TMC Helix Park: Texas Medical Center Bio Research Campus

[Highrise Tower]

Different rendering from tmc's website.

https://www.tmc.edu/news/2019/05/a-leap-forward-for-tmc3/

 

[lockmat]

3 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

Completely opposite. This is very Urban in concept. More streets and more parking would making it look like the suburban campuses of old. It looks like large urban developments i've walked through while in Germany. Particularly my last trip where I visit areas like Europaviertel in Stuttgart. From the description it seems like its going to be all underground. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire campus has two levels of underground parking to cover all future expansions. think underground parking like under the park near Jones Hall.

 

I don't know the areas you've been to in Germany, but based on your description, it sounds like a pre-modern urban utopia where no cars exist, which is the exception to urbanism. Other than your description of Germany, I can't think of an urban city that doesn't have vehicular streets, except maybe Florence. To me, streets/grids and urbanism go hand in hand. I only see two streets winding around this development, which to me, reminds me of a suburban development....lots of buildings but no streets.

 

I'm not calling for parking lots. Ideally there would be a huge underground parking garage. I just want some thru streets.

[Luminare]

59 minutes ago, lockmat said:

 

I don't know the areas you've been to in Germany, but based on your description, it sounds like a pre-modern urban utopia where no cars exist, which is the exception to urbanism. Other than your description of Germany, I can't think of an urban city that doesn't have vehicular streets, except maybe Florence. To me, streets/grids and urbanism go hand in hand. I only see two streets winding around this development, which to me, reminds me of a suburban development....lots of buildings but no streets.

 

I'm not calling for parking lots. Ideally there would be a huge underground parking garage. I just want some thru streets.

 

The difference between what is suburban and urban isn't the number of streets. There is way more that goes into it than that. I also in no way mentioned any kind of utopia, and just because something is in the past doesn't mean it was better, nor should we look at the past in such a romantic way. You seem to have some very superficial/preconceived notions of what constitutes urban and suburban, and that is, by the way, no insult or say that you are stupid, but instead I mean that your definition of both are incredibly low-res and vague to which we won't be able to go into the matter nor be able to come to a sensible compromise on the subject because our frames on what is urban vs. suburban clearly vary wildly. Again I don't want this to come off as if either of us is right or wrong, or as if this is some kind of take down, because it isn't. There are simply enormous gaps here and you are making incredible assumptions that do not make sense.

[CaptainJilliams]

3 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

Different rendering from tmc's website.

https://www.tmc.edu/news/2019/05/a-leap-forward-for-tmc3/

 

 

An additional rendering from the website that includes a helix structure shading the green space. I can kind of get behind this design a little more.

 

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 12, 2019 by Timoric

[lockmat]

1 hour ago, Luminare said:

 

The difference between what is suburban and urban isn't the number of streets. There is way more that goes into it than that. I also in no way mentioned any kind of utopia, and just because something is in the past doesn't mean it was better, nor should we look at the past in such a romantic way. You seem to have some very superficial/preconceived notions of what constitutes urban and suburban, and that is, by the way, no insult or say that you are stupid, but instead I mean that your definition of both are incredibly low-res and vague to which we won't be able to go into the matter nor be able to come to a sensible compromise on the subject because our frames on what is urban vs. suburban clearly vary wildly. Again I don't want this to come off as if either of us is right or wrong, or as if this is some kind of take down, because it isn't. There are simply enormous gaps here and you are making incredible assumptions that do not make sense.

 

I think that some people's utopian idea of urbanism is one without cars. I'm not saying you want this utopia, so please pardon me if I implied it.

 

But this design is essentially car-less, unless one counts the presumed parking garages we think might be below.

 

What assumptions am I making that do not make sense? I've never been to an urban place without streets. Usually the more streets, the more urban. This place has a ring around it, which to me gives the feel of a faux-urban suburban development like Market Street in The Woodlands. Sure, it's pedestrian friendly once you get there, but so is the Exxon campus and even that is half-baked urbanism.

