Highland Village, TX
The Shops at Highland Village
Retail Center Refreshed as a Community Destination
status
Completed 2015
client
505Design
expertise
Retail
services
Landscape Architecture
Elevating Highland Village to be More than a Shopping Experience
This renovated open-air shopping center offers more than just retail – it is a venue for community gatherings to this Dallas-suburb northwest of Lewisville, Texas.
Seeking to make The Shops at Highland Village a best-in-class place to shop, dine, and socialize, the development’s operating partner, Trademark Property Company, invested in property upgrades that elevate the pedestrian experience. LandDesign collaborated with 505Design to recommend and implement design improvements to the common areas of the retail center, including enhancements to the two existing central gathering spaces, landscape refinements, improved pedestrian circulation and new directional signage, re-energizing the shopping experience and creating opportunities for the community to congregate.
The open space amenity improvements aim to bring a community-oriented environment to the shopping center. By adding designated communal and event space to the center’s two existing courtyards, The Shops at Highland Village become more than a shopping destination. Expanding a pre-existing splash pad and adding vibrant, movable furniture invites families to gather, while transforming the southern courtyard into a cafe-like environment — featuring a community pavilion with a fire feature, tree grove shaded seating, a bocce court, and an artificial turf lawn — provides comfortable, flexible space for daily activity and holiday festivities. To enhance the pedestrian experience and improve connectivity across the property, paths have been added across both courtyards and street trees, plant beds, and colorful outdoor seating alcoves are strategically placed to encourage lingering.
In proposing property improvements, the design team was limited to working within the existing framework of the development, navigating space constraints while enhancing the experience. To do this, the design team expanded on successful aspects of the development, such as the existing well-utilized pop-jet fountain, and selectively carved out additional planting and seating areas within the streetscape to infuse site furniture and colorful plantings. These improvements, in addition to the southern courtyard flexible space, make for a more playful and inviting pedestrian experience, and enable the center to host events, integrating the retail center with the fabric of the local community.
