Atascocita Park

Atascocita Park is a unique park in a heavily wooded and secluded oasis. Halff was commissioned to first master plan a park that celebrated its natural conditions and addressed very challenging drainage situations upland and across the park. The design team created a park with engineering improvements that blended into the natural feel of site.

Halff collaborated with Harris County Precinct 2 to create the master plan for Atascocita Park, a unique 21-acre park immediately west of Lake Houston. The plan identified natural opportunities and incorporated a variety of recreational elements such as a playground, dog parks and a boardwalk without impeding drainage conditions or unnecessarily removing existing vegetation. Halff’s services included landscape architecture, park master planning, construction documentation, civil and structural services, MEP, surveying and environmental services.

Halff employed low-impact development techniques to cut costs and improve the stormwater quality as it left the site. Using green infrastructure minimized initial costs for the project by limiting stormwater pipes and structures. Water-loving native plants were also used to sustain vegetation and check erosion during storm events. The park successfully weathered 72 inches of rain—including a 13-inch deluge from a tropical storm—during its 15-month construction without damage.

The design team created Atascocita Park with traditional park furnishings and engineering improvements blended in and captured the natural feel of the site. Halff was able to integrate resilient and environmental considerations into the project, resulting in an impressive boardwalk and park for the community.

Won Award:
2020 — H-GAC Parks and Natural Areas Awards