development Services

The master plan is the two-dimensional representation of the overall vision for the site.  The plan shows the street hierarchy, open space network commercial centers and locations of important civic buildings.  Typically, this is the primary deliverable of the conceptual design phase, and guides further development of the project as it proceeds into engineering.  

Project :  Master Plan for Hendrick Farm in Quebec Canada. 

(The plan was produced while Huston was an employee at DPZ CoDesign)

Urban Arts provides site design studies  for potential development sites. The studies can identify problematic zoning issues and determine the development capacity of the site. These can be in the form of quick hand-draw sketches and simple massing models (as shown here). 

Project: Proposed townhouse development in downtown Tarpon Springs, FL

While architecture is the design of individual buildings, urban design is the design of the space between the buildings. The urban designer uses buildings as architects use walls to shape the open space of the street, plaza and square.  This is a skill which had largely been forgotten over the years, but has been resurrected, in part, by the efforts of the New Urbanism movement.  With good urban design, buildings can be designed more simply and efficiently.  

Project: Arthur Street Townhouse Court, North Richland Hills, TX 

(with our partner firm, Civic Plan Studio llc)

Urban Arts can provide hand-drawn illustrations and computer generated 3D models to help illustrate the development concept. Show here, a proposed townhouse development with a mixed-use component. 

Project: Mixed-use and housing infill study for the city of Owensboro, KY.

Many places that we encounter in our daily life, especially in more suburban areas, are rather generic and “could be anywhere.” By contrast, placemaking is the term used to denote the design of a place (whether a city, a neighborhood, or a district) that is unique, memorable, and recognizable.  As such, it is not likely to be confused with any other place. Generally, these types of places are created by using the tools of urban design (how the buildings are assembled) and some consistency in architectural character. Landscaping can also add to the unique character of a place.

Project: Skipjack Landing, South Padre Island, TX 

(With DPZ CoDesign, rendering by M. Huston)