Summit Center

The Summit Center mixed-use development establishes a new civic framework for Midland—one rooted in regional identity, environmental resilience, and the human experience. Its buildings form a cohesive architectural edge around a four-acre public park planted with native vegetation and were constructed with weathering steel, masonry, and architectural metal panels to withstand the harsh West Texas climate. Deep roof overhangs, recessed glazing, and shaded walkways mitigate solar exposure while reinforcing human scale and pedestrian comfort. The anchor private office building connects to the client’s industrial heritage through a gabion plinth made from reclaimed limestone tailings from their off-site quarry. The breathing wall conceals shaded parking, elevates the occupied floor above grade, and preserves views across the park. Together, the buildings balance rugged durability with precise detailing, designed to weather and strengthen over time.

“The engagement of the architect with the client here probably helped invert this aggregation of uses from a kind of single block with a standard mall-like outcome to a series of more disaggregated buildings connected by this very rich landscape. We applaud the fact that some deeper thinking went into getting to this wonderful outcome.” —James Timberlake, FAIA