Levy Park

This project remakes a forty-year-old park in Houston to provide better public access and address flooding issues. Built with public funds and sustained primarily by private lease agreements, the park features two activity lawns, a performance pavilion, dog park, water features, community garden and rain garden. High visibility into the park from the street signals openness and activity, and multiple access points lead visitors directly to the main social gathering areas. A promenade along the north side of the urban park connects game areas, decomposed granite seating courts and a performance stage and pavilion.

The children’s garden at the heart of the park features a 150-foot-long tree house that rises at an ADA-accessible grade. It is wrapped around relocated forty- to seventy-year-old legacy live oak trees. The generous tree canopy provides protection from the sun and, from the tree house, thrilling views of the park areas below.

To mitigate Houston’s heat, humidity, and frequent flooding, climate resiliency is essential. 3.3 acres of permeable surface, together with a 7,500-square-foot rain garden and a community garden combine to harvest and reuse stormwater. 138 new native trees intercept 80,000 gallons of stormwater runoff and provide protective shade throughout the park.