[Highrise Tower]

Disappointed in the public park getting scrapped.  Would have been so cool to have an elevated park above the helix structure.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Houston-Medical-Center-redesigns-massive-TMC3-13809669.php

 

Quote

In the previous design, the collaborative building was to be capped with an elevated park with gardens and trails designed by James Corner, the landscape architect behind New York’s High Line. Now, the landscape architecture will be under the direction of Elkus Manfredi.

 

Maureen and Jim Hackett, former chief executive of Anadarko Petroleum Corp., planned to launch a $60 million philanthropic campaign to fund the park. Since that part of the plan was scrapped, the couple is no longer fundraising.

 

Edited May 2, 2019 by ekdrm2d1

[pablog]

3 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

Disappointed in the public park getting scrapped.  Would have been so cool to have an elevated park above the helix structure.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Houston-Medical-Center-redesigns-massive-TMC3-13809669.php

 

 

The park is still there, just underneath the helix canopy at ground level. I kinda like this a little more for some reason. 

[cspwal]

I can't tell from the renderings, but will there be mid-block East-West connections?  That's the biggest issue for big super-block developments - you can't get out of them easily except at a few designated entrances.

[Brooklyn173]

I'm disappointed that a 5 million sf project is being considered without a single word about transit access. So some school busses will be thrown in after everything is built as sort of a metaphorical band-aid.

[H-Town Man]

19 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

Different rendering from tmc's website.

https://www.tmc.edu/news/2019/05/a-leap-forward-for-tmc3/

 

 

This still looks very conceptual. Sort of like, "Here is a building that could be built with our helix layout." I wonder if they are planning this thing like a subdivision and selling lots off to institutions who can build whatever they want on them. The aerial visual being what it could look like if everyone built something amazing, but not necessarily what it will look like.

 

[Houston19514]

From the TMC website: 

 

Notably, the updated plans call for an elongated green space promenade—known as the “DNA necklace”—that spans the entirety of the TMC³ campus. A series of lens-shaped green spaces will be interlaced with a walkable and drivable street grid, allowing for easy access.

“The most memorable things on many college and university campuses aren’t the buildings but the spaces,” Manfredi said. “We wanted to make great, open spaces that will attract people not just from the Texas Medical Center, but from the entire city of Houston.”

The project will include individual lab buildings and mixed-use space on the ground floor. Situated along the green space will be collaborative facilities, retail and residential opportunities and a hotel and conference center. Parking will be housed underground to optimize the street-level space for walkability, amenities and communal interactions.

 

https://www.tmc.edu/news/2019/05/a-leap-forward-for-tmc3/

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 12, 2019 by Timoric

[Original Timmy Chan's]

On 5/2/2019 at 11:26 AM, Timoric said:

Flooding?

Relatively easy to prevent water from getting in, by raising the driveways/penetrations into the garage.  Imagine an elevated levee around the perimeter of the garage, and a driveway going over the levee.

 

As long as the top of the "levee"/driveway is high enough, no concern for surface water pouring into the garage.  Of course, like any levee, it can be overtopped at a certain point.

[H-Town Man]

Some background on things like why they paused for a year and a half and how they're allowing for-profit institutions in. Nothing said about when construction will happen.

 

https://product.costar.com/home/news/593844335?tag=8192

[Highrise Tower]

This month TMC Pulse magazine.

 

https://www.tmc.edu/news/tmc-pulse/

[H-Town Man]

A groundbreaking date - early next year! Immediately following financial close. Underground parking structure will begin sooner.

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/looped-in/

 

Phase I:

Hotel/Conference center/Residential tower (funded by Majestic Development out of L.A.)

Baylor building

Texas A&M building

UT building

M.D. Anderson building

TMC3 Collaborative building (est. $240-250 million)

Industry building

 

9 buildings constructed simultaneously over 2.5 years.

 

Eventually with future phases will comprise 5 million SF over 37 acres.

