A little more wild in the workday.

Across from Houston’s Discovery Green, Norton Rose Fulbright Tower brings landscape into the daily rhythm of a 28-story, 375,000-square-foot workplace. Developed and built by Skanska, with architectural design by BIG and landscape architecture by SWA Group, the project carries the park’s energy from the sidewalk into a series of gardens above the city.

At SWA, Rachel served as Project Manager and Design Lead for the landscape, from schematic design through construction administration. Generous pedestrian spaces and tree canopies connect the building to the public realm, while tiered terraces give each outdoor space its own personality: a shaded woodland garden, a pollinator garden, and an arid garden and pocket prairie at the top.

These are landscapes designed to be experienced up close. Planting brings texture, seasonal change, and moments of discovery into the workday, with room to step outside, gather, and take in the city. Each terrace offers a different relationship between planting, architecture, and the skyline.

The ambition: make going outside a very good reason to leave your desk.