In an era of one-click purchases and next-day deliveries, urban residents yearn for the once-prevalent ambiance of a lively urban environment. Heights Mercantile offers Houston an antidote. Revitalizing two acres in the heart of Houston’s historic Heights neighborhood, this low-rise, mixed-use development preserves the area’s charm while providing a vibrant “third place” to browse, socialize, and unwind.
Boutique stores, chef-driven eateries, and communal green spaces artfully blend along a series of patios, decks, and sycamore-lined walkways. Connected directly to the Heights Hike and Bike Trail, preserved bungalows with modern accents hold 16 first-to-market specialty brands and four destination restaurants – creating a dynamic retail landscape. Shade trees and low-irrigation vegetation weave together the adaptive reuse project, creating a gathering place perfect for weekend farmer’s markets or mid-week happy hours.
Balancing preservation, accessibility, and environmental integration, Heights Mercantile raises the bar for urban living. Its 100% occupancy demonstrates the demand for thoughtful mixed-use spaces that serve as community gathering places. As Houston continues to densify, projects like Heights Mercantile serve as vital centers of activity, drawing people together and fostering a strong sense of place within the urban landscape.
Monet Avenue 2.0 at Victoria Gardens
A decade after completing Victoria Gardens, the owner looked to refresh the project to maintain its relevancy. SWA redesigned a three-block streetscape and plaza along Monet Avenue. The focus is on the next generation of users, with a shopping environment that highlights the social landscape and blurs the lines between retail and recreation. The design scope i...
La Plaza Cultura Village
Located within El Pueblo, the birthplace of Los Angeles, La Plaza Cultura Village is a mixed-use, transit-oriented development totaling 425,000 square feet of retail, apartments (20 percent of which are low income units), cultural facilities, and public open space. Two large, surface parking lots have been transformed into a vibrant community that builds upon ...
Embankment Square
The Embankment Square is located along the east bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The project consists of landscape areas in three office parcels and one waterfront park parcel. The view of the site is remarkable, looking toward the landmark skyscrapers of Lujiazui Financial Center, Nanpu Bridge, the Bund, and the Minsheng CBD.
The design concept c...
Chase Center Entertainment District
Chase Center, the new Golden State Warriors’ arena, anchors and enlivens San Francisco’s emerging Sports and Entertainment District. Integrated along a transit corridor within a formerly industrial part of the city, this new 24/7 facility offers a venue for events of many scales as well as a central public open space that doubles as the neighborhood’s outdoor ...