Jump to content

Houston Endowment Corporate Headquarters At 3683 Willia St.


Urbannizer

Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

as discovery green encouraged development around its vicinity; i expect the buffalo bayou and allen parkway improvements to do the same along memorial and allen parkway.  this corridor will continue to increase in value and may support additional towers in the coming decades.  i would not expect our skyline to grow in any particular direction except for that which radiates out from existing activity centers.

 

it seems natural to me that taller residential, office, or public buildings would be appropriate along the buffalo bayou corridor between memorial park/river oaks and downtown.  that said, i assume residential would sell best near the parks and trails (.....thinking of central park in nyc as a comparison for development patterns; residential around most of the perimeter with some commercial nearest to midtown (manhattan)...i may be wrong, i haven't spent much time in manhattan)

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Today this article was linked from Swamplot: http://urbanland.uli.org/industry-sectors/bayou-city-reclaiming-houstons-signature-waterways/

 

It was published yesterday, yet it has the following:

 

 

The 18-story Park Place at Buffalo Bayou office building, developed by Houston-based Pinto Realty Partners, is under construction, designed to contain 250,000 square feet (23,000 sq m) of high-end office space while offering a fitness center and locker rooms for tenants who want to jog or hike at Buffalo Bayou Park across the street. It is the first office building in a growing residential corridor near downtown, says Michael Anderson, executive vice president of Colvill Office Properties, which is leasing the building.

 

Is this article incorrect, or is the project not on hold anymore?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today this article was linked from Swamplot: http://urbanland.uli.org/industry-sectors/bayou-city-reclaiming-houstons-signature-waterways/

 

It was published yesterday, yet it has the following:

 

 

Is this article incorrect, or is the project not on hold anymore?

 

I would be shocked if this was under construction and I missed it. I walk the bayou all the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

Tower scrapped, new entity has picked up the site for a smaller office building.

 

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/02/07/houston-endowment-buys-buffalo-bayou-land-near.html

 

Quote

 


Houston Endowment Inc. closed on 1.5 acres near Buffalo Bayou and Memorial where it will build its new office.
 

The organization bought land at 3615 – 3683 Willia St., near the intersection of Memorial and Waugh on a site that overlooks Spotts Park. The seller and financial terms were not disclosed.

Houston Endowment will relocate from its current office on the 64th floor of the JPMorgan Chase Tower at 600 Travis St. once construction is completed.
 

Ann Stern, president and CEO of Houston Endowment Inc., told the Houston Business Journal that while this project is still in its earliest stages, the nonprofit hopes to occupy its new office building by around 2022.
 

Houston Endowment will build a 35,000- to 40,000-square-foot, single-use office space on the site. Stern said that an architect to design the new space has not yet been selected, but San Francisco-based Gensler helped Houston Endowment in assessing various locations in Houston during its land search, according to a Feb. 7 release from Houston Endowment.

 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

How does this work? Since it is a competition it seems different than a formal RFP process. I don't know how architecture bids work as far as design goes. It seems like this would be looking for "free" designs by making it a competition. Or is it normal to provide a design as part of a RFP and then once awarded the project, flesh out how it would work in reality? 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, thatguysly said:

How does this work? Since it is a competition it seems different than a formal RFP process. I don't know how architecture bids work as far as design goes. It seems like this would be looking for "free" designs by making it a competition. Or is it normal to provide a design as part of a RFP and then once awarded the project, flesh out how it would work in reality? 

 

The answer is...it depends. I'm still learning about this process as well, but I was recently part of a closed competition (closed RFP) with my current firm. Competitions are great, but come with significant risks. The biggest risk is the allocation of resources/manpower to design and produce something for said competition. This is mostly always out of pocket for whatever firm is participating, and its why if you ever look at the ones who win or lose and its because....well level of talent and design finesse/skill, but also allocation of resources and manpower to get something good out the door.

There is a hierarchy here which I list below from bottom to the top:

 

RFQ (Request for Qualification) (Low Risk): Any kind of Project, but not really High Profile. Normally renovations and smaller construction.

 

Like an RFP, but minus the design idea. These are specifically asking for your name and experience level. Sometimes an RFQ can then turn into an RFP once the client has a top list of architects to proceed further. Think of it like sending out a resume for a job. When looking for a job you probably send out hundreds of resumes and see what sticks.

 

RFP (Request for Proposal) (Medium Risk): Most every other type of Project

 

The client normally already has a vague idea of what they want and what their needs are. RFP are either open or closed depending the specifics of the job. In any case you aren't just sending in your design, but also who you are and what is your experience level. This is especially the case for closed, and from my experience so far they tend to be closed because the client normally invites specific architects that they like or are interested in, but need them to develop an idea and provide experience that could qualify. If you win then you proceed. Sometimes they might select a few winners and then move on from there (some clients will pay for this further extension to the RFP). This is kinda like getting accepted for an interview where you then get to show yourself off.