Edited May 29, 2019 by H-Town Man

[Houston19514]

17 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

A groundbreaking date - early next year! Plus details of which buildings are going up in Phase I (quite a lot):

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/looped-in/

 

"Several residential towers"! 

[Highrise Tower]

 

7 hours ago, H-Town Man said:

A groundbreaking date - early next year!

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/looped-in/

 

 

 

Great podcast. Thanks for the write up. 

 

He also mentioned the Shell building down the block. He said TMC leased it for a decade.  Building parking there as well? 

[DiligentDesign]

I think overall this is wonderful!  Sorry Gensler, maybe think outside the box?!! Overall, the new team is friendly to steel, the old team did everything in concrete, “cause it’s houston”...bringing on an east coast flair!

[hindesky]

Vaughn Construction is the GC for the project.

 

 

Today we are excited to announce that Elkus Manfredi Architects, Transwestern, and Vaughn Construction will collectively serve as the architectural and development team to execute the physical manifestation for the game-changing 37-acre TMC3 translational research campus.

The TMC3 campus will boast 1.5 million square feet of collaborative research space, including 250,000 square feet of core labs and amenities across a total of 37 acres that comprise the totality of the research hub. 
Baylor College of Medicine Texas A&M University Health Science Center MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth

 

[mattyt36]

Well this seems like big news.

 

MD Anderson relocating Smithville (Bastrop County) research park to Houston

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/health/article/MD-Anderson-relocating-Smithville-research-park-13961408.php?utm_source=desktop&utm_medium=collection&utm_campaign=hcpromomod

[arbpro]

“I think the governor is a reasonable person and astute enough to know you don’t put the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers in the same stadium."

 

lol Houston Oilers? Something tells me that with this guy making the case of why the relocation should not take place, that TMC gets a little bigger. 

[West Timer]

^ tard

 

[Fortune]

Nice to hear about something relocating to Houston.

[Highrise Tower]

The fitness related stuff in the old TMC|3 park was really thought out.  Hopefully they still go in that direction.

https://mcmunnnicholas.wixsite.com/nicholasmcmunnarch/tmc3-biomedical-innovation-campus

 

 

 

 

[hindesky]

Talked with a couple of Vaughn workers at the Holcombe & Main St remodel. Said this would be starting up soon. Went to find a new vantage point for the build.

Edited September 28, 2019 by hindesky

[Luminare]

For some reason got curious about the construction start date for this one. While googling I found this article.

 

https://www.enr.com/articles/47283-texas-louisiana-city-scoop-construction-starts-in-houston

 

From the website:

 

Quote

Preston Hodges
Vice President, Houston Division
McCarthy Building Cos.

“The biggest thing that we and our competitors are looking at currently is all the health care and research work that’s about to pop in the Texas Medical Center,” Hodges says. “There’s going to be over $3 billion worth of work that starts in the next 12 to 18 months.”

In May, the Texas Medical Center released the master plan for the 37-acre, 1.5-million-sq-ft TMC3 translational research campus. Officials expect the project will be valued at $1.5 billion or more. Groundbreaking is expected in early 2020, and completion is scheduled for 2022.

McCarthy is already seeing speed to market being a huge focus with clients, as “there are clients that are worried about getting the right contracting team on board. So it’s pushing them to procure projects maybe quicker than they normally would, just to make sure they get the right team on the project,” Hodges says. “We and our competition are going to have manpower issues both on the salary side and the craftworker side of things. We’re going to have to turn down work just because of a manpower issue.”

 

This was from a couple weeks ago. Looks like procurement for consultant services has already begun in earnest. The project is so huge that its actually going to force some who take on the project to turn some projects away. That should tell you the scale we are looking at here. If there are manpower issues as well I wouldn't be surprised we if start pulling more workers from other cities to help fill the gap which just means more people coming to Houston overall. Now we wait till beginning of 2020.

[hindesky]

On 8/20/2019 at 12:17 PM, Luminare said:

For some reason got curious about the construction start date for this one. While googling I found this article.

