Gwinnett County, Georgia
Client: Rowen Foundation
Size: 2,000+ acres
Status: Ongoing
Awards:
2023 Best in Real Estate: Land Planning, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Collaborators:
From 2,000+ acre land vision to thriving campus for innovation & discovery.
HGOR is leading the planning and landscape architecture for Rowen, a 2,000+ acre research and innovation campus in Gwinnett County designed to bring together entrepreneurs, researchers, and institutions focused on advancements in agriculture, the environment, and medicine. The campus-wide master plan establishes a framework for long-term growth, balancing development with ecological preservation through an integrated system of land use, mobility, and open space. By translating a visionary concept into an implementable strategy, HGOR is helping shape a resilient, connected campus designed to evolve over time.
Framework for Long-Term Growth
HGOR developed a master plan to guide phased development across the expansive site and design guidelines to ensure future growth remains aligned with ecological preservation, infrastructure capacity, and a cohesive campus identity. Beginning with a composite environmental overlay, the team identified sensitive natural systems and established an Environmental Framework Plan to inform land use decisions. The resulting plan organizes development through a comprehensive transportation network that directs density to appropriate areas while preserving open space, protecting ecological assets, and establishing an interconnected system of public trails.
From Vision to Implementation
Completed in 2025, the first phase of construction included critical roadway infrastructure that unlocks development across the site, providing access to approximately 800 acres of fully serviced land. HGOR designed the two miles of “complete streets” with wide sidewalks and curvy, narrow drive lanes to promote traffic calming and public safety, while bioswales and a 100% native plant palette create a functional and diverse landscape.
Rowen Village:
A Walkable Mixed-Use Core
At the heart of the campus, Rowen Village establishes a 200-acre district designed to support daily life alongside research and innovation. HGOR also masterplanned this mixed-use core, organized around walkability, complete streets, integrated parks, and green infrastructure, creating a connected public realm that encourages interaction, collaboration, and community. Rowen Village will include offices, co-working and retail spaces, restaurants and cafes, residences, and event spaces, as well as the Rowen Convergence Center—the first vertical development on site.
HGOR is also leading planning and landscape architecture for the Convergence Center, which is envisioned as both a physical and symbolic anchor to support early activation while reinforcing Rowen’s identity as a place defined by collaboration, sustainability, and human-scale design.
