Texas Tower: 47-Story Office Tower At 845 Texas Ave.

[H-Town Man]

I think in certain renderings the winning design looks better and in certain ones it looks worse. This design certainly looks better on the bottom floors. Felt a little bit like Christmas morning when I first saw these.

 

Edited November 3, 2018 by H-Town Man

[houstontexasjack]

It adds a bit more height and that lattice-work pattern HOK has been going with (think the 7200 Main design that came out), but I prefer the crown on the existing design. 

[Reporter]

20 minutes ago, houstontexasjack said:

It adds a bit more height and that lattice-work pattern HOK has been going with (think the 7200 Main design that came out), but I prefer the crown on the existing design. 

 

Agreed. The one they went with is better. It's far more interesting at the top, where it counts the most.

[houstontexasjack]

In thinking about the future, an angled version of this design would look pretty nifty at the Five Allen Center site. Something where the line on the side of the building could be viewed from the western approach to Downtown.

[wxman]

Did anybody bother to read the fine print?! This is now a 60 STORY BUILDING!!

[Avossos]

1 hour ago, wxman said:

Did anybody bother to read the fine print?! This is now a 60 STORY BUILDING!!

 

??

[wxman]

In the first rendering that Ubrannizer posted, read the black column to the right (better to do it on your phone so you can zoom in). The second paragraph reads the following:

 

"Instead of the standard design that places a rectangular form above a parking podium with the same floor plate on each story, this building design feature a fariety of floor plates with different sizes and configurations--from center cores to side cores--and ceiling heights that vary based on their location of the 60-story tower. As the floor plates change, step-back roofs create several large outdoor terraces that serve as outdoor extensions of office areas accessible to all tenants."

 

Based on that, this will be the fourth tallest skyscraper in Houston -- possibly the third (if going by roof height). Williams is 64-stories and 901 feet. This one is 60-stories so this will easily push into the mid 800 foot range. 

Edited November 3, 2018 by wxman

[houstontexasjack]

18 minutes ago, wxman said:

In the first rendering that Ubrannizer posted, read the black column to the right (better to do it on your phone so you can zoom in). The second paragraph reads the following:

 

"Instead of the standard design that places a rectangular form above a parking podium with the same floor plate on each story, this building design feature a fariety of floor plates with different sizes and configurations--from center cores to side cores--and ceiling heights that vary based on their location of the 60-story tower. As the floor plates change, step-back roofs create several large outdoor terraces that serve as outdoor extensions of office areas accessible to all tenants."

 

Based on that, this will be the fourth tallest skyscraper in Houston -- possibly the third (if going by roof height). Williams is 64-stories and 901 feet. This one is 60-stories so this will easily push into the mid 800 foot range. 

This design was not chosen. I thought Urby posted it as a “what might have been.”

[CaptainJilliams]

Yes, those height estimates are specific to only those renderings, not the final plan. 

[Luminare]

I prefer the tower design of the one being built. That being said, I think the overall design of this other model is better. The only setback as far as the design of the current model is the parking podium. This design seems to address it in a better way that lets the tower do more things.

[wxman]

Oh ok....then my apologies. I got excited. I didn't see the "what might of been" part. Too bad, this is a better design IMO.

[H-Town Man]

4 hours ago, wxman said:

In the first rendering that Ubrannizer posted, read the black column to the right (better to do it on your phone so you can zoom in). The second paragraph reads the following:

 

"Instead of the standard design that places a rectangular form above a parking podium with the same floor plate on each story, this building design feature a fariety of floor plates with different sizes and configurations--from center cores to side cores--and ceiling heights that vary based on their location of the 60-story tower. As the floor plates change, step-back roofs create several large outdoor terraces that serve as outdoor extensions of office areas accessible to all tenants."

 

Based on that, this will be the fourth tallest skyscraper in Houston -- possibly the third (if going by roof height). Williams is 64-stories and 901 feet. This one is 60-stories so this will easily push into the mid 800 foot range. 

 

Wow. Wonder if this was too ambitious and that's why it wasn't selected? Also, I think the winning design's 45 degree turn from the street grid creates advantages for leasing due to less blocked views.

 

Hopefully we get an announcement on the residential building soon.

Edited November 4, 2018 by H-Town Man

[Luminare]

14 hours ago, H-Town Man said:

 

Wow. Wonder if this was too ambitious and that's why it wasn't selected? Also, I think the winning design's 45 degree turn from the street grid creates advantages for leasing due to less blocked views.

 

Hopefully we get an announcement on the residential building soon.

 

Thats like saying producers go into a room and say, "hey guys how can we make a movie that is really terrible!" Nobody ever sets out to make a bad movie, just like nobody sets out to make a terrible building. You have no clue how clients always want the best of the best until either budget, and time begin to influence what is possible. The other thats never considered is that maybe we as outside observers see a greater potential because we aren't burdened by notions of expectations, budget, and time. We also have to remember that these buildings aren't built for any of us commenting here. They are designed and built for their clients. We just hope that our dreams and aspirations match what the clients want. I'm sure the current design is exactly what the client wants and is incredibly ambitious for them to build it. They are about to drop untold millions of dollars...MILLONS to build this. You aren't going into this saying, "how can we design something that doesn't show ambition."

