Two Shell Plaza At 777 Walker St.

[TheNiche]

I came to understand earlier today that Shell has committed to ensuring that all of their about 6,000 employees in Houston are in LEED certified green buildings. They are currently housed in several downtown skyscrapers and in a few other sites around town. To my knowledge all of their downtown space is leased and in multitenant buildings and very little space elsewhere is owned. Unless the owners of their current buildings opt to undergo expensive retrofitting, this means that Shell would be more likely to relocate and consolidate their operations into one or more new towers, similar to how Chevron is doing in the old Enron towers.

If the average amount of space per employee is 300 square feet, and there are 6,000 employees, then there is a need for 1.8 million square feet of new office space.

Feel free to speculate. For the moment, it's anyone's guess as to how that might pan out.

[nativehou]

Over what time frame do they promise to get this done, I wonder?

[MidtownCoog]

Sounds like a PR move considering how many people they have in 2 Houston Center. The sprinkler-less towering inferno waiting to happen that is 2 Houston Center.

[bachanon]

so, are we to speculate that shell will be (is) interested in discovery tower and/or mainplace? 1.871 million square feet of office space would occupy both LEED certified towers.

[ricco67]

It would be interesting to see what they will do as far as that goes. I doubt that they will want to build their own tower, so I think that if Shell is open to negotiations to a new building, the other buildings would be quick to try to take advantage of it.

It would be extremely smart for Shell to consolidate their offices, as this would help increase efficiency.

One thing I don't fully understand and I've been meaning to ask this for awhile:

Is it possible for an existing building that isn't LEED certified to do so?

[sevfiv]

Is it possible for an existing building that isn't LEED certified to do so?

there are LEED ratings for existing buildings

The majority of requirements for LEED for Existing Building certification are operations and maintenance best practices. The process does not necessarily require any major upgrades, instead it promotes using performance records, testing and analysis and tracking resource use. LEED for Existing Buildings certification ensures your building is meeting its potential.

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=201

[Vertigo58]

Best thing to do is contact their Real Estate or PR folks in HR for the real skinny on the situation. Don't expect much as they consider most of that info as security sensitive.

[TheNiche]

Over what time frame do they promise to get this done, I wonder?

Don't know.

[TheNiche]

so, are we to speculate that shell will be (is) interested in discovery tower and/or mainplace? 1.871 million square feet of office space would occupy both LEED certified towers.

Possibly, but probably not. Those towers are not within easy walking distance, and if they were to consolidate facilities into new buildings, I'd expect that they'd more or less want a built-to-suit office environment with all of their people within only about a couple of blocks of one another. Think Chevron.

[Houston19514]

Shell's leases at both One Shell Plaza and Two Shell Plaza run through 2015. Of course those are both also Hines buildings, so anything could happen.

[MidtownCoog]

Shell is also at Westhollow and off OST at the IT Supercenter. This ain't just about downtown if they are talking all employees being in green buildings.

[MidtownCoog]

Also, it's not just one "Shell" downtown. It's trading, oil, lubes, aviation, wind, chemicals, G&P, etc.

These are independent business that do not need to be in "walking distance" of each other like Niche says. Shell Oil is HQ here, while many others report up to London or Den Hagg.

And don't forget how many people they have in the Penzoil buiding.

So enough about Shell. My rate is $250/hr if you want to learn more.

[Vertigo58]

Actually that is a great town hall meeting question.

Mr John D. Hoffmeister would love to answer. Always have them at Hobby Center. You just need to write it down on one of the cards they hand out prior. Check your local listings for dates/times.

[TheNiche]

Shell's leases at both One Shell Plaza and Two Shell Plaza run through 2015. Of course those are both also Hines buildings, so anything could happen.

The term of leases really doesn't matter as much as you may think. I'm sure that the landlords would love to have their space, obtained mostly during the days of low office rents, returned to them so that they could turn it back out on the market and make more money off of it. Shell might even be able to sell their leases back to the landlords of many buildings.

[TheNiche]

Also, it's not just one "Shell" downtown. It's trading, oil, lubes, aviation, wind, chemicals, G&P, etc.

These are independent business that do not need to be in "walking distance" of each other like Niche says. Shell Oil is HQ here, while many others report up to London or Den Hagg.

To my knowledge, the folks that handle real estate at Shell do so for all of their divisions. While their operations may approximate that of independent businesses, they are all still just part of a larger entity.

[MidtownCoog]

Makes sense.

Still, tell them MidtownCoog said "good luck with all of that".