 

https://www.enr.com/articles/47283-texas-louisiana-city-scoop-construction-starts-in-houston

 

From the website:

 

 

This was from a couple weeks ago. Looks like procurement for consultant services has already begun in earnest. The project is so huge that its actually going to force some who take on the project to turn some projects away. That should tell you the scale we are looking at here. If there are manpower issues as well I wouldn't be surprised we if start pulling more workers from other cities to help fill the gap which just means more people coming to Houston overall. Now we wait till beginning of 2020.

A couple of Vaughn guys working the TAMU renovation said they are going to be a contractor at TMC3 but since it's such a big project I'm sure others will be involved too.

[hindesky]

When TMC3 starts construction where will all these cars park? Does anyone know who they currently work for? 

Edited August 30, 2019 by hindesky

[BeerNut]

10 hours ago, hindesky said:

When TMC3 starts construction where will all these cars park? Does anyone know who they currently work? 

 

 

[bobruss]

A lot of them work in the MD Anderson complex. Some work or go to school at UT school of Public Health and UT Cizik school of nursing. Some walk over to the north side of Holcombe 

to  St Lukes and MD Anderson. 

[X.R.]

That ENR article that was linked to said groundbreaking starting in 2020 and ending in 2022. That would be...shocking.

 

But I can see why they would want it done fast. Seems to be a trend we're seeing in the City, which is bigger pockets leading to construction projects with seemingly expedited construction, like Caydon, this, ION, and Hines' projects. 

[bobruss]

I drove over to the Compass bank at the corner of Fannin and O.S.T. tonight at sunset to use the ATM. As I was leaving I went North on Fannin and noticed the Blossom Hotel with the UT MD Anderson building just behind it. The concrete structure of the Blossom juxtaposed with the backdrop of the M.D.And. bldg. and the glow from the sunset was rather striking and also gave them both a new sense of massing I find so important and  fun. I turned onto Braeswood to head east and  I passed Bertner, and entrance 35, which is south of the bayou behind the energy plant.  There were also some interesting angles of the plant positioned out in front of the med center, with its lights on it's stack, and the other shapes that played with Ceasar Pelli's,  O'Quinn towers with their flashing syringes on top. Just a few suggestions for some interesting images for all photographers.

[Highrise Tower]

Info about the joint UTHealth & MD Anderson Research building at the TMC|3 campus.  A $500 million building.

 

 

[Highrise Tower]

Edited September 21, 2019 by ekdrm2d1

[Highrise Tower]

https://www.tmc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/10/TMC3-AE-Services-RFQ-Final.pdf

 

 

 

 

[Luminare]

8 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

https://www.tmc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/10/TMC3-AE-Services-RFQ-Final.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

Wait...wasn't the Helix building cut, and then they went with the courtyard idea? Does this mean its still in play, or that they just left this on the website and never took it off?

[Highrise Tower]

Info about the TAMU Research building at the TMC|3 campus.

http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/pdf/11347.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

[H-Town Man]

25 minutes ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

Info about the TAMU Research building at the TMC|3 campus.

http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/pdf/11347.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start date 9/1/2021 for this building.

 

[skooljunkie]

2 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

9/1/2021 has come and gone, though the document is dated 7/30 so maybe construction is still imminent. 

 

time flies!

[Urbannizer]

Whoops haha. Guess I forgot we're still in 2019 being under the weather and tired at the time. :-)

[Twinsanity02]

1 hour ago, Urbannizer said:

Whoops haha. Guess I forgot we're still in 2019 being under the weather and tired at the time. 🙂

 Must be your first time in the Tardis. It can throw your sense of years and even centuries off. Relax, your hypothalamus will reset everything back to "normal".

[Houston19514]

On 9/29/2019 at 1:23 AM, Luminare said:

 

Wait...wasn't the Helix building cut, and then they went with the courtyard idea? Does this mean its still in play, or that they just left this on the website and never took it off?

