Leaderboard

I'm pretty sure we're in the mess we're in w/ transportation and infrastructure because many of our officials' decisions were predicated by the statement "I guess it's not THAT bad if......".

Tadaaaa. 930,000 square feet 276 units/170 rooms w/ 20,000 square feet of retail 367,000 square feet office tower w/ 6,500 square feet of retail. BBVA Compass Plaza/The Perennial/Gables Post Oak Mixed-Use Tower threads merged.

as long as it's more stable than a few of the members on here, it shouldn't matter.

Larger rendering:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/sarnoff/article/Kirby-Drive-vote-could-allow-major-development-to-5501264.php#/1

Bikes are not supposed to go on the sidewalks anyway; they are supposed to share the road with the cars. One of the two evils will end up killing you.

Oh man, you did it now! You brought this on yourself!

I wonder how they can have studied hundreds of the best campus settings, designing for urban and collegial feel, and have missed the obvious fact that if you want those feelings you don't have one architect do the whole place.

well, you just can't have workers standing by, so I'd imagine they'd have to design and engineer it once they decide what design they want to use. then of course, you need to order pieces from various vendors, blah, blah, blah. Most people don't have the slightest clue on what it takes to construct something.

Ah yes such a classic statement that destroys innovation or making any improvements. It goes hand in hand with the other great statement "Well because we have always done it this way...". Such amazing sources of inspiration -.- .....those lazy bums.

Segways were the worst thing security companies could buy. I can just never take anyone seriously when they're riding one

It looks like I've answered my own question: Got some renderings as well: edit: JPEGS looks like crap, see original PDF here

Construction 2014.05.12 3948-50 by ThirdCoastRyan on Flickr Construction 2014.05.12 3984-6 by ThirdCoastRyan on Flickr Construction 2014.05.12 3990-2 by ThirdCoastRyan on Flickr Construction 2014.05.12 3924-6 by ThirdCoastRyan on Flickr

beautiful, ultra modern, sleek. talk about an architectural achievement, to dig deep into the old.. and bring forth a renaissance of design. BRAVO!

Meh. Hopefully this is not the final look. Looks thinner than the actual building and the previous renderings.

Here's some background on Houston Center from the book, Houston: Lost and Unbuilt. http://books.google.com/books?id=UfjlqsiC-4cC&pg=PA137&dq=Houston+Center&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3uV_U9mSGcPjsATI1YGwDQ&ved=0CEYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Houston%20Center&f=false

Tell me about this as this is news to me. What was the original vision for this massive Houston Center development? I am aware of the bubble bursting by '83 so, no need to describe that. But, please educate me on the vision that you elude to here.

I think the new Adam Sandler is the real shame

Dare I say it? I see Density.

Bravo on creating the gifs. The future is now!

I walked by there the other day, I was tempted to go up and take some pics myself but got a glowering stare from a segway mounted security dude and kept on moving.

LOL. I didn't create those names. I'm guessing they are randomly generated. Yea, one of them has an.... interesting name. Haha... that certainly would have helped. It is always incredibly windy up there to take pictures of this project.. it appears to come from Discovery Green and the Hess Tower area.

Yea, I'm going to try other methods. Most places I've found, I'm limited by the amount I can upload. Plus, I want them to also be larger in size and somewhat more stable.

Let's all chip in and buy Triton a tripod.

Im not saying that it won't be nice to have more signage downtown, that I would welcome, but the actual glow of the buildings themselves is comforting to me, especially coming back into town after a long trip. But like I said, at ground level, we need more signage. More lighted signs in varing colors. I like the lighting scheme for this hotel, the one at green street and 609 main

While this latest design is not terrible, I too am disappointed in the lack of crown. As it has already been mentioned, it is not like there is flashy architecture all over Houston (in fact there is hardly any at all....especially in the past 20 years). I know conservatism is a part of Houston's culture. I have been a member here long enough to watch folks applaud a practically pitch black downtown nighttime skyline, and describe the overly chosen box design for this city as sleek and regal whenever a design is dramatically scaled back. Ok. I know we aren't Dallas or Atlanta or L.A., or Miami, or Chicago but Houston could definitely use more asymmetric/cylindrial/crowns in it's skylines.

