Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects

Shout out to the project teams who made our Green Building United Groundbreaker-Award-winning and honorable mention projectS (plural) possible! From initial project visions and commitments on the client side, through design with dedication, tenacity, and expertise, and finally execution by contractors who understood the assignment - the long journey to this point was worth it! We didn't get to give speeches at the actual event, so we hope you'll forgive us for gushing a bit. Our Mt. Cuba Center Head House and Greenhouse team included -Site team Meliora Design and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, who advocated for tree health, thoughtful plantings, and the careful management of soil during construction. -Building design team Staengl Engineering and CVM, who iterated on ideas to reduce embodied carbon, improve operational efficiency, and also issued potentially the first ever coordination sketch to coordinate mechanical systems with the landscape -General contractor Bancroft Construction, who moved (almost) literal mountains to make this project happen. And across departments at Mt. Cuba Center we saw staff give this project their all, committed to its positive impact from beginning to end, despite already having their normal jobs to do! At the Malvern Sustainable Innovation Center, we collaborated with Saint-Gobain North America/CertainTeed across multiple project phases to renovate offices and labs to meet the same quality standards as in HQ, while maintaining the unique personality of the research and researchers within this building. We looked deeply at product lines and learned from each other as we vetted against LEED and LBC requirements. The project had the support of both Chestnut Engineering and BSEG, LLC for complex systems design and coordination, the specification wizardry of Kalin Associates Inc. for our #LivingBuildingChallengeCore Ready project, and so much help from all our product reps. And then Warfel Construction Company turned drawings into reality. We're so grateful. #AuthenticSustainability #NetZeroEnergy #GroundBreakers

The Ismaili Centre Houston nears completion.   The Ismaili Centre Houston is preparing for its much-anticipated opening later this year. Designed by architect Farshid Moussavi, the Centre represents both a milestone for the Ismaili Muslim community and a meaningful addition to Houston’s cultural landscape.   Farshid Moussavi said; “The Ismaili Centre Houston embodies His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange,”.   Moussavi’s design, developed in partnership with AKT II, Hilson Moran and DLR Group, is a modern expression of history and tradition, "rooted in Islamic traditions yet responsive to Houston’s climate".   Hanif Kara OBE, Director of AKT II, said: “From the beginning, the bar was set very high. When you consider the intent and purpose of this project – a 100-year building – it’s very difficult not to see it as something special.”   Once complete, the Centre will be a vibrant hub for both spiritual reflection and civic life. Follow the link in comments to read more. 📸: Salina Kassam, Abbas Yasin, Assad Yasin & Abizer Yasin   Aga Khan Development Network | Farshid Moussavi Architecture | McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. | Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects | DLR Group | Hilson Moran | Josef Gartner | Kinetica Group

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Set to open later this year, the Ismaili Centre Houston is approaching its much-anticipated completion. Designed by Farshid Moussavi, the Centre stands as both a milestone for the Ismaili Muslim community and a landmark addition to Houston’s cultural fabric. Farshid Moussavi remarked: “The Ismaili Centre Houston embodies His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange.” Developed in partnership with AKT II, Hilson Moran, and DLR Group, the design blends history and modernity — “rooted in Islamic traditions yet responsive to Houston’s climate.” Reflecting on the project, Hanif Kara OBE, Director of AKT II, shared: “From the beginning, the bar was set very high. When you consider the intent and purpose of this project – a 100-year building – it’s very difficult not to see it as something special.” Once complete, the Centre will serve as a vibrant hub for spiritual reflection and civic life. 📸: Salina Kassam | Abbas Yasin | Assad Yasin | Abizer Yasin AKT II | Aga Khan Development Network | Farshid Moussavi Architecture | McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. | Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects | DLR Group | Hilson Moran | Josef Gartner | Kinetica Group | Hanif Kara OBE #IsmailiCentreHouston #AKTII #FarshidMoussavi #AgaKhanDevelopmentNetwork #DLRGroup #HilsonMoran #IslamicArchitecture #CulturalLandmark #HoustonDesign #ArchitectureForDialogue

The Ismaili Centre Houston nears completion.   The Ismaili Centre Houston is preparing for its much-anticipated opening later this year. Designed by architect Farshid Moussavi, the Centre represents both a milestone for the Ismaili Muslim community and a meaningful addition to Houston’s cultural landscape.   Farshid Moussavi said; “The Ismaili Centre Houston embodies His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange,”.   Moussavi’s design, developed in partnership with AKT II, Hilson Moran and DLR Group, is a modern expression of history and tradition, "rooted in Islamic traditions yet responsive to Houston’s climate".   Hanif Kara OBE, Director of AKT II, said: “From the beginning, the bar was set very high. When you consider the intent and purpose of this project – a 100-year building – it’s very difficult not to see it as something special.”   Once complete, the Centre will be a vibrant hub for both spiritual reflection and civic life. Follow the link in comments to read more. 📸: Salina Kassam, Abbas Yasin, Assad Yasin & Abizer Yasin   Aga Khan Development Network | Farshid Moussavi Architecture | McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. | Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects | DLR Group | Hilson Moran | Josef Gartner | Kinetica Group

Architecture Matters returns next Tuesday, September 30 at the Architecture and Design Exchange! We are excited to host our guest panelists, Thomas L. Woltz, FASLA, CLARB, Senior Principal and Owner at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Adam Yarinsky, FAIA, Principal and Co-Founder at Architecture Research Office. Earn 1.0 LU | HSW and register to attend today! >> https://ow.ly/q3Ss50X1Euh Learn from Architecture Research Office (ARO) and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW) who have partnered on projects such as the Rothko Chapel, Rice University, and the Olana State Historic Site, among others, and have developed a collaborative model that prioritizes public experience, centers cultural narratives, responds to environmental conditions, and supports the missions of cultural nonprofits.