The Woodlands is one of the most exciting and successful new towns anywhere in the United States. The Project is located on 25,000 acres in the midst of a growing corridor extending northeast from Houston’s International Airport. The population as of 2009 was 90,000.
While employed as a senior designer for Phillips Brandt and Reddick, Inc. (PBR), Mr. Taylor assisted with the master plan design for The Woodlands. PBR was initially retained by the Woodlands Development Corporation to develop master plans for one of six residential villages, which ultimately provided housing for 150-200,000 residents. Since that initial request, Mr. Taylor has participated in the design of three villages, an employment corridor, and a metropolitan center.
The first village planned was Grogan’s Mill, consisting of 2,000 acres and 1,900 dwelling units. This village and the second village, Panther Creek, are currently home to approximately 14,000 residents. The third village, Cochran’s Crossing, contains approximately 3,000 acres, a wide range of residential housing types, a 27-hole golf course, a country club facility, retail commercial services, and community services such as schools, youth centers, parks, etc. The entire community is oriented around the golf course to create a resort-recreation lifestyle.
The metro center and employment corridor complete the plan. The metro center was designed as the regional center, supplying commercial services including offices, a medical park and hospital, research, professional buildings, and a shopping mall. The metro center and employment corridor will employ 100,000 individuals in jobs ranging from heavy industry to high technology research and development. Perhaps the best testament to the logic and appropriateness of The Woodlands plan is that, through a number of building slumps, the new town has never lost momentum and continues to show a steady increase in housing sales.
Client: Woodlands Development Corp.