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HeightsGuy

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Everything posted by HeightsGuy

  1. From a 1998 Metropolis interview: Don't influential architects -- say, you and Stern and maybe Eisenman -- play some role in defining that taste over time? I wish we did. Dear Mr. Jerry Hines is now the biggest developer in the world, and do I get a peep in? Not a peep. Are you being a little coy again? You can look back on everything you've done since 1932 and say that you haven't had any influence on the way people build in this country? I have only had that kind of influence in one place: Houston, Texas. It's mostly my buildings there. Nine buildings, and most of them were built by Jerry Hines. So you did get to build your city -- in Houston? Well, it was the nearest thing I could get. A building here and a building there, that's not a city. C'mon, that's beyond anyone's ability right now. But I have to say, through Jerry Hines I had what you call power, I guess, in that one place.
  2. "The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston was the only building in my career that I unashamedly copied from another architect, Claude-Nicholas Ledoux, an eighteenth-century French genius. His building was also an educational structure. I changed a few little things along the way." PHILIP JOHNSON
  3. Ahh, that's right, he designed St. Basils didn't he. Hands down the most striking and peaceful sanctuary in Houston. One of the great jewels of our town.
  4. Don't know if anyone has posted this yet...... Architect Philip Johnson dies
  5. There are tons of picture on har.com. Do a search for high-rises in 77002, you may want to search ascending to get away from the $1,000,000+ shamrock and commerce tower listings. This has always been a favorite building of mine, you can get in for pretty cheap: 1700 main
  6. I bought a house next to the railroad tracks in West U, but those damn trains won't stop going by at 2am..... I bought a house in Pasadena, but can't stand the smell....... I bought a house in the Woodlands, but can't stand the drive..... I bought a house in the Galleria, but can't stand the traffic....... (I don't have any views on this, just random observations)
  7. Well, since you're asking, I've always held a little place in my heart for the downtown library. I think it's the way it sits like a big hunk of out-of-place concrete next to the old library and city hall; the way, to me, it represents "cutting-edge" architecture of the "urban cowboy" 70's Houston.
  8. Good quote. I have a feeling that customers of these 'tutes are as likely to be frat boys with identity issues frequenting BW3's as openly gay men frequenting Meat Rack.
  9. I'm struck by how similar this thread is to this one, yet with much different reaction.... They Say It's Too Loud!
  10. Hey now, who here hasn't bought a knock-off for their wife and passed it off as genuine?
  11. Don't get me wrong, I think the Harwin district is a fun, vibrant place to visit and shop, but part of me finds this article amusing, you know, the part of me that has shopped on Harwin from time-to-time to buy items like genuine Coach purses for $30. I wonder if all the tenants along Harwin really want the extra scrutiny that the distinction as an "international business district" would bring.
  12. One caveat though, the people there may look at you funny if you ask where drapes and miniblinds are located, but if you ask for stepdown moulding, they will ask you without looking it up if either 1 1\2" of 2 1\4" is allright, since they are out of 2 5/8" til next Tuesday when the shipment comes in. (not really, but you get the drift, these are real hardware stores)
  13. Define nice? Two of the best hardware stores that haven't been mentioned yet are very near you. Montabalno lumber is just north of downtown on Houston Avenue, and one of the granddadys of Houston hardware stores is on Canal Street just east of downtown (Olshan). Olshan downtown
  14. $325,000 doesn't sound like much for restoration work on a historic structure, is it more of a "spruce up"?
  15. Well, if it was Walmart I would totally agree. But Target has been known to do innovative things, here is at least one instance, a 2 story Target with shopping cart escalators: Seattle Target it won an SEGD design award: Can't link directly, look under northgate north I know, I know, no chance of something like this here, just wanting to make the point that it doesn't have to be this way.
  16. See there, now you're adding assumptions as well. Well, if you want to go down the road of assumptions, maybe I am a whiz, maybe not, but looking at the fuzzy jpeg, I can already place it under the crystal ball on my desk and see a sea of parking lot dotted with buildings. I happen to think this is a bad idea, so please, critique my ideas, not me.
  17. Hm, is this an architecture related forum or developer related forum? How does asking for a little thought behind the design bring up such a well of pent-up frustration?
  18. I do agree that a true urban style development may not work there, but that doesn't mean they couldn't at least make an effort with the design. The easiest no-brainer design I can think of is taking the proposed hike/bike trail, widening it through the plat and fronting the businesses to it. Sheesh, throw some cobblestones down, a few victorian street lamps, and go with a railroad theme of some sort. Something, anything would be better than what they propose.
  19. I think the one thing that shines in an otherwise dreary suburban-looking design is it looks like they are keeping the hike-and-bike trail along the RR easement. That easement runs over to White Oak Bayou and beyond across the freeway and would make a wonderful route for Heights residents. Let's hope this will spur the city to build that portion. bike path
  20. Off-topic, but maybe on too..... I have something to confess, I work Downtown, spend a lot at the Park Shops (best place for low-hastle-day-before-Christmas shopping IMO), go the Angelika on a regular basis, etc. But, I have not spent much time on Main. I always favor Market Square if I do wander into the area at night. This weekend though, I have out of towners coming in and want to show them around the hip new nightlife area we have. If they are over 30, in jeans and casual wear, what places do we walk into as we stroll down Main Street?
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