The Related Companies asked Cooper Robertson to rethink the master plan for Tuxedo Farms, a new 1,195-unit community located an hour north of New York City. The site is characterized by steep topography and extensive wetlands and wildlife habitat corridors. Cooper Robertson combined a clear understanding of the qualities of this singular place with GIS analyses of slopes, wetlands, and wildlife migration patterns to determine the most appropriate locations to build. Analysis focused on finding building locations that would preserve and enhance the special features of the site. The community amenities linked to the open space form the organizing armature for the plan.

The plan clusters homes into a series of neighborhood centers and hamlets each with its own green and separated by preserved open space. A town center at the middle of the community contains 30,000 square feet of retail, a health and racquet club, professional offices, as well as condominiums and townhouses. In addition to drawing up a code book of architectural and landscape controls, Cooper Robertson designed a series of bio-filtration swales to protect the site’s delicate water ecology.