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RICE VILLAGE
MASTER PLAN
Houston, TX
Client: Rice Real Estate Company
Lauded as Houston’s walkable garden district, Rice Village sits adjacent to Rice University, nestled within several of the City’s acclaimed cultural and civic resources – Texas Medical District, Hermann Park, the Museum District, and prized, tree-lined residential neighborhoods. Its proximity to community and amenity are nearly without precedent in the city and yet the Village lacks ‘stickiness.’ In response, the Rice Real Estate Company commissioned a master plan investigating how to maximize their land holdings, enhancing uses and programming to create a meaningful destination for the University and city alike.
A VILLAGE AT THE EPICENTER OF A METROPOLIS
Rice Village sits at the intersection of commercial, health care, academic, and several residential neighborhoods, all linked by transit. If better organized and programmed, it can be a compelling 20 minute city within the expanse of the city.
A LEGIBLE SPINE UNIFIES USES AND PROGRAM
Reconceiving Amherst Street as the primary main street through the Village enabled the team to rethink circulation and mobility. Three key public spaces punctuate the Village’s Landscape: The Porch, The Commons, and The Gateway. For each open space, RELM proposed right of way configurations to optimize proposed land uses (retail, housing, hotel) and to create a continuous pedestrian corridor.
