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.