Sculptural shade structures in Downtown Houston
This is Rootlab's first newsletter. You're getting it because we've worked together, or because we've talked about working together. Once a month we'll send a short digest of projects we've just finished — what they are, who we built them with, and the challenges we faced. We're designers and fabricators who live in the details, so expect fewer finished photos and more shop floor. If this isn't of interest, opt out here.
DOWNTOWN HOUSTON · COOL & CONNECTED CORRIDORS
Shade designed for Houston summers
At the end of summer 2025, Downtown Houston+ released its Cool & Connected Corridors action plan and began pulling together a team to implement Phase 1 before the World Cup in June 2026. The short-term goal was to connect Buffalo Bayou Park on the west side of downtown to the FIFA Fan Fest on the east. The long-term goal was a new pedestrian-scale visual language for Downtown Houston, built out of shade, lighting and planting.
SWA led the team, with Höweler + Yoon, Fractal Structural, Walter P Moore, KPK Lighting and Rootlab consulting. We came in to advise on buildability, then worked out the technical details once a concept was set. We were selected to fabricate. With the Jerdon team, we installed 16 stainless structures across 8 locations on Texas Avenue, finished (just barely) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The structures are roll-bent SCH 40 and SCH 80 stainless steel pipe, assembled on custom jigs we built for each of the three structure types. Bead blast finish for durability and an uplight and downlight to illuminate the structures at night. The fabric is a custom printed high durability UV PVC mesh.
The mesh was one of the major hurdles. Tensioning fabric evenly across an irregular three-dimensional surface is not a solved thing, so we developed a 3D-printed stainless steel tensioning system for the job. It lets us adjust the mesh precisely at every frame. We think it's pretty cool.
IN THE SHOP
The fiber laser is up
A 1.5 kW IPG fiber laser, 5' x 10' bed with an exchange table. Steel, stainless and aluminum cut in-house instead of subbed out.
We love our robots. The fiber laser joins our fleet of CNC machines: the 3-axis and the 4-axis router tables, the 5-axis hot wire and the 7-axis robot arm. Parts go from drawing to assembly without leaving Clinton Drive. The difference shows up in fit-up and turnaround time: if something needs adjusting, we recut it that afternoon instead of waiting on a vendor.
CURRENTLY INSTALLING
Three going in right now
Historic Bethel Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama. A museum inside the church, designed by Timelooper. Casework and themed rooms with interactives covering the church's role in the Civil Rights Movement. Our crew is on site installing now.
Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area. We've spent the last year developing the exhibits for the visitor center of Texas Parks and Wildlife's newest park in the Hill Country. Our scope included the concept and design development for nine interpretive exhibit elements including a topographical map, several mechanical interactives, and a woodland scene with sculptural deer and birds. Install begins in a week.
Sensing Sound, at The Health Museum here in Houston. An exhibit on sound and hearing by Uncommon Collaborators and Upswell. We're making a walk-through sculptural ear at the entrance which leads into an ear canal tunnel, an interactive scream booth, and an 8' x 8' x 6' 3d printed brain with internal lighting, along with several other elements throughout the exhibit. Install starts in two weeks and it opens at the end of November.
If you are ever in the East End, the shop is on Clinton Drive and we are glad to show people around. Reply to this and we will find a time.