Big Moves

In a city where skyscrapers symbolize ambition and expansion, the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower emerges as a transformative icon that harmonizes sustainable design with the vibrant urban landscape of Downtown Houston. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and developed by Skanska, this downtown midrise redefines what it means to be an office tower in the 21st century, showcasing a commitment to environmental stewardship while fostering public connection. The building’s innovation lies in its ability to serve as a workspace while also connecting people with nature and their surroundings, creating an integrated experience for both employees and visitors alike.

The project is located adjacent to Discovery Green, Houston’s largest downtown park, and its positioning is fundamental to its architectural narrative. The tower’s design philosophy revolves around deliberate interventions to blend the natural and built environments. “We wanted these moments to not only beautify the space but to create points of connection between the people inside the building and the city beyond,” explains Martin Voelkle, AIA, a designer at BIG. The vision is achieved by blurring the line between inside and outside, between public and private spaces. This connection is crucial as it creates an environment where the boundaries between the building and its urban setting become fluid, encouraging interaction and engagement at all levels.

In the works since 2019, this project has faced numerous hurdles. The design phase began with community engagement meetings, which allowed the team to gather valuable input from local residents. “The kickoff workshop was essentially us bringing in Legos, Play-Doh, and cards with reference images,” Voelkle explains. “We spent a day with about 40 people from different backgrounds in the city, trying to understand what the priorities are for Houstonians.” These sessions allowed the design team to gain insight into what the community valued most in the development of this project. The team also went through various exercises, including a master planning activity that, according to Voelkle, established “the mindset and programming” and took about two months. This step was vital in shaping the early stages of the design. However, just as this phase concluded in late February 2020, the world shut down due to COVID-19, creating new challenges for the project. 

The pandemic brought uncertainty around the future of workplace design, leading to questions about how to adapt to a rapidly changing world. As the concept of office work started to shift and be reimagined, the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower became BIG’s first office building in Texas and its first fully remote project. The circumstances of the pandemic forced the design team to adapt and evolve the project in ways they hadn’t anticipated. The design began to reflect new priorities. By offering a space that blended comfort, health, and productivity, it aimed to create an office experience that made coming back into the workplace worthwhile. The project also incorporated the latest technology to address health and wellness considerations. Elements like advanced air filtration systems were integrated to ensure that the building met the new demands of a post-pandemic world.

The project’s side-core design stands out in a city dominated by traditional central-core structures. This approach not only facilitates panoramic views of Discovery Green but also enhances the spatial quality by allowing the primary facades to engage more dynamically with the urban context. “Given the narrow footprint of the site, we had to rethink how to organize the building’s core,” explains Voelkle. This decision opens up the interiors, maximizing natural light and fostering a sense of expansion. The side-core layout also transforms how tenants experience the city, enhancing connectivity both within the office environment and with the surrounding urban space. The openness created by this design allows for a more immersive experience of the city from inside the building, where tenants can enjoy uninterrupted views and a sense of connection to the outside world.

SITE PLAN

1

EXISTING HOTEL

2

RAMP TO PARKING

3

LOADING DOCK

4

MAIL ROOM

5

BIKE ROOM

6

MAIL ROOM

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LOADING DOCK

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RAMP TO PARKING

9

EXISTING HOTEL

Section

1

MECHANICAL PENTHOUSE

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AMENITY EVENT SPACE

3

AMENITY TERRACE

4

VIEWING GARDEN

5

TENANT TERRACE

6

OFFICE

7

PARKING

8

PARKING RAMP

9

OFFICE LOBBY

10

RETAIL

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FITNESS CENTER

The Norton Rose Fulbright Tower’s main entrance faces Lamar Street, with six connected volumes of varying heights radiating outward toward the park. These volumes are elevated at different levels to accommodate the lobby and commercial spaces that border the park. The variation in height continues at the top of the building, where a staggered form opens into outdoor terraces. The terraces provide a vital connection between the building and its natural surroundings, encouraging people to step outside and engage with nature. When viewed from the park, the raised parking areas sit between the commercial spaces on the ground floor, with office floors rising above. The facade design remains uninterrupted by this stacking, as vertical elements extend seamlessly upward, breaking only at the parking levels to allow natural light to filter in. This attention to detail in the building’s form and facades helps create a seamless flow between the lower and upper levels, maintaining a cohesive aesthetic throughout.

The Norton Rose Fulbright Tower represents a significant stride toward sustainability, shown through Skanska and BIG’s commitment to reducing the building’s carbon footprint. Utilizing the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), the team tracked and minimized the carbon emissions of building materials, achieving a reduction of over 9,700 tons of embodied carbon. This achievement highlights the forward-thinking nature of the project, which prioritized environmental impact at every stage of development. Beyond its carbon-saving strategies, the building features a 48,000-gallon rainwater collection tank for irrigation and a district cooling system to optimize energy efficiency. It has obtained LEED Platinum v4 and WELL Platinum certifications and is pursuing Fitwel Three Star certification. These accolades position the tower at the forefront of Houston’s green building movement.

The interior design further emphasizes this innovative ethos, featuring flexible floor plates, optimized corner offices, and strategically placed windows in elevator lobbies and restrooms to flood every corner of the building with natural light. The infusion of daylight connects tenants to the natural rhythm of the day, creating a sense of uplift no matter where they are. Natural light plays a central role in creating a healthy and energizing work environment, something that is especially important in a post-pandemic world. A standout feature of the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower is its terraces, thoughtfully designed by BIG with SWA Group as the landscape architect of record. Each reflects a local biome—woodland, floral garden, and arid garden—celebrating Houston’s rich ecological diversity. These terraces bring elements of Houston’s natural environment up into the sky, encouraging people to step outside and appreciate the city from new perspectives. The ability to experience different natural settings within the building itself enhances the overall experience for tenants and visitors.

The 28th floor features an expansive rooftop event space that offers sweeping views, creating a unique amenity that invites tenants to engage with their surroundings. The rooftop lounge and fitness center interiors were completed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and draw inspiration from the colors of Texas sunsets, incorporating natural materials like wood and plaster inspired by rammed earth. On these levels, a palette of blue, brown, amber, and orange tones enhances the connection between the building and its vibrant environment, echoing the warmth of sunsets over Discovery Green.

The building champions urban connectivity with oversized sidewalks along Lamar Street and direct access to METRO lines and bike paths, encouraging pedestrian interaction and enriching the downtown experience. Retail spaces flanking the lobby promise to enliven the street and integrate the building into the fabric of the community. The ability to walk or bike to the office and engage with retail spaces along the way helps create a more vibrant and connected downtown experience. As Houston continues its evolution towards a walkable, interconnected, and sustainable future, the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower stands as a benchmark for innovative design. It is not merely an office building; it embodies a holistic vision for urban development that prioritizes the relationship between architecture, nature, and community.

In a city that is often characterized by its sprawling highways and car-centric design, the tower is part of a pivotal shift toward a more sustainable and people-focused approach. Reflecting on the trajectory of Houston’s architectural landscape, it becomes evident that projects like this will inspire a new generation of designs that can accommodate growth while elevating the quality of urban and office life. The challenge remains for future developments to embrace this ethos, ensuring that the fabric of Houston’s architecture reflects the aspirations of its diverse personality.