For Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority in partnership with Connect Community, Non-Profit

Southwest Civic Core Redevelopment Plan

2023 The Architect’s Newspaper ‘Best of Design’ Award Recipient

Gulfton/Sharpstown is the epicenter of immigrant culture and density that falls between Chicago and NYC. Since the 1980’s many newcomers have brought more than 50 languages from over 40 countries to the informality of the 90 apartment complexes. The apartments scaled for oil boom singles in the 1970’s became home for families and multi-generational families following the 80’s oil bust. This fabric shocked with densification struggles to support spatial equity with a struggling natural environment of largely asphalt.

The Civic Core project site is a circumstantial center where public and non-profit partners provide health and social services to the community, located within the most diverse and dense part of Houston. Each entity’s struggle for space hinders messaging of services within a fabric that struggles with spatial inequities, greenspace deficit, and a stressed natural environment. This project seeks to transform a 'hard core' parking lot into a thermally optimal 'park core' for Southwest Houston where existing organizations can thrive to support the community for a stronger, equitable, and resilient future. Following outreach efforts, the design of the outdoor spaces and architecture come together to create a campus for providing health, wellness, and education for individuals, families, and seniors. The quarter-mile track shapes space for a performance stage, a civic garage, building pavilions with community and health programs, and an informational kiosk / café for a community where over 50 languages are spoken. 

The goal is to build on recent planning efforts and put community members at the center of decision-making processes for building a stronger and resilient future for a focused study area within Gulfton/Sharpstown - looking at housing, economic vitality, and health and wellness for the residents.