Best Projects | Winners
Award of Merit, Residential/Hospitality Bowen River Oaks
Photo courtesy of Bowen River Oaks
Bowen River Oaks
Houston
Award of Merit
Owner Lennar Multifamily Communities
Lead Design Firm WDG Architecture
GC ANDRES Construction
Civil Kimley-Horn
Structural SCA
MEP Jordan & Skala
Interior Designer SJL Design Group
Landscape Architect Studio Outside
Built in an area of Houston known as Galleria/River Oaks, a 25-story residential tower soars over a neighborhood that was once dominated by small townhomes. The structure consists of a first-floor leasing lobby, second-floor business center, nine floors of parking garage, 10th-floor amenity space/pool deck, 15 floors of residential units, one penthouse level and a sky lounge.
The project site was surrounded by overhead power lines that were scheduled to be buried by a separate utility contractor prior to the start of construction. However, that scope was not complete when the team was issued the notice to proceed. Auger-cast pile foundations couldn’t be completed until all power lines were removed and relocated. Despite a 30-day delay in auger-cast pile installation, the structural system was ahead of schedule so there was no impact on the overall project timeline.
During construction, a design change was made to replace a concrete wall with a glass railing on the outdoor pool and amenity deck. The construction team had to cut down the already constructed 150-ft-long wall while the tower crane was still in place in order to safely haul off the concrete wall sections. Multiple trades worked day and night to ensure all work requiring the tower crane was completed on time.
The project, which houses a total of 250 residential units and 10 penthouse units, was completed on time and below budget in March 2022.
