Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company

Located north of San Antonio, Texas in the City of Windcrest, Rhya is a 303-acre development within two parcels.

Located north of San Antonio, Texas in the City of Windcrest, Rhya is a 303-acre development within two parcels. Though geographically separate, the sites will find connection when integrated with existing infrastructure and neighborhoods. The plan was an effort to boost a slowing economy, renovate a dated residential development, and establish a town center for the City of Windcrest. It also aims to revitalize two major corridors: Eisenhauer Road to the south and Walzem Road to the north. With a focus on creating a walkable and mixed-use neighborhoods, Rhya’s master plan provides for 3,700 units and over one million square feet of retail and office space. Residential units will include apartments, townhomes, and condos, single and multi-family units.

The western site is bordered by I-35 to the west and Eisenhauer Road to the south, as well as the Camelot subdivision to the east and Walzem Road to the north. Fueled by the eventual influx of 4,000 employees to the nearby redeveloping Windsor Mall, this western parcel will provide a higher density urban center, where “big box” retail will be incorporated into a vibrant main street using innovative building types and new facades. I-35 will be shielded from view with wrapped stand-alone buildings insulating the neighborhood from the highway. This 126-acre area will include mixed-use buildings, commercial, retail, office, entertainment, lodging and residences, including single and multi-family units. As an active and urbane new town center, this neighborhood will accommodate a diverse cross-section of residents.

The Eastern portion of the master plan, located between Walzem and Eisenhauer roads, is separated from the Western site by the 1,600 unit Camelot subdivision. This section, designed around a central civic space, provides for a largely residential, less dense mixture of residential units to create a walkable neighborhood attracting people at all stages of life. Commercial use is planned at a pedestrian level and a clear gradation of density creates smooth transitions between neighborhoods, minimizing the impact of develpment. The plan also provides attractive and viable housing for the arrival of 11,000 new employees and families at the Fort Sam Houston military base.

Both sites draw inspiration from the neighborhood structure of La Villita in San Antonio. Thus, the plan designates primary streets to create a collection of smaller blocks, forming clusters of small, diverse neighborhoods. Higher densities form the edges of these clusters while lower densities create the centers. These innovative, yet classic design techniques will help to revitalize the Walzem Road corridor and restore Windcrest’s status as more than a highway city.