Chrysalis Lake Receives Two Awards for Innovation & Excellence

Chrysalis Lake, the innovative design of Prairieland Village’s centerpiece for sustainability and recreation continues to capture the attention of notable area enterprises. Taking notice recently were the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and the WISE awards for Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence and PaperCity Magazine at their annual PaperCity Design Awards which highlights the work of visionary designers and architects.

Comprised of a 22-acre lake and 39.5 acres of forests and meadows, Chrysalis Lake continues to be recognized for its ecological design that improves stormwater management and air quality. Enhancing biodiversity and quality of life for its insect and animal inhabitants as well as providing a natural outdoor space for resident rejuvenation and entertainment, Chrysalis Lake is raising the bar on sustainable design.

Committed to sustainable design through low-impact development (LID), Howard Hughes remains focused on restoring flora and fauna to the area, and to reversing the declining pollinator population, which has been severely affected by habitat loss, disease, parasites, and environmental contaminants. Utilizing bioswales and an extensive green stormwater management system that ribbons through the community helps to remove 90% of pollutants before releasing the water into the lake. By installing more than 58,000 pollinator attracting plants along the 22-acre lake and creating 39.5 acres of forests and meadows surrounding the waterway, the area serves as a sanctuary for hundreds of bird species and provides a recreational and educational amenity for Bridgeland residents, achieving all it set out to accomplish.

The WISE awards recognize projects within the Houston-Galveston area like Chrysalis Lake that not only protect but also improve water quality, while also serving as a model for future growth for our region. Bridgeland and Howard Hughes are committed to building environmentally sustainable spaces that also improve the lives of residents and are honored to receive recognition from the H-GAC for Chrysalis Lake.

Overseeing the WISE Awards was Justin Bower, Director of Community and Environmental Planning at H-GAC. “Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. earned the highest scores in our Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards category for completed efforts exceeding $200,000 for their Chrysalis Lake project in the Bridgeland community. This project contributes positively toward improving water quality by using landscaping design and low impact development strategies to manage stormwater runoff and enhance greenspace,” Bower said.

PaperCity Magazine showcases today’s current design couture in fashion, architecture, landscape, and interior design for luxurious Texas lifestyles. On Tuesday, May 28 at the Houstonian Hotel, Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. and Bridgeland, along with landscape architects SWA Group were awarded PaperCity’s Commercial Landscape Award for the design of Prairieland Village’s Chrysalis Lake.

Drew Davis, RA, and partner at New York’s Kligerman Architecture & Design served as one of the judges for PaperCity Magazine and was impressed with the public community space when he said, “This is a fantastic development that takes on so many different design objectives; public waterfront trails, supporting pollinator populations, controlling stormwater runoff, and water and air quality, all combined and deftly designed in an elegant way.”  

Chrysalis Lake is the result of the expertise of and meaningful collaboration with these additional contributors: landscape architect SWA Group; civil engineers BGE and HR Green, Inc.; structural engineer Collaborative Engineering Group; MEP CF Consulting, LP; finance partner WCID 158; law firm Schwartz, Page & Harding LLP; and the designers at DG Studios.

As we continue to develop Bridgeland and other master planned communities throughout the United States, we seek visionary ecological solutions that benefit those living in and around our communities. Finding ways to improve environments, habitats, water, and air, has also captured the attention of residents and businesses alike who are seeking places like Bridgeland in northwest Houston for a better quality of life.