With its 50-year plan for Texas Medical Center (TMC), SOM developed a cohesive growth strategy for one of the world’s largest medical campuses. Encompassing 675 acres, an area nearly equal to downtown Houston, TMC is the city’s largest employer, it houses 54 separate institutions, with a daytime population of up to 70,000 medical professionals, support staff, students, and patients.

TMC had grown in a largely random fashion since its founding in 1945. The master plan produced done in collaboration with Rice University, focuses on creating a walkable campus within short distance of transit links and urban amenities such as stores, hotels, and restaurants. SOM’s team approached the project with the same foresight that goes into the planning of cities, outlining guidelines that will harmonize the expansion of multiple institutions. In addition to its emphasis on mixed-use development around transportation hubs, the plan promotes sustainability by maximizing land use, preserving open space, and improving stormwater management.