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fernz

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Everything posted by fernz

  1. fernz
    They did that on the Post Oak side.
  2. fernz
    Those are BIG letters on top of that building.
  3. fernz
    The best comp is the Cosmopolitan across the street. As ugly as it is, it sold quite well. People with money who are willing to put up with Galleria area traffic just for the perceived prestige are not necessarily rational buyers.
  4. fernz
    They're not sure if it will be residential or commercial, but "hopefully" they will start renovations in 30 to 60 days...good luck with that.
  5. fernz
    I'm liking it too, at least better than I used to. I got a chance to see the interior space BBVA is building; it is REALLY cool.
  6. fernz
    Slightly being the key word
  7. fernz
    No, the builders cut corners. The only lights are the signs that light up white at night.
  8. fernz
    BBVA only has 7 floors; the rest of the building is mostly available still; as is most of Skanska's building. I wouldn't expect phase 2 any time soon. I don't like the green glass either, so 90's.
  9. fernz
    ??? The Church has very clearly issued decisions on condoms (or any form of contraception) and pre-marital sex; they are just not the decisions that our self-centered culture of instant gratification likes. On another point, one reason old churches were so ornate and full of interpretative art is that they were a tool to spread the teachings of the Church in a time when most people were illiterate and had no access to books.
  10. fernz
    I'll tell you why this Cathedral does not have elaborate designs: "I wanted something that would be really simple in design, not overly ornate. I didn't want any type of baroque church. Something that would have a simplicity about it but a simplicity that would show its nobility, simple nobility, the elegance of simplicity. I wanted the lines of the church to be clean and attractive, and I think the architects did a very good job." Archbishop Fiorenza, from the Houston Chronicle interview.
  11. fernz
    I disagree; it is not besides the point. There is a big difference between a design element that has a significance that still holds true (such as a dome or a cruciform floor plan) and a "design element" that is untrue to its form. The dome is not there merely to evoke a traditional feature, it creates a special place in the church under which the liturgy takes place, where the word of God is spoken and where the Eucharist is consecrated. The buttresses used to have a very significant, albeit structural role. If you take that role away, they are just a meaningless, nostalgic, neogothic add-ons. They are no better than the "columns" on the side of Randall Davis' Gotham building in River Oaks.
  12. fernz
    That is not correct. Buttresses are not "just decorative elements". Unlike the dome or the rose windows, buttresses are meant to be a structural element, just like a column would be. Having fake buttresses in a concrete and steel church is an architectural absurdity.
  13. fernz
    It must be all that limestone, it's the same material all the self-storage units have...or maybe it's the stained glass.
  14. fernz
    Where did you read that? How on earth does having retail make a building more environmentally friendly? As far as I know, there isn't any LEED credit for mixing uses.
  15. fernz
    No carpet, all stone. And it is full-size dimensional mud-set stone, no tile.
  16. fernz
    pardon the late entry... The city's growth is not affected or limited by zoning or the lack thereof. A city will grow based on its economic growth. If jobs are being created, then new households will need new places to live - simple law of supply and demand. Look at the DC metro region, it has one of the biggest barriers of entry, yet it is one the hottest markets for RE development. Setbacks are a big issue in Houston because (1) it's one of the few restrictions in place in the city and (2) it opposes certain neighborhoods' goals to have pedestrian-friendly, urban design. To achieve this, you need to build on the lot line, and therefore require a variance to override the setback requirement, which is in place in the entire city. There is really no legal basis for the city to stop the development. But when you get the mayor on your side, hire a top-notch attorney to fight for you, and pay for an expensive PR campaign, you multiply the soft costs of development and marketing for the developer (who now has to get on the defensive), maybe to a point where the project is not feasible anymore...
  17. fernz
    From the HBJ, I don't have access to the whole article: "The Four Oaks Place office complex may soon be more appropriately named Five Oaks Place. The owner of the 1.8 million-square-foot office complex in the Galleria area is looking at spending between $100 million and $120 million to develop a new office building at 1550 Post Oak Blvd., where a 24 Hour Fitness is currently located" Webcam: http://oxblue.com/open/transwestern/5oaks Renderings, and article from 10/13: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2013/10/photos-developers-break-ground-on-bhp.html http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8507440817_0fefe9fa75_b.jpg http://www.justintowart.com/wp-content/uploads/Towart-Work13-Arch-Illustration-40.jpg http://www.justintowart.com/wp-content/uploads/Towart-Work13-Arch-Illustration-42.jpg http://www.justintowart.com/wp-content/uploads/Towart-Work13-Arch-Illustration-43.jpg
  18. fernz
    The bell tower has been topped off. It has a similar gold cross to the dome's.
  19. fernz
    I think you are overlooking Hanover. If you look at what they did with lofts at post oak and seven riverway, and what they are planning on doing at boulevard place, they are taking apartments to a new level of quality. Only finger is doing something similar, but they don't have the national presence that hanover does.
  20. fernz
    it will
  21. fernz
    The renderings and model I saw did not have any kind of spire, it is a flat-roofed building. However, at about level 36 there is a big garden terrace that seems to take a 5 story bite out of the building, and at that point the massing of the building changes and becomes two interlocking volumes. Pretty neat looking building, at least compared to what has been built in Houston in the last ten years. Like I said, no Pennzoil, but I nice building nonetheless.
  22. fernz
    I don't mean any offense to anyone here, but I am amazed how little architectural knowledge there is among the members of this forum, especially for a forum about architecture. Anyone who has seen this building or pictures of it and still thinks that they might add a skin to it has no understanding of the significance of what is called exposed concrete, or even better, architectural concrete. Even though they did a terrible job with this building, the concrete on the facade, with the little holes and the defined reveals and pattern, is considered a premium finish. Yes, Hines paid a premium for this concrete. It is not raw or unfinished as suggested by some. It is a premium, architectural grade concrete wall. It will not be covered up by any skin (unless Hines holds the contractor responsible for doing such a bad job on the concrete finish and makes them cover it up) And yes it is plain concrete, it could be much better, but is not half as bad as described previously. I for one think it is much better than that fake stone looking parking garage attached to the Commerce Towers, and better than many parking garages in the city. It is clean, modern, honest and makes no apologies. It is a parking garage than is not disguised as something else, and it reflects the true identity of the city, one that is 100% car centric.
  23. fernz
    I am sorry for misleading you. I did not mean angling as in the City Center project where the angle is on the elevation. I meant angling as seen in floor plan, meaning that it is not a square box. I would say the shape is "similar" to the PanAm building in NY. It is all curtain wall though, very slick, without any strong bands or patterns, as most of the buildings you can see on the architect's website (particularly this one: http://www.pickardchilton.com/pagProject.a...#39;&ID=43) I saw a printed version of the rendering, so I apologize, I have no links or images to post. But I'll say it again, it is a nice, slick building, much better that their last tower (Calpine Center) but not another Pennzoil.
  24. fernz
    I bet it is. I'm surprised they are willing to go at it without a tenant; I guess they want to beat the Discovery Tower out of the ground. The rendering I saw looked pretty slick, it's an all glass tower with slightly angled walls, and a terrace garden two-thirds up the building.
  25. fernz
    No, sometimes real estate companies get into projects that involve huge financial risk without expecting any financial return, just for fun. Maybe they built this parking garage only to enjoy reading the comments on this forum!
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