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Camden Conte: Multifamily At 1515 Austin St.


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Before we all rush to see who can prove their urbanist bona fides by being the first to slit their wrists over this, perhaps we should pause to consider:

 

1)  We are seeing a rendering of one side of one building.  Given that there are two garage entrance/exits and zero doors shown on this rendering, it's fair to presume this is the "back" side of the building.  For all we know, the other three sides might be urban paradise.

 

2)  There is a chance this rendering is nothing but a place-holder to represent "planned residential".  The first of the two buildings is no even slated to start construction for more than a year.

 

Both could be true, the second even more likely, but to play devils advocate, how often do they make a rendering of the back of a building?

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Both could be true, the second even more likely, but to play devils advocate, how often do they make a rendering of the back of a building?

 

I don't know, but this is pretty obviously the back of the building.  There has to be a door for people somewhere.  If nothing else there will be a rental office.

 

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Yeah, that makes sense, spend money to give people a teaser of the worse view of a building.

That will build confidence. Let's put our worse foot forward.

I don't see any situation where these "other three sides are better" are plausible.

That's like applying to a modeling agency with a donkeys arse as your head shot.

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I don't know, but this is pretty obviously the back of the building. There has to be a door for people somewhere. If nothing else there will be a rental office.

How is it obvious? And who says the pedestrian entrance has to be at the front? I would think the building would have multiple front entrances with the lobby of both buildings facing each other.

But still, there is no reason to build an ugly side.

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Sorry Nate, I think that's BS. They don't need to make functional store space but they can fake. They could have parking with glass fronts like Sakowitz that can easily be converted down the line to actual stores.

Building a fugly building because the area isn't all that is just silly

 

I don't really have a dog in it either way. Either it gets built or it doesn't, but often times, the perfect is the enemy of the good. This area is still relatively isolated, as long as they're not stacking FEMA trailers there, it will be an improvement and something to work from. All very interesting IMO. Cities need boring buildings too. 

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Look at the layout of the building in the rendering.  Imagine where the elevator bank(s) would be.  To me, it seems as though they would be on the opposite side of structure.  Surely not right through the garage side.  This surely is the back side of building.  However, it is puzzling why the back side rendering was the first leaked/released, unless the developers are not yet ready for the full reveal. 

 

I believe that HoustonIsHome is right and that the entrances of the two buildings/blocks with face toward one another. Makes sense that any amenities and any possible retail would be located there.

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Yeah, that makes sense, spend money to give people a teaser of the worse view of a building.

That will build confidence. Let's put our worse foot forward.

I don't see any situation where these "other three sides are better" are plausible.

That's like applying to a modeling agency with a donkeys arse as your head shot.

 

good grief dude - maybe.... just maybe.... you're overthinking this just a bit. for all you know this could have been the very first conceptual design and they've already moved on to design revision #5. so far you've made about half a dozen hysterical assumptions based on one tiny rendering.

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Who is hysterical? Just stating opinions on the architecture. If you like it fine, if you don't fine. This is what the forum is here for.

If we get something better, I will admit I was wrong (I will gladly welcome being wrong) but what's the problem in some of us being very disappointed with THIS rendering?

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It's only one rendering, one that is not finalized. I think everyone's trying to say its best to reserve full judgement until we see more, and learn more.

How often do plans drastically change?

I know back in the day multiple versions of proposed buildings were put out before done thing is settled on, but is that still done?

Do they spend as much time on these short residential complexes as they do on signature tiwers?

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It doesn't matter if they are short residential complexes. Revisions still take place all the time. It's better to wait for the final design closer to groundbreaking day than to fret over a conceptual rendering. 

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It doesn't matter if they are short residential complexes. Revisions still take place all the time. It's better to wait for the final design closer to groundbreaking day than to fret over a conceptual rendering.

I asked cause I didn't know. I have seen it for towers but don't know much about apartments.
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I think this would serve the purpose.... I still am not a fan of the materials it looks like they are using. I really think brick ages so much better in houston. We have all the humidity that will cause mold etc... I do hope these projects promote slightly taller structures (10 stories +), but a good mix of heights will be nice.

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This exactly what I was trying to say.. We always do this on this tread , calm the F down and wait for more info.. sheesh

The thing is, this is downtown where there is a street grid, not a strip center, so there is no "back side", making the complaints that it's ugly are still valid.

One day the "back side" could be facing the "side" of another building and will always be next to a sidewalk people will walk down.

It's not the end of the world, but it could be better.

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We never can be sure how a project will look until it is completed. We can't even decide which side of the building this rendering is of. I think we should just sit back and wait for  the final renderings  of the total project for us to discuss/criticize.

 

Also I think I read somewhere on this site where there were quite a few blocks in the southeastern quarter of downtown that were either parking lots or minimal structures on them so I don't mind a few 7 - 10 story apartment projects which will ultimately bring more people to downtown which will eventually create a need for more street level retail also. Theres still going to be plenty of room for the talls all over downtown.

I do believe that midtown and most of  eastern Montrose will mostly be  5 -10 story apartment buildings.

It might take 10 years or so but it will happen.

 

As far as the medical center and downtown meeting in the middle its not going to happen.

The TMC is definitely moving south and east. They have large tracts of land to work with at much lower costs.

My wife works for UT in the med center and they have plans along with most of the other institutes for future development to the south.

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Okay, can everyone come back in off the ledge now?  ;-)

 

Where's the fun in that? 

 

I've probably said this ten times already, but this end of DT is going to look and feel so different.

 

Just walking down main to the Cathedral with Skyhouse almost complete and the adjacent lot already torn up, you can get an idea for the future here. With this project as well as the one on the Binswanger Glass block, you're looking at a difference like we saw from the time before the GRB was built to post Discovery Green for that area. 

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Those are awesome!! Both are so cool. Darn, I would love to see some of these in Houston!

 

the first one is def cool but the second one is almost identical to Hanover's 12-story residential going up in the village so you are, in fact, seeing some of these go up in houston.

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