Case Studies

Provided master planning, design, and construction coordination for renovation of 22-acre site.

One of America’s finest art museums, Philbrook serves more than 160,000 visitors annually. It has become a poignant testimony to Tulsa's past while building a shining example of this city's bright future. The grounds around the museum are among the most breathtaking in the state.

During the $7 million renovation, Howell & Vancuren acted as the lead consultant by providing master planning, design, and construction observation services. Special care was taken to maintain historical integrity and to honor the original master plan, which was first completed in 1928 by Hare & Hare Landscape Architects.

The scope of the project included the creation of new gardens, renovation of existing gardens, site-wide landscaping, new restrooms, landscape lighting, water features, Crow Creek reclamation, and new bridges.

Special care was taken to reuse as much of the existing materials as possible when renovating the gardens The new gardens incorporate a wide range of plants to refleck the Italian, English and French design influences reflected in the original design.

An extensive redesign of the pedestrian network allows for universal access throughout the entire grounds along flowing garden paths. This network now allows every individual, regardless of physical impariment, to enjoy the beauty of Philbrook.

The successful completion of this project won an Honor Award from the Oklahoma chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.