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Dang it.  I guess they did away with the ivy wall by the pool.  Overall though, better than the last render.

Just some inside info on stuff like this. That's not even a real render. It's literally the model space in sketchup with shadows and textures turned on. They then put some black silhouette components for scale. Same with the trees. It's actually pretty lazy, but it's not like this would have been used in an actual presentation. This is something you would quickly do to show it to a client so they and whoever designed this could get some quick remarks. 

I'm wondering if any of these shenanigans really even matters in the first place? I could see the impact if this was a government project, but it's completely private enterprise. Meaning if they get approval from the EPA, Feds, and the City of Houston then they can do whatever they want. If the city and TCR want the station in downtown then they will get it to downtown with or without the support of these NIMBY's. Much of these meetings seem to be simply to save face, gather info, and are most likely a government requirement, but even with last mile costs, etc... It's the greatest economic choice to put it in downtown. Not for the short term, but for the long term.

Anyone have the full scoop from the meeting? Details?

I'm posting this because it relates to this topic! In the video this idea is being applied to gaming, but it applies to almost anything in terms of design. It highlights the dangers of "focus group" designing and how it's all about what kind of questions you ask and how most of the time you have no idea if you are going to get the answers you are looking for, or if you are getting the right feedback, or if the questions were right in the first place. I know there is multitudes of research and psychology books that would explain this in a more 'professional' fashion, but I think this video will do.

The biggest take away is that most of the time people don't know what they want until you show them!

EDIT: Just making a note that this isn't all about that one topic I would recommend just watching the first 5mins, and if you like gaming and all that stuff then continue on, but for the topic at hand I thought that this person, in the first few mins of this video, put it in laymens terms very well.

...and so is this building...

I just like how people in Chron's comment section just can't possibly fathom that this project is going to be mostly if not entirely privately funded lol. I actually highly doubt this project will get state funding as the conservative government wouldn't dare do so. What will most likely happen is that as the project gets closer to construction the state gov. might provide help in the form of subsides. If this project is successful I can imagine that there would be a form of government subsidy granted to people who will see rail go through their land as a form of compensation.

So I had just wrote out a long ass reply, but I think this analogy will work better.

For any ladies that are on this forum I want to apologize in advance.

It's like if you wanted to construct the "perfect" woman from various parts of other women that you think are good lookin. You like that girls eyes. You like this girls hair. You like this one's hips. That girl has a nice waist. Etc, etc...

But just because you like those various aspects on each of those individual woman that doesn't mean that they should all be part of ONE woman. I mean imagine if you threw all of the those parts together.......that would not end well AT ALL!!! Each of those unique identifying features of those various ladies that you like are what make them attractive to you, but just because it's on that women doesn't mean it will be unique or great when combined with other things.

It's the same here. What's more revealing is the statement by Surge Homes that it was done simply by user input online. What's the vetting process for all of that input? I actually want to know WHY they like those things instead of just the things in of themselves because that will reveal why it stuck out to them! Sometimes each of those various elements stated by those individuals also says something about the building that has what they like, but the building lives through those things and they play an integral part in why the building was designed in such a way.

Whats has to be the most concerning thing is the shift from an 84 unit building to just 7 super large single family homes? I simply don't understand the economics of this! You are willing to trade 84 units for just SEVEN oversized, bloated, style collage mess houses? Truly baffling...

Finally, what I see in this rendering is an example of an architect who doesn't know how to say, No. It's ok to say no to a client because not everything (features or ideas) can go in every project nor does it need to be.

I......yeah I'm just going to wait until work is done to respond in depth. I will say that there is something to be said about the ability to get feedback from the community, but it has to go through a filter Surge Homes.....a very tight filter and then another filter on that, and then finally your own filter in terms of aesthetics and sensibility. You guys literally took everything and tried to jam it into one enormous monstrosity of a building!

This is seriously first year design studio mistakes...Please tell me this is an april fools joke 4 months in advance? I expect this out of 1st year design studio's, but not from practicing architects. There has to be a balance between what a client wants and what an architect wants, design wise.

I think people are assuming these things because they think the market, with ALL the current players, will be the same over the next year. I think things will start to level off as weaker players are pushed out (African nations, Venezuela, Russia). Once that happens then the supply will go down and prices will rise again. OPEC is officially dead and they do not care about the fall of prices because they can deal with it, but if they think that we (the US) are going to go down without a fight then they have another thing coming. The US will soon become a net exporter of energy. With the rise of fracking its going to happen at some point. This is capitalism at work folks. There will be peaks and valleys. The biggest change out of all of this that this might be the last time that "OPEC" will be able to control the price and instead in the future it will be left to the global market.

And that's a rap. That was my 2 cents on this oil biz. If people are going to continue to be derail every thread with this same topic I'm just going to take a little HAIF vacation for a bit. Starting.....now. Peace.

This is probably the one project where my expectations are extremely low. The fact that the there hasn't been some big announcement about the entire site nor do we know what it will look like or who is designing it makes me speculate that it's simply going to be divided up and pieced out to whoever can get it. It's a golden opportunity wasted. I wouldn't be surprised it is a few small apartment buildings and they call it a day, or a couple wraps with some parking garages attached. I almost certain from the lack of transparency and lack of endorsement that this won't be some comprehensive master planned district or multi-use community. sigh...

