Press Release

Dallas, Texas

MESA/Jeffrey Carbo Landscape Architects

Joint Venture Announce Opening of Shangri La
June 11, 2008

Visitor’s Center, Shangri La - Orange, Texas

Jeffrey Carbo Landscape Architects of Alexandria, Louisiana and MESA of Dallas, Texas Joint Venture, announce the
completion and grand opening of Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, located in Orange, Texas. Lake
Flato Architects of San Antonio, Texas and the landscape architects provided consulting services for more than six
years on this groundbreaking 252-acre environmental educational facility and garden, which is owned and operated
by the Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private foundation whose mission is to improve and enrich the
quality of life in Southeast Texas and encourage and assist education.

Shangri La officially opened to the public on March 11th, 2008. As a program of the Stark Foundation, Shangri La’s
mission is to “Mentor Children of all Ages to Be Kind to Their World”. The project made Texas history when the world-
class facility was awarded the state’s first United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Platinum Certification for
LEED-New Construction (NC). This certification verifies that the design and construction of Shangri La reached the
highest green building and performance measures, becoming only the 50th project in the world to earn the Platinum
rating for New Construction. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System
is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operations of high performance green buildings.

“Shangri La is to be commended for achieving LEED certification. This facility is one that both the community and
its visitors can be proud of,” said Rick Fedrizzzi, President of the USGBC. “Shangri La will be a showcase for high-
performance, energy-efficient, healthy design, and an inspiration for others.”

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Dallas, Texas

The Shangri La grounds include art-themed botanical gardens and a 10-acre lake, a Visitor Center with operating
greenhouses and lush wetlands, a dynamic Children’s Garden, an interactive Exhibit Hall, guided tours along
Adams Bayou to one of three outposts located in the interior of Shangri La via specially-designed pontoon boats and
boardwalks through an existing cypress/tupelo swamp, an existing heronry that is home to thousands of migratory
birds, and outdoor nature classrooms. Sustainable design strategies included using captured rain water for irrigation
use, specifying native plant materials that are drought-tolerant and heat-resistant, treating storm water runoff through
natural wetlands, and used recycled plastic for the nature preserve boardwalks and reclaimed asphalt for the entry
drive and parking lot. Recycled cypress timbers harvested from felled trees as a result of Hurricane Rita were used for
the Cypress Gate and boardwalks that serve as the centerpiece of the botanical gardens.

The landscape architects created wetland demonstration gardens that treat recirculating lake water by adding oxygen
and removing harmful pollutants and nitrates. The firms assisted Shangri La staff in locating a working bat house,
designed boat docks along the bayou, and coordinated renovations of the three existing greenhouses. They also
consulted with migratory bird specialists, water quality experts, environmental engineers, and economic planners to
formulate an overall master plan for the design and construction phase that spanned the period from 2002-2008.

The botanical gardens feature an azalea and camellia collection, as well as sculptures highlighting the artistic qualities
of selected plant species by Linda Covit, an artist from Montreal, Canada. Biological filtration is also highlighted
throughout the botanical gardens with a series of linear runnels that remind visitors of the integration of art and
science, as water from the heronry pond is being filtered through the gardens and returned to it.

The history of Shangri La began with H.J. Lutcher Stark, a prominent philanthropist who resided in Orange, Texas.
Inspired by the mystical retreat represented in the book Lost Horizon, Lutcher Stark sought to create his own haven
of indescribable beauty where time would stand still. His vision became a reality in 1937, when he began creating
Shangri-La Botanical Gardens within significant acreage owned by him along Adams Bayou in his hometown of
Orange, Texas. In 1946, Lutcher Stark opened his private oasis to the public, and the secluded utopia quickly became
a popular tourist destination for locals and tourists alike. In 1958, a major snowstorm invaded Southeast Texas, and
the ensuing freeze destroyed most of the plants, including Lutcher Stark’s beloved azaleas. He then closed Shangri-La to
the public, and it remained closed for 50 years.

After the death of Lutcher Stark’s widow, Nelda, in 1999, the property comprising Shangri-La passed to the Stark
Foundation, which had been established by Lutcher and Nelda Stark in 1961. The Foundation’s Board of Directors
recognized the unique ecosystem and educational opportunities of Shangri La and engaged the design team to
create a master plan to re-imagine Shangri La in an effort to fulfill both Lutcher Stark’s original vision and the Stark
Foundation’s current mission. The project now stands complete, serving as a testament of diligent planning, sustainable
practices, and harmonious connection with the natural world.

contact:
Laura Kyle, MESA Marketing Coordinator
lkyle@mesadesigngroup.com
214.871.4434

Jeffrey Carbo
jcarbo@jeffreycarbo.com
318.442.6576