[bachanon]

so, maybe another hines building near mainplace is more than speculation. or, and i doubt this, a 1.8 million square foot high rise!? a sister building would have more "LEED" possibilities............new parking garages nearby..........taller buildings are cost prohibitive and less "green". i'm thinking a second tower is a greater possibility for hines than the article let on.

[marc]

It is one of H-town's icons harkening back to the 70's oil boom days. Its cousins reside in Chicago and New Orleans. Thirty years of architectural technology and tastes could see this icon (which sits at the forefront of Houston's popular skyline) reclad. How would you reclad it? WOULD you even touch it at all? Would you add storeys? All glass? Different colored granite, marble etc.? Add a spire or incorporate the antenna into a spire? What would you do?Me? I would like to see it clad in dark, almost black panels. (the color of Penzoil) Then i would add a golden-tinged bracing on the four corners running up the sides to make a pryramid bracing effect at the top which towered over the skyscraper for about 100 ft. (bracing effect, no an actual solid pyramid) I would put a golden dome inside the Pyramid-brace and that would house a restaurant and night club. Then i would add a golden spire to the top which rose another 100 ft. I wish i knew how to download pix. onto this to show you it is not as hideous as it sounds. I was going with the them of "Golden Coast" (or Third Coast) which is a buzzword for the TX coastal regions these days. Anyway, i know this would give it a more Arabic look, but in my own drawings, it looks pretty cool. Any suggestions on 1. How could i download the pix. to show what i mean? 2. What would be your ideas for a reclad? 3. Have i committed a sacreledge to even suggest tampering with One Shell's facade?m. B)uhhh.........sorry it is a Friday.......this topic is in the WRONG place. I stil want to post it......but i will find a more appropriate place. Sorry, sorry, sorry. We broke out the JD at lunch. > m.

[gto250us]

I wouldn't change anything. However, it will most likely need recladding sometime in the future. That travertine crap does not last long. Shell's buildings all over the world have the same similar style.

[marc]

I wouldn't change anything. However, it will most likely need recladding sometime in the future. That travertine crap does not last long. Shell's buildings all over the world have the same similar style.

I think it is still called that............. before it was edited, the above post asked if Penzoil Place was still called that.

m.

[gto250us]

I think it is still called that............. before it was edited, the above post asked if Penzoil Place was still called that.

m.

Yeah, I asked that because I originally thought that you were discussing the Pennzoil building. Don't ask me why, it must be the drugs.

As long as we are here, why is it still called the Pennzoil building. They left years ago and, after all we no longer have the Republic Bank Building, Texas Commerce Tower, the Enron Buildings, etc., etc.

[Vertigo58]

Kind of neat on very windy days the buildings swayed quite a bit, at least it would when we were on the 16th floor. The stall doors in the RR would creak as the building tilted to and fro. Wonder if they still use or have that emergency fold out bridge they would use in the event of fire? It was like on the 16th floor we were told. Imagine in a fire having to "walk the plank" from one tower to the other? Irwin Allen where are you!

[Nate99]

The marble seems to be holding up ok, that is, I haven't noticed it looking bad, and I work a couple of blocks away, so I see it every day.

I didn't realize that 2 Shell was largely a parking garage until recently. My guess is that whatever they did to one, they would have to do to the other.

[RWReagen]

Being a recent newcomer to DT I was curious as to how many buildings Shell has offices in. They seem to be scattered in several different buildings including Pennzoil, and Houston Center. Any others?

[Vertigo58]

All you have to do is ask other employees or see the directory?

There is or was the Two Houston Center Trading Dept then more outside of DT

the location on OST, Westhollow, North Houston, etc. DT was the best as you have so many choices of eateries, parks etc.

[LTAWACS]

I agree. DT is the best.

[Standeck]

FWIW, Shell currently has office space in One Shell Plaza, Two Shell Plaza, Heritage Plaza (one floor, leaving soon), Two Houston Center and Pennzoil North Tower.

[sunsets]

They're still in Penzoil? I thought most of those groups moved out to West Hollow.

[Vertigo58]

We truly had it made when we worked in Pennzoil Tower. We were given parking vouchers for parking right under Party On The Plaza. Whenever we had out of town business guests we simply crossed the street and had a great time meeting many others from nearby Business District. Not to mention just walking under after wards to our cars. Never a need to venture outside either when rains came either. Sure miss the fun while in DT.

[Fortune]

I was on the OKCTalk forum and there are a couple of post claiming that Shell could be moving their NA headquarters from Houston to Oklahoma City. Is this really a possibility or is it just rumors and wishful thinking on their part ?

 

They pointed out that Shell sold their headquarter building last year as if that was proof but Shell never owned the building they are just tenants and in fact I believe they renewed their lease for another 15 years not to long ago.