Project Details

Springwoods Village, located on Houston’s north side, is one of the largest Low Impact Developments (LID) in the U.S. Spanning approximately 2,000 acres, it’s anchored by ExxonMobil’s 385-acre campus and thoughtfully designed to harmonize nature and urban development. The community’s vision—to create a timeless and healthy way of life—was guided by Coventry Development Corporation’s sustainability-focused standards, emphasizing green infrastructure like bioswales, permeable pavements, vegetated shoulders, and rainwater reuse.

A centerpiece of this vision is Springwoods Village Parkway, the main artery connecting Interstate 45 and the Grand Parkway. The roadway’s design required a unique and forward-thinking approach to manage flood risk while preserving the development’s natural aesthetic.

What Convergent Water Technologies Provided

To meet stormwater goals without compromising space or landscape design, the project team installed over 100 FocalPoint High-Performance Modular Biofiltration Systems (HPMBS) along Springwoods Village Parkway. The goal was to manage and treat large storm events, including the 100-year storm, directly within the roadside bioswales.

Instead of using traditional curb-and-gutter design, the team implemented gently sloped bioswales along each side of the roadway. These bioswales direct runoff into tiered stone storage layers located beneath the surface. The FocalPoint systems act as treatment and conveyance devices, filtering runoff at rates up to 100 inches/hour while trapping pollutants before water enters the underground storage.

Why Springwoods Village Chose FocalPoint

The project team selected FocalPoint for several key reasons:

• High Infiltration Rate – The system’s engineered media allows for rapid filtration (100 in/hr), helping to manage significant rainfall events without requiring deep or expansive basins.
• Efficient Pollutant Removal – FocalPoint captures up to 90% of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), protecting downstream infrastructure and reducing maintenance requirements.
• Compact, Scalable Footprint – Over 100 systems were placed throughout the parkway’s bioswales, integrating seamlessly into the naturalized roadside design.
• Long-Term Reliability – With a decentralized and modular layout, the FocalPoint system supports sustainable flood control and water quality management with minimal ongoing intervention.

Results

The stormwater design at Springwoods Village Parkway successfully balances ecological stewardship with urban infrastructure needs. Thanks to the reliability and performance of the FocalPoint systems, the project mitigates flooding, supports water quality goals, and maintains the community’s natural character—all without relying on space-consuming detention basins or high-maintenance systems.

Today, the parkway stands as a showcase of how thoughtful GSI implementation can turn a major roadway into a stormwater management solution that’s both functional and beautiful.