35 years of TBG: community
Throughout the last 35 years, TBG has developed land use plans for a variety of communities that range from small to large-scale. It’s important that people develop a connection to some sort of community — for a sense of belonging and social connection, among many other benefits. TBG’s community work is driven by the desire to create meaningful spaces that are functional and sustainable and bring people together. Below are six examples of our community projects.
The Groves — Humble, Texas
A community in Northeast Houston, The Groves is a result of principles established at early stages of inception, like “create life in the woods” and “encourage diversity of environment and experience” among others. Within the community is Mini Groves, a smaller neighborhood scale park. “We’ve taken all of the things that are iconic to the Groves and shrunken them down for the tiniest of residents to enjoy,” says Project Manager Jessica Jacobs. Another park project, The Nest, is accessed by climbing up the hill it sits atop or cargo net. The design team was inspired by Seven Magic Mountains in Las Vegas and placed stacked boulders at the park.
Artavia — Conroe, Texas
One of the client’s leading goals for Artavia was to incorporate art into nature and nature into art, hence the name, according to team member Carson Chapman. The design team was especially challenged with the site to create new and interesting ideas and often presented multiple concepts over weeks and months for the same feature. They worked and worked until they were able to perfectly execute the client’s vision, like with Artavia’s central gathering area, Dapple Park. The dozens of trips to Houston from Austin and back, with stops in Carmine for kolaches, were all part of the process.
Harvest — Argyle, Texas
A combination of the pastoral lifestyle and modernity, Harvest is a celebration of community and abundance. Its 5-acre centrally located farm sources produce for the community’s weekly farmer’s market, and garden plots allow residents to exercise their green thumbs. Pocket parks are central to each neighborhood, located adjacent to the central greenway where roads terminate. Harvest was one of 13 landscape projects selected for the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s 2017 Case Study Investigation (CSI) program, which documents the benefits of exemplary landscape projects.
Easton Park — Austin, Texas
TBG joined the project team for Easton Park several months into their collaboration and immediately initiated a multi-day charrette to unite everyone and work towards a shared vision. This vision placed emphasis on open space and stewardship, and plans came to include 13.1 miles of trails and 350 acres of parks within the community’s 1,500 acres. Sustainability is embedded within the community, with ecological restoration and sustainable stormwater approaches, as well as the integration of reclaimed materials and art in the landscape.
Union Park — Little Elm, Texas
Influenced by the first planned community, The Village of Riverside, Illinois, the pastoral meandering influenced plans of the grand central park which serves both the community and city. The name of the project reflects the design idea: Union — the act of joining together people or things to form a whole, and Park — a large public green area used for recreation. These are the fundamental ideas behind the community, inspired by natural landform as a foundation around a centralized park that encourages connection between the residents. Project Manager Yixiao Liu says, “The vision and dedication to emphasis on creating significant public open space on prime land to give back to community and city is what I like most about this project.”
Pecan Square — Northlake, Texas
A name inspired by the 200+ preserved pecan trees, the Pecan Square community is where past meets present for today’s family needs. Following a multi-day workshop, the site’s plan includes more than 3,000 homes, including 609 lots in the first phase. Furthermore, the community vision is rooted in Hillwood’s Live Smart framework, which encompasses connection, well-being, enrichment, stewardship and convenience. Other planned elements include a walkable town square and open space trail and park system to utilize the ridgeline as ventage view corridors.
This blog is part of series highlighting 35 impactful projects to commemorate our 35th year of practicing. Click here to read about TBG’s history and experience with Education & Parks, Hospitality, Workplace & Campus.
Click here to visit our community portfolio and here to read about residential concept The 15-Minute City, discussed by Mark Meyer and other professionals.