Purpose of the Project

The Phase III and Phase IV buildings are additions to an existing building complex adjacent to downtown Dallas. The lobbies and surrounding landscapes for both projects connect by way of bridges and gardens to other phases. Phase III is a new 10-story office tower and Phase IV is a new 20--story office tower with an overlook on the 19th floor to downtown Dallas. Both sites were very small and the design was very clean to match the simple, though, highly designed architectural style. The landscape architect and the client worked closely with city officials to ensure compliance with the codes of the Oak Lawn District and received variances allowing for special width sidewalks for the entire development complex. The site landscapes for each project meet the required twenty-five percent of the site required by the City of Dallas.

Role of the Landscape Architect

The Landscape Architect worked closely with the client, design architect, architect-of-record, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers to design, select materials and coordinate implementation of the design. The Landscape Architect was responsible through design development for hardscape issues and through construction documentation and field observation for planting.

Special Factors

Phase III

The simple design of the building and parking garage shaped the design of the landscape. The autocourt for the project is placed on top of the parking garage. The on-structure planting and hardscape includes shrub bands, which separate and screen parking spaces. Bold bands of seasonal color and accent light buttons in the paving direct the visitor to the building entrance. Elegant black granite walls direct views to downtown Dallas beyond and to a circular bed of black volcanic glass planted with bamboo. Perfectly matched multi-trunked River Birch line a granite walkway leading to the building's entrance. An unusually wide landscaped bridge leading to the Phase II European gardens connects the project to the rest of the development. Two sides of the project are wrapped by a row of matched 12" live oaks and a third side is softened by a row of full to the ground Magnolias.

Phase IV

The landscape surrounding the building is simple. Along the entrance and service sides of the building, large live oaks, 10" caliper and above where placed to stagger with the joints in the building fa9ade. Flat planes of Asian Jasmine groundcover form the ground plane. Walls screening the service yard are covered with Virginia Creeper. The landscape adjacent to the lobby features a line of multi-trunk river birch in a sloping bed of Asian Jasmine. The raised canopies and low ground plane planting allow views from the street into the lobby. The stairs leading to the lobby are granite to match the previous phase across the street. The interior space of the lobby is very dramatic. The two-story volume is detailed simply with very rich materials. The finishes in the lobby include inlayed wood and Marianna cream limestone paving in honed and bush-hammered finishes. The original concept for the lobby included a flat plane of water; however budgetary constraints deleted this feature.

The Landscape Architect proposed the special implemented feature of the lobby, a 12' x 120' panel of cobalt blue glass gravel underlit by fluorescent lighting. This unique solution was in response to a desire for water but a desire to minimize the cost and continued maintenance associated with water. The glass gravel was researched and custom made by an artist who specializes in glass products for terrazzo. The use of glass is unique in the landscape and creates a dazzling effect at night as a blue glow emits from the lobby of this building. The idea of the gravel was continued through the glass curtain wall and executed with black obsidian gravel held in place by a steel angle iron to create sharp lines in the landscape, mimicking the lines of the architecture. At each end of the curtain wall axis is a custom oversized conical cast concrete pot. The placement of the pots creates an illusion as the reflection of the pots in the curtain wall completes the form.

Both projects used large live oaks, which were supplied by the owner from a nursery within the development used for growing trees for future projects while enhancing undeveloped property .The nursery was suggested by the Landscape Architect and implemented in a previous phase.

Local Significance

The simplicity of the design and of each element within the International Center development connects the entire complex and its architecture. The garden style office campus with its garden spaces and bridge connections offer a wonderful working environment and welcoming retreat to employees and visitors.