 

While again I actually favor this other design as a whole, I appreciate the simplicity of the current design. I think a much more interesting discussion, rather than just reimagine an alternate universe where this is at play, would be to evaluate the current state the approach to architecture is here. We are finally looking at doing big projects and looking to big ideas again, but its interesting how we still aren't really picking up on most architectural trends that are out there. I'm still wondering why bigger names in the field have yet to really impact the city like they did during modernism and post-modernism.

[wxman]

“Designed and built for the clients?” I was under the impression this was spec office. I would think the previous design is far more bold, imposing and makes a bigger splash and would woo a potential tenant easier. Not that the current design is ugly, but rotating a building 45 degrees isn’t all that “progressive.” When comparing the two renderings side by side, it makes you take a deep breath and sigh when compared to what could have been, at least IMO.

 

It’s like being told you’re getting a brand new mustang. Exciting until you realize your spouse or parents had made an offer on an Audi RS5 but settled for the mustang. Sort of dampens the excitement for the mustang lol.

[H-Town Man]

1 hour ago, Luminare said:

 

Thats like saying producers go into a room and say, "hey guys how can we make a movie that is really terrible!" Nobody ever sets out to make a bad movie, just like nobody sets out to make a terrible building. You have no clue how clients always want the best of the best until either budget, and time begin to influence what is possible. The other thats never considered is that maybe we as outside observers see a greater potential because we aren't burdened by notions of expectations, budget, and time. We also have to remember that these buildings aren't built for any of us commenting here. They are designed and built for their clients. We just hope that our dreams and aspirations match what the clients want. I'm sure the current design is exactly what the client wants and is incredibly ambitious for them to build it. They are about to drop untold millions of dollars...MILLONS to build this. You aren't going into this saying, "how can we design something that doesn't show ambition."

 

While again I actually favor this other design as a whole, I appreciate the simplicity of the current design. I think a much more interesting discussion, rather than just reimagine an alternate universe where this is at play, would be to evaluate the current state the approach to architecture is here. We are finally looking at doing big projects and looking to big ideas again, but its interesting how we still aren't really picking up on most architectural trends that are out there. I'm still wondering why bigger names in the field have yet to really impact the city like they did during modernism and post-modernism.

 

How on earth did you construe my words to mean that I thought they wanted to make a terrible building? All I said was that the non-winning design was maybe too ambitious, i.e. in terms of height and floor area to be leased. Hines has consistently stayed below 50 stories on recent buildings here and not too far beyond 1 million SF. Combine that with our current high downtown vacancy and maybe 60 stories was too ambitious. And I in no way said the winning design was terrible, I actually said I thought it was better in certain renderings, not in others. I'm still not sure which design I like better overall.

 

Did it ever dawn on you just to ask, "What do you mean by 'too ambitious'?"

[H-Town Man]

46 minutes ago, wxman said:

“Designed and built for the clients?” I was under the impression this was spec office. I would think the previous design is far more bold, imposing and makes a bigger splash and would woo a potential tenant easier. Not that the current design is ugly, but rotating a building 45 degrees isn’t all that “progressive.” When comparing the two renderings side by side, it makes you take a deep breath and sigh when compared to what could have been, at least IMO.

 

It’s like being told you’re getting a brand new mustang. Exciting until you realize your spouse or parents had made an offer on an Audi RS5 but settled for the mustang. Sort of dampens the excitement for the mustang lol.

 

They have a major tenant leased to anchor the building, who I imagine would have gotten a say in the design competition. I'm sure Luminare can tell us more about how this process works, since he's an architect.

[asubrt]

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/31847472028_b65d75b4d1_k.jpg

 

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/44994369394_9ab973027e_k.jpg

[hindesky]

I think they found the bottom of the northern part of the block 

1C9A4847-8651-4E82-A074-33A962B3B1F5 by David, on Flickr

[Triton]

Hines, Block 58 by Marc longoria, on Flickr

[(Otto Mation)]

elnina999 has added a photo to the pool:

www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/07/18/hines-kicks-o...

View the full article

[H-Town Man]

I think tearing down that 20 story building at Texas and Fannin to build 609 Main took less time than clearing all the concrete out of this excavation. Wow, I would be getting impatient if I were them.

 

[hindesky]

 3BDEEC19-DBFC-4179-9983-84ACB86E0571 by David, on Flickr

[bobruss]

Very interesting image. I really like the  light and the reflection is extremely interesting.

Good to see your photos again. 

 

[Twinsanity02]

15 hours ago, hindesky said:

 3BDEEC19-DBFC-4179-9983-84ACB86E0571 by David, on Flickr

Great photo. Hines has really dug himself into a hole. Looks 35 to 40 feet deep. 

[Naviguessor]

Is a great pic. You can tell it’s an early morning, by the shape of the reflections, off the Calpine tower. 

[Highrise Tower]

Taken today.

 

View 1

 

 

View 2

 

 

Also, I noticed two other Hines glass towers! The soon to be trio

[BigFootsSocks]

Is it just me or are none of the pics showing up anymore?

[mollusk]

2 hours ago, BigFootsSocks said:

Is it just me or are none of the pics showing up anymore?

 

Some are, some aren't.  Today's set is among the aren't.

Edited December 29, 2018 by mollusk

[editor]

2 hours ago, BigFootsSocks said:

Is it just me or are none of the pics showing up anymore?

 

Sorry.  That's my fault.  I moved HAIF to a new server earlier today.  Still working out the bugs.  I should have those pictures back by the end of the weekend.