Downtown Houston’s Norton Rose Fulbright Tower, the new, eye-catching, 28-story building adjacent to Discovery Green, is a Biophilic-design-lover’s dream. Swedish-based developer Skanska worked with Copenhagen’s Bjarke Ingels Group to create an innovative workplace focused on sustainability, health, and wellness — with staggered levels of lushly-landscaped terraces, she’s nice to look at, too.
Happily replacing what was once a large, surface-level parking lot, Norton Rose Fulbright Tower is one of only four projects in Houston, nine in Texas, and fewer than a hundred across the country which are currently certified as WELL Building Standard Platinum. The Class A trophy tower in downtown Houston has also been awarded LEED Platinum V4 certification, Wired Score Platinum, Three Star Fitwell status, plus Energy Star designations. This is the 12th LEED Platinum certification of a Skanska-developed project in the United States. Other notable developments include 2+U in Seattle, WA; 121 Seaport in Boston, MA; plus Beverly Hills’ first LEED Platinum office building, 9000 Wilshire.
“In designing our office space at Norton Rose Fulbright Tower, we were intentional about incorporating elements that serve the wellbeing of our people,” says Carter Dugan, Partner-in-Charge. “This includes access to nature at Discovery Green Park, outdoor collaboration spaces on our expansive terrace, and an abundance of natural light indoors. These elements, and many others, have been widely celebrated by our colleagues since we moved into our state-of-the-art office last year.”
Biophilic Benefits
Over the last several years, Biophilic design catapulted in popularity in the residential design field, especially as workers increasingly chose to work from home. Exposure to natural light, fresh air, and outdoor space at home accounted for a remarkable uptick in both physical and mental health for workers which, in turn, helped increase productivity. As employees return to traditional office-based work, Skanska has developed Norton Fulbright Tower to lead the way to putting Houston workers — and their environment — first.
Natalia Rodriguez, M.P.H., the Project Director for the Methodist Center for Health & Nature, assisted by Texas A&M Health, continuously conduct studies on the positive effects of utilizing Biophilic design. The Center assists buildings like Norton Rose Fulbright Tower to use this data to drive health-forward progress in the workplace and beyond.
“We are only as healthy as our environment, and this reciprocates a lot into just our interactions with nature and the outdoor space,” Rodriguez tells CultureMap. “So, in some of the studies that we've done at the Center, we have found that spending just 15 minutes a day outdoors in nature, whether you're sitting in the sun, or you feel the breeze on your face, or focusing on something green — maybe a tree or a plant at a distance — that can infinitely just boost your mood, your attention span, your creativity, your productivity, and it grounds us. It's an opportunity for us to be connected to things that we should be, regardless of our day-to-day.”
The soaring 35-foot lobby, complete with elevated, slatted-wooden-clad planter boxes teaming with vibrant plants by Always in Season cascading overhead, gives visitors a glimpse of what’s to come. In order to give people the opportunity to gather, work, or simply take a stroll, the building features three separate terraces incorporating distinct surrounding biomes of Texas.
Terrace Schemes
“Woodland,” located on level 12, features trees and lush ferns that provide a cool microclimate. Individual gathering spaces are connected by a shaded corridor and are surrounded by greenery for privacy.
“Floral Pollinator,” located on level 20, is a colorful garden blooming spring to fall with diverse local flora. Clusters of gardens frame a space for meandering and places to stop and relax.
“Arid Garden,” located on level 28, features drought-tolerant species that withstand high winds and direct sunlight. Situated on the rooftop/Summit level, this garden offers a unique and flexible gathering space, and…bees?!
Alvéole is the largest-scale urban beekeeping company operating across the US, Canada, and Europe. Active in over 2,200 commercial buildings, Alvéole is the leading nature and biodiversity database for commercial real estate. While focused on engagement and environmental education, their presence is shown to increase tenant satisfaction and engagement while monitoring real estate’s impact on nature and biodiversity — it’s a win for everyone, especially when it’s time to harvest the honey.
Also located on the 28th floor is Norton Rose Fulbright Tower’s event space, aptly named “Summit.” Available for booking by tenants (but not the general public), this rooftop glass box is bookended with green spaces for those who choose to take the party outdoors. As with the rest of the building below, Summit offers panoramic views of Discovery Green and beyond, thanks to 10’ high, wall-to-wall, low-e glass windows. Interiors guru Michael Hsu Office of Architecture thoughtfully incorporated a soft, warm color palette that makes the most of the golden-hour sun that streams inside at the start of evening events.
Michael Hsu is also responsible for the state-of-the-art, spa-like fitness center and accompanying lounge, jointly named “Renew,” on level 2. Renew offers treehouse-like panoramic views of Discovery Green Park, a full offering of gym equipment, complimentary group fitness classes, plus locker rooms that would make even the bougiest of spas do a double take.
Agile Interiors procured furniture selections for Summit and Renew made by the Michael Hsu team, while the diverse art selections throughout the building were made by Trish Matute of Ellio Fine Art. From lobby to locker rooms, find works by Davey Eldridge, LaMonté French, Tara Conley, Susan English, John Pavlicek, Nicola Parente, Patrick Fagerberg, and Leslie Park.
The Guts
While Biophilic aesthetics add to the overall wellbeing of tenants and visitors alike, what really makes a design “healthy” is what lies beneath. Norton Rose Fulbright Tower was built with a 45-percent embedded Carbon reduction and pumps in 30 percent more fresh air than a typical Class A building (and 30 percent more than required by code, according to the developer). The state-of-the-art HVAC system uses 32 percent less energy than comparable buildings, and bipolar ionization and air filtration systems reduce airborne pathogens.
Demand-control ventilation systems provide energy savings by regulating outside air intake based on building occupancy needs. The coolest trick? Norton Rose Fulbright Tower is capable of a 100 percent air exchange within one hour. This by-request building feature means that all of the air in the building can be sucked out and replaced within an hour of initiation — a must in a post-pandemic world.
The abundance of natural light that pours into the building’s panoramic 10-foot, low-e windows is made possible by an innovative side-core footplate. This allows for nearly unobstructed views from every occupancy-level floor. Select building systems and terrace gardens utilize a 48,000 gallon rainwater collection tank for tasks like watering plants and servicing things associated with Dada pioneer Marcel Duchamp.
Discovery Green Park-goers who may be admiring Norton Rose Fulbright Tower are encouraged to walk over for a coffee, pastry, or cocktail at first-floor tenant Tenfold Coffee. Designed by Houston-based Gin Design Group, the coffee shop faces the park and is open from 7 am-7 pm.
Next up for the building is the highly-anticipated opening of Zaranda. The newest concept from Tracy Vaught and Hugo Ortega’s H-Town Restaurant Group will feature “Las Californias Cuisine.” It will be the sixth concept for the duo — the first with their daughter Sophia as a co-owner — and their second downtown Houston restaurant, joining nearby Oaxacan restaurant Xochi.