Haha

I'm pretty sure this is what's going to eventually happen.

These are a great idea. Any way of getting longer gifs? Or try experimenting with web.m's like /gif uses now

Triton your gifs have the weirdest file names lol Surprised at how fast this is moving now though. Exciting!

"cockoftherock.gif" Uhhhh what?

M e h. Not enough Audis.

Well the Taylor bridge, the one in the rendering, is fine. The Studewood bridge, the one we were mentioning and the one in the article, is downright terrifying. The article states they aren't sure what caused the fall...??? Let me show you what caused the fall: From Google Streetview. Look at the "sidewalk" and tell me that looks safe. You don't realize just how bad it is until it's too late... or if you need to get to Stude Park from the bike trail, this is one of the quickest ways. Either way, it's a big NO NO NO for me.

I'm sorry, but it has to be done:

There is no diversion of funds from your favored routes. Without the toll road, the funds would not exist. The alleged wear and tear on your vehicle caused by your using some other longer route is not the fault of the toll road and would not be cured by not building the toll road (and your cost would probably actually be increased by not building the toll road because that many more people would be with you on your underinvested favorite routes.) The toll roads may or may not be the best public policy or the best transportation policy. A fair and reasonable argument can be made that we should raise gasoline taxes and fund more of our road projects in the traditional manner. But it is flat-out false to claim that you are paying anything for toll roads you do not use or that they somehow magically impose costs on your transportation. (And FWIW, these are not privately built; Harris County's toll roads are all being built and funded and owned and operated by public agencies.)

We, as taxpayers aren't paying for it in the first instance. So we don't pay more to use. Users pay for the road. Period. The toll roads are built and paid for by issuing bonds, which will be paid off with toll revenues.

The New River Gorge bridge in West Virginia ain't bad. With 876 feet of clearance, Williams Tower would almost fit underneath.

Who rides a bike on the pedestrian shoulder, where your center of gravity is higher than the guard rail whilst cars zoom by? Kudos the Audi driver for changing lanes.

Sorry, but this hotel was designed to be "flashy" otherwise why build a huge rooftop pool in the shape of Texas and have over 1000 rooms? Besides it's not like a lot of Houston's buildings are flashy anyway, if anything most are designed pretty conservatively. Houston could use a bit more flashier buildings IMO. A lot of convention center hotels are being built with the wow factor these days. Look at lighting on the Omni in Dallas, whether one likes it or not, no one could argue that it isn't flashy. While the end result (if this truly is the end result) of the Marquis is not entirely horrible, it is a bit disappointing compared to its initial renderings.

I've bicycled and walked through the park a few times in the last week, and I'm impressed by the progress so far. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I can see the vision coming to fruition. I really like the separate paths for runners to help break up the traffic, and also the use of native grasses and wildflowers along the section just west of the skate park next to the bayou. What most surprises me is just how popular the trails have suddenly become. I've been using this park for well over a decade and remember times where nobody else was visible on the trails. Now it feels like the running trail at Memorial Park, except with a mix of cyclists and runners doing a fitness circuit. Part of me misses the solitude and peace of the old park, as it feels like an outdoor gym now, only much prettier and with nicer trails. I haven't noticed this, but it's strange that they would ride golf carts on the paths. Given how busy the path is during peak times, I'd think they would ride bicycles or even Segways.

Wine and whiskey bar confirmed for 3Q 2014: http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/05-20-14-houstons-most-innovative-restaurant-chef-is-opening-up-his-own-bar-in-a-historic-downtown-spot/

20140505_192146 by Not.Larry.Dierker, on Flickr 20140505_192241 by Not.Larry.Dierker, on Flickr

When one throws out nonsense like a "1200-1500' wide river of concrete" for the Grand Parkway, one starts losing credibility. I don't think there is a freeway in all of Houston that uses a 1200-1500' ROW, or anything even very close to that.