On ViewJune 12-August 22, 2025
Architecture Center Houston

SponsorsThe City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance
REES
CORT
ASLA Texas, H/GC Section
Texas Parks & Wildlife

ArticlesHoustonia

Verdant Laboratory tells the story of Houston’s wild and often overlooked landscapes. Through large-scale mixed-media drawings, sculptures, and a video projection, landscape architect Falon Mihalic explores the living systems that form Houston’s foundation. Houston is not just a city built on bayous—it is a bayou. Situated at the intersection of the Galveston Bay estuary and coastal prairie, Houston exists within a dynamic and powerful web of water, soil, and biodiversity. Verdant Laboratory invites visitors to reconsider the city’s terrain not as backdrop, but as a vibrant, evolving protagonist.

The primary challenge lay in developing an identity system that evoked Mihalic’s striking balance of organic forms and bold materials without overworking the visuals. Typography played a crucial role, with ABC Camera used throughout the project. The light traps, or holes, in the typeface are reminiscent of molecular forms. Color is employed throughout to anchor the work.