COVER STORY, MARCH 2006

FOLLOWING THE TRENDS
As the design trends in Texas evolve, architectural firms work to stay at the forefront of the industry.
Lara Fuller

Like fashion or music, architectural styles are subject to the influences of both time and place. Popular architectural designs can shift greatly through the years and also can vary from city to city. In Texas, there has been a noticeable shift in design trends during the past several years. Texas Real Estate Business recently spoke with several architecture firms to get a better idea of what's hot, what's not and what's in store for the Lone Star State.

What's Hot

As cities across Texas keep growing, architects are seeing more and more urban redevelopment. Many of the projects being developed in the downtown areas are mixed-use, offering consumers the opportunity to access a range of uses in a much smaller area. “In Austin, and other downtown areas, there is a resurgence of the younger population coming back to the city and this is driving a general desire for mixed-use urban development with ground-floor retail and upper-level residential for a compact and convenient work/life city environment,” says Earl Swisher, principal in charge with The Lawrence Group Architects of Austin.

Even outside of the downtown area there has been a boom in mixed-use development as people and businesses push out from the inner core of the cities. As prices rise in the urban core from the influx of people and business, the fringe areas are seeing more activity. “The densification and urbanization of the immediate areas outside of an urban city is encouraging mass transit-oriented development,” says David Farrell, design principal with Good Fulton & Farrell in Dallas.

“For example, development in Bee Cave (located west of Austin) is bridging the gap between it and the city to the extent that it's becoming part of the city,” say Swisher and Craig Puccetti with The Lawrence Group Architects. “Retail and other services are starting to be built locally in these areas on the outskirts to more conveniently service the population closer to where they live.”

Whether downtown or in the suburbs, architects strive to make these developments more than just a bland grouping of stores and restaurants. Many consumers are looking for more of an experience where they can live, shop, work and play. “We are starting to see architecture being taken more seriously,” says Jay Matthiesen with Good Fulton & Farrell. “It's not always about the [economies of scale]. Developers are starting to understand that the consumer does want an experience; the development itself is not just a utilitarian means to an end.”

The desire for a more aesthetically appealing center comes not only from consumers, but from tenants as well. “The tenants themselves are discriminating in some regards, especially when the demographics aren't strong enough to support it,” says Matthiesen. “They know that a better designed center is probably going to promote more activity from the consumer side.”

In addition to making developments more appealing to consumers, many architects in Texas have seen a move to more modern design. “There is an increased popularity of modernism — both classic modern and ‘mid-century' modern,” says Larry Good, president of Good Fulton & Farrell.

Adds Chuck Armstrong, design director with Corgan Associates in Dallas, “A re-invigorated interest in modernism in architecture has been prevalent in larger cities for some time now. It is just beginning to take center stage in Dallas in recent years.”

As many developments are becoming more modern in design, they are also becoming more modern in terms of environmental sensitivity. “Environmentally responsible (green) architecture is becoming mainstream,” Good says.

Architects and developers are both becoming more aware of incorporating elements of the environment into design. “The latest movement in architecture with potential for lasting aesthetic influence is environmentally sustainable approach to design,” Armstrong says. “This isn't a stylistic movement per se; however, elements such as solar shading, high performance glazing, water conservation, recycled materials, photovoltaic collectors and green roofs, to name a few, influence the appearance of the work.”

What's Not

With the growing popularity of the mixed-use center, the traditional power center is definitely on the way out. “The old-style power center is diminishing,” Matthiesen says. “Power centers today aren't like the power centers of the 1990s. Developers are responding to market demands from the consumer, who [demands] lifestyle.”

Strip centers are not as popular as they once were, and of those that are still being developed, many are being designed differently than those in the past. “Most of the neighborhood retail projects are over-scaled, ‘cartoony' billboard buildings,” says Armstrong. “I hope that some day soon we realize that the auto-generated strip center needs to go the way of the drive-in movie theater. These projects only add to the sprawl and are temporary in nature. They are not a very sustainable way to develop our land.”