 

Open Competition (High Risk): High Profile Jobs and Clients

 

Normally not in the format of an RFP, but instead your submission is the actual design product itself. This means you are being judge not by your brand/name and your experience, but simply if you have talent and design skill to do the job in the first place. An open competition is normally done when a client is either fishing for ideas on how to use a site and then move on, or to actually choose an architect for the actual job itself. In any case the client isn't sure what they really want, and are looking for an architect to tell them what they might want. If you win then they might proceed ...or not. That happens sometimes. Again its high risk/high reward. Imagine this as being called for The Voice or Americans Got Talent.

 

EDIT: Formatting


 

Edited by Luminare
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Luminare said:

 

The answer is...it depends. I'm still learning about this process as well, but I was recently part of a closed competition (closed RFP) with my current firm. Competitions are great, but come with significant risks. The biggest risk is the allocation of resources/manpower to design and produce something for said competition. This is mostly always out of pocket for whatever firm is participating, and its why if you ever look at the ones who win or lose and its because....well level of talent and design finesse/skill, but also allocation of resources and manpower to get something good out the door.

There is a hierarchy here which I list below from bottom to the top:

 

RFQ (Request for Qualification) (Low Risk): Any kind of Project, but not really High Profile. Normally renovations and smaller construction.

 

Like an RFP, but minus the design idea. These are specifically asking for your name and experience level. Sometimes an RFQ can then turn into an RFP once the client has a top list of architects to proceed further. Think of it like sending out a resume for a job. When looking for a job you probably send out hundreds of resumes and see what sticks.

 

RFP (Request for Proposal) (Medium Risk): Most every other type of Project

 

The client normally already has a vague idea of what they want and what their needs are. RFP are either open or closed depending the specifics of the job. In any case you aren't just sending in your design, but also who you are and what is your experience level. This is especially the case for closed, and from my experience so far they tend to be closed because the client normally invites specific architects that they like or are interested in, but need them to develop an idea and provide experience that could qualify. If you win then you proceed. Sometimes they might select a few winners and then move on from there (some clients will pay for this further extension to the RFP). This is kinda like getting accepted for an interview where you then get to show yourself off.

 

Open Competition (High Risk): High Profile Jobs and Clients

 

Normally not in the format of an RFP, but instead your submission is the actual design product itself. This means you are being judge not by your brand/name and your experience, but simply if you have talent and design skill to do the job in the first place. An open competition is normally done when a client is either fishing for ideas on how to use a site and then move on, or to actually choose an architect for the actual job itself. In any case the client isn't sure what they really want, and are looking for an architect to tell them what they might want. If you win then they might proceed ...or not. That happens sometimes. Again its high risk/high reward. Imagine this as being called for The Voice or Americans Got Talent.

 

EDIT: Formatting


 

 

Thanks for the solid write-up. I deal with RFQs and RFPs at my job but know my company would pass on a "competition" unless there was a specific reason to chase the work. It is what I typically refer to as free consulting. If the client or project are worth the risk then maybe pursue it but in general the bigger players have enough other work to chase.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, thatguysly said:

 

Thanks for the solid write-up. I deal with RFQs and RFPs at my job but know my company would pass on a "competition" unless there was a specific reason to chase the work. It is what I typically refer to as free consulting. If the client or project are worth the risk then maybe pursue it but in general the bigger players have enough other work to chase.

 

General Contractors and Subs also do the same thing for architects. "Free consulting" is a good way to put it. Many forget that the Architect is a consultant, but for the client.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Jesse would have wanted Houston Endowment up in Texas Commerce Tower rather than down in the park. He always preferred downtown to anywhere else. Lived at the top of his hotels and loved walking past his buildings every day. But I guess they've got their reasons.

 

Cool that they're doing a competition, we should get something nice.

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Quote

 

The Houston Endowment is conducting an international search competition for a team of architects to design its new home just west of downtown Houston.

The group intends to develop a $20 million building totaling 40,000 square feet designed in a way that meets its workplace needs as well provides a space for the community and one that incorporates the surrounding natural setting. Earlier this year the Endowment purchased 1.5 acres for the project near the intersection of Memorial and Waugh.

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Houston-Endowment-on-global-search-for-architects-13989072.php

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • The title was changed to Houston Endowment Corporate Headquarters At 3615-3683 Willia St.
  • The title was changed to Houston Endowment Corporate Headquarters At 3683 Willia St.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...