SWA

An urban oasis also known as the “office garden in the sky,” the new Houston offices for international landscape firm SWA take advantage of the derelict roof tops of the historic Art Deco building The Jones on Main in the heart of downtown Houston. The first phase of the project focuses on the interior offices, while the second phase is still underway and will transform three rooftops surrounding the office floor into urban sky gardens. The design team took a modern intervention into the 1927 Art Deco style building, exposing as much of the existing structure as possible and consolidating the MEP systems to the central core. The ceilings and walls are accentuated with indirect lighting and indirect mechanical systems to expose the existing structure and provide grandeur and height to the otherwise low ceiling and minimal window walls. All of the office furnishings, such as the exaggerated banquette that spans the length of the building, custom work desks, built-in bookshelves, are tailor-made millwork to economically customize the office workflow all while integrating into the difficult structure of the building. A goal of the design is to showcase SWA’s work and approach to collaboration with a fun attitude. Butterflies, flora and alligator sculptures are integrated and hidden throughout the office to inspire daily discovery and exploration.