Modern retail environments should be a unique reflection of place, where culture, climate, geography, and neighborhood context shape the character of buildings and public spaces. Our retail portfolio reveals this kind of uniqueness of place, over a wide range of both shopping centers and mixed-use developments with retail, restaurant, office, and residential components. “Our design process, especially in large-scale retail projects, involves careful collaboration with the client’s leasing, marketing and branding teams, giving clients the advantage of strong ‘placebranding,’’ notes founding principal Billy Lawrence.
Retail Retrofit
The idea of a “third place,” a social realm outside home and work is especially relevant now, a post-pandemic shift in public preference. “People want to be outside now. We not only crave connection with people more than ever, but we really want to meet up outdoors to walk dogs or grab a coffee,” explains senior partner Billy Lawrence. “In a recent retail retrofit project at The Rim Commons in San Antonio, we helped the owners reclaim valuable public park space from car circulation, creating the center’s vibrant new restaurant and entertainment hub. We are able to visualize overlooked opportunities, and help owners to capitalize on them.”
When The Shops at La Cantera was awarded the ICSC Global Development Award, it was a bit like winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. It also validated the strength of the design and development team’s close partnership, as the metrics for the award are for both good design and financial performance.
Senior Principals Irby Hightower and Billy Lawrence lead design for retail, multifamily, and mixed use development, applying disciplines of design architecture, planning, and placemaking.