 

Yes.  Note the dates on the posted document.  The Helix building was cut in design changes that were announced/publicized in May, perhaps as a result of the responses received to the posted RFQ.

[thatguysly]

18 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

 

Yes.  Note the dates on the posted document.  The Helix building was cut in design changes that were announced/publicized in May, perhaps as a result of the responses received to the posted RFQ.

 

That is a shame. Would have been one of the most interesting designs in the country. Really lessens the excitement from me. I am glad this type of project is coming to Houston and it is still amazing but from a design perspective it disappointing.

[H-Town Man]

2 hours ago, thatguysly said:

 

That is a shame. Would have been one of the most interesting designs in the country. Really lessens the excitement from me. I am glad this type of project is coming to Houston and it is still amazing but from a design perspective it disappointing.

 

We're still getting a helix park between the buildings. Might actually be better.

 

[j_cuevas713]

Yeah didn't we see the new renderings back in May? It looks better tbh

[danielsonr]

On 5/1/2019 at 8:36 AM, ekdrm2d1 said:

Renderings:

 

 

 

Yes

[102IAHexpress]

Cool design. I'll add my 2cents, since my wife is a professor of medicne, who left the TMC for more advanced research opportunities elsewhere. I hope the TMC3 design (whatever it ultimately becomes) is able to help retain/attract top professors/labs. That should be the main goal (I think). What we, non-researchers think, is besides the point.

 

For all the talk about how big TMC is, which it is, the research is not that broad or advanced besides cancer and cardiovascular. There's a lot of similarities to the energy industry actually. Houston is -the- place to be for energy, but lags big time in other sectors. The TMC is one of the best places for cancer and cardiovascular (but not the best), but lags in pretty much every thing else.

 

So, how will this design, via our tax dollars, make research better in Houston? I have no clue. I asked my wife and she has no idea either. As of right now, US News and World Report has -1- medical school in Houston in the top 50, only 2 in the top 100 (3 if you count UTMB Galveston). If the design gamble pays off, then great. But If top labs/professors around the country don't show interest, within the next two years, of relocating to the TMC, then I would rather scrap the design all together and use the tax dollars to setup a scholarship fund for McGovern, and UTMB Galveston and make their tuition free of charge. Much better return on investment for society as a whole. 

[blackjacks100]

1 hour ago, 102IAHexpress said:

Cool design. I'll add my 2cents, since my wife is a professor of medicne, who left the TMC for more advanced research opportunities elsewhere. I hope the TMC3 design (whatever it ultimately becomes) is able to help retain/attract top professors/labs. That should be the main goal (I think). What we, non-researchers think, is besides the point.

 

For all the talk about how big TMC is, which it is, the research is not that broad or advanced besides cancer and cardiovascular. There's a lot of similarities to the energy industry actually. Houston is -the- place to be for energy, but lags big time in other sectors. The TMC is one of the best places for cancer and cardiovascular (but not the best), but lags in pretty much every thing else.

 

So, how will this design, via our tax dollars, make research better in Houston? I have no clue. I asked my wife and she has no idea either. As of right now, US News and World Report has -1- medical school in Houston in the top 50, only 2 in the top 100 (3 if you count UTMB Galveston). If the design gamble pays off, then great. But If top labs/professors around the country don't show interest, within the next two years, of relocating to the TMC, then I would rather scrap the design all together and use the tax dollars to setup a scholarship fund for McGovern, and UTMB Galveston and make their tuition free of charge. Much better return on investment for society as a whole. 

The general idea is to foster research relationships with the other institutions in the TMC. The CEO of TMC stressed that, as of right now, all of the TMC institutions are very independent, aka, they don’t really work together towards a common goal. He mentioned this in State of TMC 2017 and 2018, I think.
 

The design of TMC3 is supposed to build those collaborative relationships. Instead of walking 2,3, or 4 blocks from one institution to another they’ll be right across from each other with the DNA helix in the middle.