Park District Park District Treats Residents and Visitors to Views of Klyde Warren Park

The Challenge

Existing glass buildings in this part of downtown Dallas often stood as independent objects, largely ignoring the public realm. The design team faced the challenge of creating two building on a three-acre parcel that would contribute to the vertical fabric of Dallas while also engaging the public. Initial zoning would have yielded a single-use office building with an adjacent nine-level garage. Designers sought a design solution that would match the site’s potential.

The Design Solution

Robust community engagement allowed for rezoning for higher density, mixed-uses.  Economically, the added density enabled relocating most parking below grade. The office building then rotated perpendicular to the park, adding a residential tower, retail space and a central plaza engaging the park.
The design team looked to pull the fabric of Klyde Warren Park into the building itself, offering residents private and semi-private open green spaces with spectacular views of the award-winning park.

The 19-story Park District features a Class A office tower, a separate luxury residential tower, ground-floor retail, extensive below-grade parking and a plaza designed by The Office of James Burnett, the landscape architecture firm that designed Klyde Warren Park. Tenants benefit from a state-of-the art fitness facility, a conference facility and a grand lobby with luxe space for informal meetings. The Residences at Park District tower accommodates 255 high-end residential units and 13,000 square feet (1,207 square meters) of retail space fronting popular Klyde Warren Park.

Most of the parking is underground to better integrate the buildings into the fabric of the neighborhood. The design of Park District emphasizes strong connections to Klyde Warren Park with wide, inviting sidewalks, park-like landscaping and a large, walkable plaza with valet pick-up and drop-off.

The Design Impact

Park District connects the Arts District, downtown Dallas and Uptown, providing tenants, residents and the public a unique way to experience Klyde Warren Park and the city. A biophilic design approach focused on daylight and outdoor space facilitates the user’s innate need for connection to the nature. Low reflectivity glass facing the park reduces reflected glare, avoiding potentially undesirable contributions to a warmer microclimate within the park. 

The economic impact of the increased density achieved through the engagement with the community and city of Dallas, exceeds $100 million. In recent economic cycles, pre-leased lead tenant of PWC and residential have had the highest lease rates in Dallas. Park District also reached 100% building occupancy in its first year of operation.  The office building and the residential tower achieved LEED Gold and LEED Silver certification, respectively.