Embodying the Lone Star State

Texas-Shaped Lazy River Becomes a Houston Icon

Carefully designed with precise edges and curves to perfectly mimic the rivers and roads that create the Texas’s borders, a spectacular rooftop pool deck in downtown Houston is proudly celebrated by a city, state and worldwide corporation. The 8th-floor rooftop of the downtown Marriott Marquis Houston hotel showcases a massive Texas-shaped lazy river. Outdoor lounging space and firepits, bountiful foliage, an event lawn, custom lighting and paving and even an interactive splash pad complement the expansive lazy river on the amenity deck. All aspects were intricately designed to offer each hotel visitor a luxurious and unforgettable experience.

The lazy river holds roughly 75,000 gallons of water and is four feet deep throughout. Underwater jets gently push the water, moving guests around the state's border from east to west. At the far corner of the pool, where El Paso is located, a four-inch thick acrylic sheet creates the "infinity" phenomenon. The current pushes people toward the transparent wall as if they will fall right off the edge of the building, then slowly pulls them south, along the outline replicating the Rio Grande.

Bringing this vision to life took incredible coordination and innovation between the design and build teams, and their efforts paid off. This unique deck is a premiere project for the Houston-based landscape architecture design firm Clark Condon. It is also widely celebrated in Houston and across the state of Texas, often listed as a must-visit destination for both tourists and Texas natives. The entire deck stretches roughly three acres—about 5,600 square feet—and provides picturesque views of downtown Houston.

Clark Condon served as the landscape architect of record for the project. A non-affiliated firm developed the conceptual deck drawings based on the initial vision set forth by Marriott leadership. Mat Funk, PLA and senior associate, helped create the landscape construction documents, select materials and furnishings and bring the client’s vision to fruition.

"We worked as the landscape architect of record for the amenity deck at Marriott Marquis Houston, which is atypical for our firm," says Mat. "Typically, we like to be involved at the conceptual level, but the project type and client gave us the encouragement to move forward. Several aspects of installing an expansive lazy river on the 8th floor of a building were especially challenging. We considered various constraints and construction concerns as we developed the design."

Creating the intricate shape of Texas on the roof deck required a balance between the best possible construction method and types of materials to ensure constructability. Due to the amenity deck’s 8th-floor location, a variety of factors were considered including weight, pool layout and fabrication methods. The final strategy consisted of lifting large sheets of stainless steel to the rooftop for fabrication of the pool, spa and lazy river on site. A vinyl liner was placed into the molded stainless steel basin to provide aesthetic texture, safety and waterproofing. Structures made of lightweight concrete form the planter walls that surround the Texas-shaped lazy river and provide a lush, landscaped environment on the rooftop. The pool and planters are located on a structural slab recessed four feet down to support the entire amenity deck. A paver pedestal system created an elevated walking surface that established a void between the structural slab and pavers where numerous utilities were routed to reduce visual clutter, as well as for maintenance and access.

An interactive spray ground is situated within the state of Texas and a large star marks Houston on the map. The feature is self-contained and circulates like a traditional in-ground pool. As this is located within the larger river area, a circular stainless steel water trough was fabricated and placed on a concrete layer within the pedestal system. Spray nozzles and jets pump water through openings on the deck surface and the water drains back into the pavement, another feature made possible by the pedestal design.

"The pedestal system was a major focus throughout the project,” Mat explains. “It provided flexibility to mitigate the sloping roof deck and conceal utilities while still providing an accessible walking surface throughout the amenity space."

Another feature that the hotel prioritized was the transparent walking bridge over the lazy river. An acrylic bridge structure was engineered to balance a key design goal to support the weight of the guests without adding excessive weight to the pool deck and not obscuring the shape of Texas from above. 

"Watching everything come together was an exciting part of the process,” Mat says. “In the beginning, the site was in disarray with scattered materials and construction occurring across every inch of the deck."

"Over time, though, the elements were
installed, & I began to see a space form reflective
of the drawings we produced. It blew me away."

The sentiment is shared by many who see the pool, whether in person or in the media. When the hotel opened, the deck received international attention from groups like CNN and U.S. News and World Report, among other media outlets. The rooftop amenity deck opened in 2017, just in time for Super Bowl LI in Houston. The iconic image of the lazy river often finds the spotlight during Houston-based events, such as the 2022 World Series broadcasts and even local news coverage. Mat and the Clark Condon team feel a sense of pride when they see their work on display.

"I often see the Texas-shaped lazy river on television, in tourism advertisements and on social media,” he says. “It is a feather in my cap to know I helped create this wonderful site. Knowing this would become a great icon was absolutely a driving factor for the team as we worked. Every person involved in the project can revel in their contribution, be it the designers or construction crew."

Mat says this project is one of many rooftop installations he has worked on since the COVID-19 pandemic. Residential and commercial building owners now use their rooftop spaces for pools, office space, kitchens and lounge areas. He says clients are showing a growing interest in enhancing the outdoor spaces of their buildings, especially in densely populated urban areas. The emergence of building on rooftops has presented new challenges for architects, designers and construction crews; however, these new outdoor environments offer a variety of future opportunities.

"Design and construction on ground-level projects routinely pose unique challenges while navigating site constraints such as drainage, grading and other factors,” Mat adds. “Transporting materials to upper floors and working within an urban environment takes the challenges to new heights. As we continue working on similar sites, our team strives to capture what we learn and share it with others in the industry. We hope our colleagues can use the information to achieve outstanding results as well."

Get In Touch With...

Elizabeth Gilbert
Managing Principal of Clark Condon

Location: Houston, Texas
Office Number: (713) 871–1414
clarkcondon.com