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Houston Endowment Corporate Headquarters At 3683 Willia St.


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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.

 

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  • 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? 

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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
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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.

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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.

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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.

 

 

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  • 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

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  • 1 month later...

https://www.archdaily.com/922471/4-teams-shortlisted-for-the-houston-endowment-headquarters

 

The four design teams selected for the Houston Endowment Headquarters International Design Competition were announced today by Houston Endowment and Malcolm Reading Consultants, the organizers of the contest. The teams chosen have to imagine the new head offices of the organization, a private institution that tackles the essential needs of the community of greater Houston.



 

The four finalist teams are (in alphabetical order by team lead):

 

Deborah Berke Partners with DAVID RUBIN Land Collective and Atelier Ten

 

Kevin Daly Architects with TLS Landscape Architecture, Productora, and Transsolar

 

Olson Kundig with Surfacedesign, Inc

 

Schaum/Shieh Architects with HKS and Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

 

Launched in June 2019, the first phase of the competition was so popular that it attracted 121 team submissions from 354 individual firms. The selected four teams will be qualified to the next round where they would have to produce conceptual design drawings for the project in 10 weeks, based on their initial approach. They would have to create an inspirational and innovative 3700 square meters building, integrated within its natural context, near downtown Houston, and competing with the modern structures of the region. The construction will include spaces for its team and community partners, such as workspaces, meeting spaces, and engagement facilities. The winner’s announcement is expected in November 2019 and the final built project is due to open on May 2022.

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14 minutes ago, marstrose said:

Be interesting to see what HKS has in store. Really hoping they go with someone local. 

 

The best one and probably the best fit will be Olsen Kundig. Really good architecture firm. They check all the boxes for what HE wants. They have a great variety in their portfolio of work. The architecture Kundig does is very contextual. Just scrolling through their projects a lot of what they do could easily be applied to the Houston context. I would choose them.

 

The odd one in the bunch is Schaum/Shieh. I like what they do, but they are very different from the other three (for good and for bad). Once they were chosen by the Architecture League as one of their 2019 Emerging Voices they were immediately catapulted into the "architectural zietgeist" or "architectural vanguard" of sorts, which when entering any competition is going to help you get chosen.

Edited by Luminare
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9 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

The best one and probably the best fit will be Olsen Kundig. Really good architecture firm. They check all the boxes for what HE wants. They have a great variety in their portfolio of work. The architecture Kundig does is very contextual. Just scrolling through their projects a lot of what they do could easily be applied to the Houston context. I would choose them.

 

 

 

I too am rooting for Olsen Kundig. A number of architects have work in-design for Houston, which I like. Brings more variety and flavor.

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  • 2 months later...

Something was bugging me and I realized it reminds me somewhat of the Menil and I don't know why. 

 

I love the design. The only thing is those skinny columns, dont know how I feel about that. The airyness of the design is pretty striking. Make parts of this out of recycled materials and we have a true winner. 

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28 minutes ago, X.R. said:

Something was bugging me and I realized it reminds me somewhat of the Menil and I don't know why. 

 

I love the design. The only thing is those skinny columns, dont know how I feel about that. The airyness of the design is pretty striking. Make parts of this out of recycled materials and we have a true winner. 

 

Everyone at my office was saying the exact same thing!

 

With that being said, its not like its out of the realm of possibility, right?

 

I mean I remember this project by SANAA for a university cafe:

 

8PbSvvh.jpg

 

The slender column was at the Serpentine Pavilion for 2019 by Junya Ishigami:

 

rE02VOc.jpg

 

Theres this example of a new visitors center at Stonehenge (which must be recent because I don't remember this being there when I went (7ish years ago):

 

65T6rfL.jpg

 

I'm also trying to remember that one post-modern architect that first played with the super tall and slender column, but can't remember the name for the life of me.

 

I think the biggest question mark is the intention of this roof and whats its materiality. In the visuals it looks like concrete. You can go super skinny with metal, but concrete will be tricky.

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