University of Texas at Dallas

Reflecting Pools at the University of Texas at Dallas

The reflecting pools form the central core of the enhancement project, stretching from the School of Management, past the Student Union, ending at the Eugene McDermott Library. The total length of the pools exceeds 600 feet. In times of drought, the pools can be drained to reveal a surface that resembles a dry Texas creek bed.

This is possibly the most beautiful grouping of Magnolias in Dallas and even Texas (someday). These are Claudia Wannamaker Magnolias. ‘Claudia Wannamaker’ is a vigorous grower, medium broad pyramid form, more open than ‘ Bracken’s Brown Beauty.’ Leaves are dark green and rusty brown and it blooms at an early age. It can be trimmed up or branch to the ground.

Reflecting Pools University of Texas at Dallas

The stone planters are a focal point in the enhancement project, prominently located at the head of the plaza. Each planter is encircled in limestone blocks and measures more than 26 feet across. The planters are filled with native red yuccas.

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There are five linear pools in the mall, and one circular pool with a fog column situated in the plaza. Each linear pool runs independently with its own set of pumps and filters housed in two underground pump rooms.

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It takes approximately 150,000 gallons of water to fill the five pools and 11,000 gallons to fill the circular pool. The five linear pools and the circular pool use recirculated water. Water is delivered to the pools by pumps via subsurface pipes and captured at the opposite end, where it is drained back to the pump rooms and filtered.

Chinese Slate UTD Reflection Pool Dallas

Approximately 14,000 square feet of Chinese granite was hand-placed in the linear pools.The pools use 3,200 linear feet of water supply piping and 11,000 linear feet of drain piping.

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There are 116 Magnolias flanking the pools. The Claudia Wannamaker Southern Magnolia has a strong conical shape, the burnished undertoned leaf and symmetrical branching. Read more about Magnolias Here.

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A focal point of the redesigned mall, the massive steel trellis is 165 feet wide, 146 feet long and stands 25 feet high. The trellis is made from painted steel columns and beams that support shade-providing fiberglass and plastic tubes. The tubes have a large surface area and reflect heat up and away from the plaza.

The circular pool’s fog system is designed to run at 3.7 gallons per minute. On calm days, fog can crawl as high as 200 feet from the column. The wind sensor turns the fog off on windy days, and at night the column is illuminated.