It was so sad to watch! I was tearing up and everything. I was watching it from my office and to make it even more epic I was playing The Ecstasy of Gold! Then as it fell I was playing From Whom the Bell Tolls lol. It certainly went out with a bang that's for sure

Midway, when it comes to large mixed-use certainly is good at looking long term. I don't think we will see anything on this for a couple years since they are already stacked with projects like crazy. If they do start another mixed-use center like City Centre then I hope that from the vast amount of experience they have gathered over the past several years they might try push the envelope both architecturally and planning. Do these developments NEED new streets dedicated to cars? Do they NEED parking surrounding the exterior of the site? Could a major mixed-use development like this maybe spur Metro to stretching light rail down the Washington Corridor? How far away is infrastructure in this area from being able to handle something a large as what could happen?

I also image this would be done in multiple phases like 5-10 years overall for the whole thing.

Just some fun speculation.

Some people just can't be happy can't they...

http://www.click2houston.com/news/residents-speak-out-against-proposed-bullet-train-routes/30309860

Was anyone at this meeting?

Curious at what the responses were.

I love the argument about congestion! lol Yeah because it's not like it doesn't come from a country where it's one of the most densely packed place around.

Not to mention there is already a railroad going through these neighborhoods. Do these people cross open railroad tracks day in and day out? How does adding this rail further do that? What about highways? Don't they already cut off neighborhoods enough already?

The Cafe Express building is no more. They were also digging up the parking lots.

http://swamplot.com/gazing-down-upon-the-arborial-carnage-at-tema-developments-worksite-just-north-of-hermann-park/2014-12-16/

Could someone from here possibly go over to whoever puts stuff on swamplot and give them a firm slap across the face?

Seriously what's with all the tree clickbait articles? I understand the ROW stuff, but this is on their property! UGH!

Will these apartments be the first phase of the whole project, or is the whole project dead?

I think your answer is in this excerpt:

"part of a comprehensive, mixed-use redevelopment of the hardy yards rail site"

Would be nice if we could see the master plan though... 

Never been to San Fran (though a visit would be neat). Here is a list of things I know about that I think you need to add to the list:

-Lombard Street

-Pier 39

-Golden Gate Park

-Chinatown

-For all of us mass transit lovers and mass transit trolls (lol):

      -ride the trolley system

      -ride the subway

-Transamerica Tower (observation deck?)

-if you are into tech maybe visit Silicon Valley? I don't know if it would be worth it.

-there is also Oakland and Santa Clara near San Fran which are a train ride away, but I don't know if those places are worth a visit either.

If I have time and find architecture that might be interesting that isn't know about then I'll post it.

wow talk about vertigo H-TownChris2 lol jk

I kind of like it's bland simplicity. It's not shooting for some fake turret or stucco Mediterranean look, it just looks modern and simple. Not pretending to be something it's not. I assume the Ivy wall is covering the garage which is nice.

I agree that the building sorta sees itself as something that is past the faux styles of which are the norm, but it doesn't really identity with the nature and culture of the area. It doesn't have to be super wacky or anything, but a diversity in color and material should be a must in this area of town! It would certainly make it more distinctive. I mean I know we are in a very conservativist attitude when it comes to architecture of late in america, but I can never understand how that helps better market a building. "Hey you want to live in a building that is the same as everyone else, with the same amenities, and counter tops, etc.....then come live here!" It just leaves you scratching your head.

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing this. My father brought this by my apartment the other day. Oh how the times have changed.

 

http://imgur.com/a/1TuKP

The killer moment for me was the dude in green jacket sporting the most fake running stance I have ever seen LOL

I was like, "Bro, do you even know how to fake run!?"

There are two leaning pillars, each opposite each other (compare the pic from the north to the pic from the south). So either this is a consistent mistake, or it is purposeful.

If you mean the ones on the far right side of the building in the picture, then this architect says yes, this was done intentionally.

EDIT: Some additional context might help. If you look at one of the renderings that shows this side of building then you will notice that in the area where this column (or series of columns) are you will see that the exterior slants out from the building in the same angle as the column. The column most likely was designed in this way to mimic the exterior and since they are taking this extra effort to do so for this particular area then that space is probably one of some significance to the program. I don't think anyone on here has posted specific floor plans for this building. So it's anyone's guess as to the nature of the space. The architecture of this room though is by design.

Not sure if someone has mentioned this, but it seems they're focusing on the south side of the garage first so that they can start leasing more quickly than if they did both sides at the same time. Dirt is the only thing on the north side so far.

Yeah I noticed that as well. Makes sense too because that's the side which will get the most foot traffic.

Is that the view of the front or back? It looks like that would be more the back side of the building since it would make more sense to have cars exit onto Marconi St. and not Montrose!

I do agree with Howard that it's a little on the basic side. Nothing really pops out in terms of the architecture, but it's the right size and proportion for what is needed in the area and the first buildings that do go up in this area are going to be basic because they are the first entry into this kind of market for this area. Not bad and it's a good start for mid-rises which will probably be popping all over montrose soon.

All they gotta do is just taaaaap it in. Just tap it in.