Rowen Master Plan
ROWEN MASTER PLAN
A design for the future takes time, experience and innovation.
Referred to as the ‘Knowledge Community,’ Rowen will be a place for academic researchers, entrepreneurs and established institutions to come together for unique collaborative efforts that deliver groundbreaking discoveries far beyond its footprint.
Rowen Foundation, Inc. is a place for innovation and will likely be one of the most significant initiatives in this century. A future eastern Gwinnett development, expected to span over 2,000 acres, will provide 25,000 jobs at 50% buildout. Considered the region’s next hub for research, the project plans to deliver a large-scale research epi-center focused on agriculture, the environment, and medicine.
SITE SCALE
The 2,000+ planned acres will encompass research facilities, offices, labs, public spaces and supporting amenities.
Rowen selected HGOR to create a master plan that will shape and define areas regarding the public realm. The initiative consists of an overall site master plan, a regulating plan distributing land uses and intensities, a comprehensive multi-modal transportation network plan, an environmental framework plan, and a public/open space system plan. The purpose is to ensure a thoughtful relationship between land use, all modes of transportation, and usable and environmentally valuable lands to maintain publicly accessible open space.
ROWEN MISSION
A considerable part of the project is recognizing the site’s rich history, which dates back 200 years. In the early 1800s, the land held a grist mill which the project plans to preserve the associated dam linking it to a planned trail along the river.
Additional components of the project, marked as key priorities to Rowen, include:
• The reforestation and ecological enhancement in conjunction with the open space designed for people-oriented spaces
• The support of agricultural and food source education
• Providing a living laboratory for continued research on the relationship between the built and natural worlds
• Establishing a large-scale site providing comfort, interest and beauty throughout the year
As anticipated, technology will play a pivotal part across multiple realms of the project. HGOR’s master plans integrate high-performance technologies which will enhance the user experience while supporting the site’s infrastructure.
PLANNING PROCESS
As a visionary knowledge community, Rowen plans to bring together entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators from around the world and more than 50 research and educational institutions across Georgia.
The objectives for the Rowen development center around an active focus on three programmatic drivers, which build on the strengths of Gwinnett County, the region, and the state of Georgia - 1) Environment, 2) Agriculture, and 3) Medicine.
To learn more about this revolutionary project that aims to deliver life-changing results to the entire region and beyond, listen to HGOR Founding Principal Bob Hughes and CEO and President of Rowen Mason Ailstockon on the Capitalism Done Right podcast.
The initial 800 acres, comprising Rowen’s Phase I, will target a SITES Platinum Certification and contain 100% native plant material.
A focus on environmental stewardship and health are key programmatic drivers of the Rowen, along with a sound basis and knowledge of an existing environmental context. To guide the physical land planning at the Rowen development, a composite overlay of site features will be maintained to identify valuable ecological areas and systems.
| Location | Gwinnett County, Georgia |
| Year Completed | In Progress |
| Size | 2,000+ acres |
| Design Team | Bob Hughes, Todd Fuller, Steve Sanchez |
| Collaborators | Rowen Foundation |
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