing up to 90% of pollutants before releasing into the lake, enhancing water quality and mitigating flood risk in Northwest Houston.
Phase one features 6.25 acres of bioswales, 5.3 acres of pollinator plants, a one-mile-long ‘green’ street, 7.5 acres of forestation, 7.3 acres of bottomland meadow, 2.25 miles of aquatic edge, and 1.3 acres of habitat islands.
3Roots
A transformed mining site in Mira Mesa, 3Roots captures San Diego’s innovative spirit, drive, and natural beauty. SWA’s work began with the master plan, including 1,800 new homes, 160,000 square feet of commercial, retail, and office spaces, a five-acre mobility hub, and over 250 acres of parks and open space. The landscape blends the region’s mining her...
Woodbury
SWA provided planning services related to entitlement and land use for 1,400 acres of land in the City of Irvine, representing the last “flat land” development within the Irvine Ranch. Fundamental to the planning of Woodbury was the concept of a village “commons” with a mix of retail, residential, and office uses, which also includes a recreation c...
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...
Woodson’s Reserve
This new master-planned community challenges conventional thinking by preserving wetland areas and open space while achieving an optimal mix of housing products and amenities. A robust local economy has elevated demand for both commercial space and single-family housing. The master plan for Woodson’s Reserve targets active families and those who enjoy outdoor ...