Southlake Town Square

SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS

MASTER PLAN: REGIONAL SHOPPING DISTRICT

  • 135-acre master plan

  • 555,000 SF of retail

  • 26,000 SF of office space

  • 250 hotel rooms

  • 3,200 theater seats

  • townhouse residential

  • Master planning, Programming, Entitlement, Architectural Design

ARCHITECT OF RECORD: Beck

Design Architect: David M. Schwarz Architects.

Client: Copper & Stebbins

BUILDING & MOBILITY TYPES

  • Mansion House

  • Corner Lot

  • 25’ Wide Townhouses

  • English Basement Townhouses

  • Corridor Multi-family Residential

  • Podium IBC Type V Mixed-Use Residential

  • Food Truck, Pop-up and Temporary Retail

  • Pad Site Restaurants made Walkable

  • Single Story In-line Commercial Buildings

  • Office over Retail – Bar Joist

  • Urban Cinema

  • Conventional Office Buildings

  • Post Office

  • Library

  • Preschool

  • City Hall

  • Courthouse

  • Pedestrian-Oriented Street Furniture

  • Bike Storage

  • On-Street Parking

  • Alley Loaded Garages/Spaces

  • Screened Parking Lots

  • Stacked Parking Trays

  • Screened Parking Garages

  • Conventional Parking Garage with Exposed Facades

Southlake Town Square is a meticulously planned 140-acre town center that integrates retail, office spaces, residential apartments, and civic buildings into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environment. With a total planned area of 3.2 million square feet, the development has become a premier destination for suburban residents seeking an urban experience in the heart of North Texas. The master plan and the majority of the downtown buildings were designed by David M. Schwarz Architects (DMS). While at DMS, Brian O’Looney assisted with the preparation and entitlement of the masterplan, advanced the design for the 2 story steel bar-joist mixed-use building type that is the basis of the neighborhood design, and both Brian and Alex contributed to the design work of downtown facades.

Southlake Town Square is distinguished by its carefully detailed traditional architecture, which fosters a strong sense of community and belonging. Unlike conventional suburban developments, Southlake prioritizes walkability and human-scale design, ensuring that streets and public spaces are engaging and accessible.

Key design strategies include:

  • Liner retail and office blocks over retail that strategically wrap around surface parking lots, shielding them from street views.

  • Office lobbies are carefully positioned throughout blocks and designed as open breezeways, providing mid-block pedestrian access between streets and parking areas.

The architectural character of Southlake Town Square draws inspiration from the historic main streets of Texas towns. The 25-foot structural bay system allowed for breaking down long building blocks into smaller, human-scaled facades, enhancing the pedestrian experience. Each building was designed as a unique entity, incorporating a rich palette of architectural elements such as:

  • Bays, towers, and turrets to add visual interest and variety.

  • Diverse roofing styles and corbelling to create a sense of history and authenticity.

By blending traditional design principles with modern urban planning, Southlake Town Square successfully creates a timeless and cohesive downtown environment that encourages community interaction while maintaining a strong retail and business presence.