Another architectural trend that is waning in popularity is the faux-historic style. “Antique architecture like Georgian, Victorian and other period styles [have diminished],” says Farrell. “The world is much bigger and broader.” Many architects in Texas are taking inspiration from a range of places and cultures.

“The waning interest in historicism has declined as generational wealth, tastes and expectations change,” says Armstrong. “The baby boomer generation is now leading the charge on the visual appearance of our built environment.” Some of the architectural influences that will be appearing in the coming years will be taken from the current movements in Europe. Armstrong believes that the new technological advances in glass and curtain-wall systems, along with the innovative uses of metals, will eventually be used in Dallas and then throughout Texas.

A Matter of Place

Though there are some trends that are seen in almost all areas of Texas, there is still a distinct difference in design when looking at city versus city. While many of the larger cities' architecture can begin to look the same, some of the more mid-sized cities and smaller towns have a unique architectural style. “The Hill Country aesthetic with limestone and metal roofs is more distinctively Austin and San Antonio,” says Good. “This style is not as indigenous to Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.”

“When you go to San Antonio versus Austin, you can really see the architectural vernaculars are different,” Matthiesen says. Armstrong agrees. “I see a considerable difference in Austin's architecture and in San Antonio, to a lesser extent,” he says. “These cities draw from local traditions in mineral use and scale that the bigger cities lack.”

Two of these bigger cities, Dallas and Houston, don't have particularly identifiable architectural characteristics. “There is very little noticeable difference in architecture in the general public sector between Dallas and Houston,” says Armstrong. “Both are huge, sprawling cities.”

Popular Projects

Good Fulton & Farrell is currently working on Park Lane, a 1.8 million-square-foot development in Dallas. The open-air urban village will feature a 90,000-square-foot Whole Foods, a hotel, 750,000 square feet of retail space, 300,000 square feet of office space and a 65,000-square-foot health club.

In Dallas, Good Fulton & Farrell is currently working on Park Lane, a 1.8 million-square-foot development. The open-air urban village will feature a 90,000-square-foot Whole Foods, a hotel, 750,000 square feet of retail space, 300,000 square feet of office space and a 65,000-square-foot health club. “This project is unique architecturally because we're using native materials,” Matthiesen says. “It is trying to fit in with our neighbors, and we're not creating a false sense of somewhere. Ultimately, we want it to become a modern, midtown urban neighborhood that has a lot of vitality. We really want this to be a place that people want to return to for multiple activities.” The first phase of Park Lane is slated to open in spring 2008. Dallas-based Harvest Partners is developing the project.

Corgan Associates is working on the $753 million International Terminal D at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Included in the development will be two ticketing halls, concourses, concessions areas, a customs hall, baggage claim areas, airline clubs, automated people-mover stations and an integrated 300-room hotel.

Fitting In

In the future, architects hope to see development that fits not only the needs of the consumer but also fits in with its surroundings. People across Texas, and across the country, are often looking for ways to simplify their lives. Creating places where consumers can complete multiple tasks, in an appealing environment, is one of the most noticeable trends. This applies not only to shopping, working and dining, but also to the healthcare field as well. Many of the newest healthcare centers offer a range of outpatient services, all in one place, to better fit the lifestyle of both urban and suburban dwellers. “These facilities create a more efficient atmosphere for both the managers and the patients,” says Puccetti. In addition to efficiency, consumers want to go places that feel comfortable. Many projects are incorporating fireplaces, water features and healing gardens. “There is an ongoing trend of a move away from institutional settings for healthcare and towards creating environments with a calming residential feel,” Swisher says.

The trend of combining uses in all types of development is here to stay. As areas grow and become less personal, people begin searching for places that feel more unique. “Mixed-use really helps promote [this],” Matthiesen says. “It becomes a neighborhood center in some ways, it becomes a gathering place for the community in that area, and it becomes a focal point for that particular neighborhood.”

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