Jump to content

arche_757

Full Member
  • Posts

    1,902
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

Everything posted by arche_757

  1. Hard to compare NYC historic buildings with our own. Coliseum may be a bit of a stretch. The others may seem odd, but considering how few large historical structures we have, not to mention those were all recently demolished with nothing replacing them. *Foley’s being the exception.
  2. @H-Town Man I am not sure? I mean if the structure of the Post Office is by itself the architecturally significant element that deserves preservation, then why do we even debate the Astrodome? Beggers cannot be choosers, since at this point we’re all beggers in this town when it comes to historic preservation. It is a shame developers like Lovett didn’t exist a couple decades sooner. If there had been more here with a thought towards preservation then perhaps we would have some of our old, great buildings: Sam Houston Coliseum, Robinson Public Warehouse, Foleys Downtown, Prudential Building et cetera.
  3. It will be interesting to read in: 10, 15, 20+ years the architectural guides regarding Post. The transformative architecture OMA has rendered there (I’ve not been in person, this is judging from photos) is unique - not only here in Houston, but really anywhere in the States. These sort of grand “civic” scape repurposed building projects seem to be more commonplace in Europe and Asia, so to have a large scale repurposing locally is really great. Imagine a similar approach to the old convention center 25 years ago.
  4. Thanks @mkultra25! I found the database but couldn’t get it to load even after multiple attempts. I assume the traffic from HAIF was so great it was causing immense slowdowns for the NPS. That is interesting that a building with local history would make it onto a national database. I know the NPS is somewhat subjective in reviewing projects, but to me for a building to be on a national list of important buildings it really does require national importance. That can be through either the history that took place, or history that was made by the building, or through the fantastic architecture it exhibits - like the Menil will eventually be on the NPS register. That brings the question: which buildings do Houstonians feel strongly should belong on the national register?
  5. Interestingly I’m having a time finding what makes it a national register building, NPS website keeps crashing for me. Can anyone elaborate on what makes the Barbara Jordan Post Office of national significance? Please.
  6. What’s the historic part of the post office again? The Gulf I certainly understand. The other -to me- is a stretch. I mean we’ve had a lot of fantastic buildings torn down here that are more substantial architecture, but whatever.
  7. Pretty much what we are. I drive that way often to avoid the mess of I-45, and always want to stop and look, but the traffic is pretty rough going particularly with the massive increase in containers moving around! From the bridge - for folks who’ve never been - the skylines are closer than what the picture(s) depict.
  8. @Luminare I think we all are hovering around the same page. I think it is accurate to state knowing a person in the world versus rendering an opinion of an unnamed individual via a web forum post makes a big difference in being able to build a realistic view towards their actual character. I think the great irony in all of this discussion is that one could make the argument Hsu’s office is doing more interesting buildings here than in Austin. Also, $10 bets that same designer who has such grief over tall, glass covered buildings will soon design one themselves. Life has a way of stirring the pot. Good luck with your exams. The ever evolving NCARB… also stirs the pot!
  9. I never once typed that I didn’t believe you. I just stated that it was bizarre. I didn’t intend that to be an issue. So my apologies. I do take issue with his statement (from a professional standpoint), but it was probably tongue in cheek? If not, then this person is probably a real prima donna, and those sort of architects (or people in general) are best left floating around in their own heads. And starchitects are certainly capable of having such lofty ideals of themselves. So are lesser architects - I know - I worked with several. (Both were absolutely jerks in every sense of the word, and also a control freaks.)
  10. @H-Town Man I’m not sure why you seem to take umbrage with my post? Not every project is a masterpiece - even FLW had projects that misfired. But his BEST work is in a city he absolutely hated - NYC. Starchitects bring high end design well beyond their hometowns, and I’d argue many would point to projects they did elsewhere that gained them noteworthy praise and recognition from peers that seemingly elevated their practices overnight. The continued excellence in design made them stars amongst the field. Piano: Menil. Rogers: Centre Pompidou. Gehry: Bilbao… these are just a few, and those are the buildings that brought them into the limelight.
  11. Having worked as an architect for… 15 years I haven’t ever heard another architect, or firm try to fudge a design because its for a building that “isn’t your home city”. That’s bizarre. You always do your best. Always strive for each design to work within context of surroundings as much as possible. (Which is certainly not always possible.) That’s got to be almost every single firm except corporate architects. You always try to make a building fit the neighborhood, whether the end result works or not depends on client (money willing to spend), talent of architectural designer, site and programming requirements. Not every building is a masterpiece, but you never approach things from a standpoint of “I can half-ass it here because it’s Houston and not Austin.”
