MULTIFAMILY

Site Development + Stormwater

Old Spanish Trail

Affordable Housing

HOUSTON, TEXAS

A 1.5-acre civic plaza – built over an active garage – designed to keep movement live day + night

THE SITE.

Gradient Group, LLC was selected to work with Gensler architects on the Tabor affordable housing project. The project sites on 0.23 acres and includes 7 units. Due to the small and tight site layout, Gradient had to get creative with the detention solutions for the project. In order to maximize the building size, underground detention was determined to be the best solution. Two variances also had to be applied for and were approved by the City of Houston. Gradient worked with the City of Houston to get the project approved within a timely manner so the contractor could meet his deadline for construction.

Grade + ADA Continuity

The plaza drops nearly 12 feet from end to end. Grading had to do more than shape the space — it had to keep sidewalks continuous, accessible, and ADA-compliant across the perimeter.

Drainage That Respects What’s Underneath

Stormwater design couldn’t treat this like a typical site. Detention was engineered to perform on top of a garage roof — supported by lightweight soils that drain quickly without adding load.

Traffic + Construction Choreography

The city could not shut down for the project. Traffic flow stayed live on all four sides through design, permitting, and construction — and the underground garage remained open the entire time.

Traffic + Construction Choreography

The city could not shut down for the project. Traffic flow stayed live on all four sides through design, permitting, and construction — and the underground garage remained open the entire time.

Traffic + Construction Choreography

The city could not shut down for the project. Traffic flow stayed live on all four sides through design, permitting, and construction — and the underground garage remained open the entire time.

SITE UNSEEN

DAY ONE
What the site demanded —

A full downtown city block in Houston’s Theater
District
Built directly over a working underground
parking garage
Nearly 12 feet of fall across the plaza footprint
Traffic + pedestrian access had to stay open on
all four sides

UNDER THE SURFACE
What we engineered —

Detention engineered for a garage roof —
storage without structural load
Lightweight specialty soils — fast drainage
without added dead weight
Permeable water barrier installed between the
garage + new hardscape
Encroachment + ROW coordination to keep the
city moving through construction

SNAPSHOT.

Client

Housing and Community Development Department

Architect

Gensler Architects

Site Size

8000

Key Constraint

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