  12. I was mistaken on my “Marina ____” projects in Singapore. 🤷‍♂️ But yes, I see now what you’re saying. I was half distracted by kids when reading/responding - which I find happens a lot! At what point does a firm stop being an LA or Austin or Chicago firm when they’ve expanded and some of their more noteworthy projects are located in other cities?
  13. @Luminare that is a pretty phenomenal hotel development, maybe my favorite anywhere (that is not historical). I would LOVE to have a project some day with those sort of design parameters, and client willingness to spend $$$$! Singapore is awash in money, it’s similar to what Hong Kong used to be before China took over for the British. Coincidentally, Singapore was also a Crown Colony, but one which maintained its independence and has thrived. There starts to be a question as to whether Hsu’s office is really importing an Austin esthetic, or if it is a Houston one that is transitioning over to Austin? Regardless, he is doing some decent work. He does have a Houston office, and it seems he’s quite busy with superneighborhood defining projects of late…
  14. There are certainly some nice structures being built along Buffalo Bayou - and elsewhere in town these days. @Luminare summed up nicely this building/campus. Many of us have complained over the years about the lack of true quality design here in Houston, but I think we have really seen some remarkable projects the last 5-7 years -including the lofty art institutions who sorta jump started this whole era. This is possibly the first time since the 70s oil boom where such high quality architecture is being built all over town. It’s a maturation process I think. Now, we just need more local firms jumping into the fray!
  15. But it is a church, and a school. Wonder what difference that would make?
  16. Would proximity to the private school hinder potential bar/entertainment venues on the parcel just south of MMP?
  17. It was much stronger than natural gas. NG has a sweetish smell, this stuff was more caustic. I would say it was much more gasoline like, I doubt very much something that causes that much widespread grief across most of southeast Harris and all of Galveston counties to be more than “just an odor.” Typically my neighborhood doesn’t really experience any foul air from industry, at worse there are brief smells for an 10-15 mins on occasion (like 1 time a month or so). I’d describe those as far “softer” smells than what wafted over the area from 10PM Sunday - 10AM today.
  18. I agree with that sentiment @hindesky. Look, Amber Alerts are one thing, but I’d reason AI could be utilized to make rolling alerts for timely messages. No point issuing any alerts in Houston or Dallas if something happened in San Antonio mere minutes ago, there’s no way that person could travel that distance. I suppose the argument could be made that family/friends could reach out to them, or law enforcement and provide information as to objectives/destinations? But even using that reasoning it would be hard to justify issuing a broad state/regional alert, since most of us wouldn’t know any more about an relative that law could find by doing a quick background search through the FBI. The blue alerts are political grandstanding at best. I just don’t see the reasoning, just issue an alert for a public danger. It doesn’t matter if they shot a cop or a regular person. Killing is bad equally across the board.
  19. Yes those are known facts. The lack of emergency communications following the single post regarding the fact the leak apparently is not H2S is concerning. Do you live in an area impacted by this?
  20. Well folks. I spent a sleepless night here in the eastern part of Clear Lake City with the -at times- noxious smell seeping through my home. I’ve posted/emailed/all but called local leaders to complain about the lack of information. Seems to me a leak with smells strong enough to cause nauseous feelings, headaches and the like for hundreds of thousands of area residents warrants much more than an “all is clear” signal from the Harris County Pollution Control agency. Anyone else dealing with this, and if so any additionally points of contact to really spread the wrath around to those deserving folks who should have been alerting everyone via multiple methods would be great.
  21. Probably RO has some rules for this sort of occurrence in their neighborhood development standards? Plus that neighborhood is in a different realm than the anti-Ashby’s.
  22. So, let me see... The first proposal was a 22 floor “active/wealthy” senior living building that was ultimately canceled - lawsuit pending regardless! In true Houston fashion they come back to the same HOA who filed the pending lawsuit on them and present them with a 33 floor building and this is ok? Fascinating. I wonder if this concept will play out elsewhere on the properties mentioned in the article? I would hate to see the shopping center across from Lamar High go, but I’m sure eventually it will.
  23. Does anyone know how the other Aga Khan projects have proceeded around the globe, since this method could be the way they have always operated? Secretive for little reason other than their founder wants it this way.
×
×
  • Create New...