Montrose1100

"Stunning architectural standards."

Compared to what, a commie block? These videos are absolute garbage. Can the target audience for these bullshlaka videos not see through it? It just blows my mind that this kind of crap is marketing...

While all the job creation and growth has caught up with the demand that we had over the last couple years, I wouldn't call it a boom. We are growing but slowly and cautiously. Had the projects proposed circa Jan.08 been built full scale now, i'd say yeah, mini boom. Baby Boom. lol Remember we had a couple of crazy and wild plans floating around. An 80 Story supertall in Uptown, along with an 800ft. twisting Ritz Carlton. Once we start getting these crazy ego plans, I'd call it a boom.

Everybody is going all goo-goo over this building and you can't even see 70% of it. I just remember seeing a water-color image of another development downtown, cough...the Embassy Suites, and how sweet it looked and we got a concrete shell with signage. We'll see.

 

Except Hines has rarely let us down. I'd like to see a more realistic rendering, to see how the colors of the tower work. Until then, just have to enjoy with what they have provided.

How can Dubai build one and Houston can't?

Come on citykid... Really?? Does this question need to be asked?

You have to have a better example than simdesert. And don't say any city in China. Use a similar government as a comparison.

How on earth would they muffle the constant sound from the freeway? Don't think I would want to live at this location. The apts are practically on the freeway.

It's not muffled. When I first moved back to Houston one of the places we were shown was Alexan Silber. Immediately after I said "is... Is that noise the freeway?" Our realtor said "oh, granite counter tops!"

#4 crane I was talking about

Here we go again...

 

Sometimes I think that maybe it's a good thing we don't have a rail system yet. Who knows? Maybe we'll get the next futuristic hover pods that will be the envy of the world with an elaborate belt system that will enable the pods to reach the burbs in 15 minutes. 

I agree with you. It is better than a strip mall.

 

However, this isn't replacing a strip mall. It's replacing apartments. The net result of the demolition is an actual decline in the number of residential units on that plot. 

 

Also, it will be interesting to see if the retail that isn't fronting Westheimer can flourish. Other than the movie theatre, there's nothing else to make folks venture back into the development. It's West Ave. with fewer apartments and less visibility. I wouldn't be betting on this one...

 

I concur that it will be interesting to see how the other retail does. It would be great to get some different restaurant choices, and I will probably frequent the theater. A few new cocktail/wine bars would be great, Prohibition is a little crowded. And of course, I hope some high end stores open up so I can window shop and pretend I could afford it.

 

The concern over the number of residents versus what will be built is an understanding of Houston in the next decade or two. Most of the larger lot garden style apartments will bite the dust, as well as the older hole in the wall places (Also what's left of the industrial spaces). Town Houses and 4-8 story apartment blocks is the future of the West Inner Loop. Of course, don't forget your cute little office buildings and random high-rises.

 

Pretty soon all the affordable places will be gone, and what's left of them will be the bottom of the barrel. Some newer Middle Class options would be nice.

I think this is a quality design, for what it is... I don't expect a Randall Davis project to hire a Starchitect. 

I have proof that I designe my XOM tower before I had even heard of the one in midland

I had actually worked on updating the BotSW Tower, because I truly think a super tall spire design would fit there like a glove. Anyways, here are a few from 07'.

I have some recent ones, but these older ones were where I thought the newer ones were.

Find it!!!

Very creative, guys!

Here was my proposal from a few years ago. Some of yall might remember it but I don't think Towerspotter was around back then.

I won't repost the images because there are too many.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24113-the-buildings-that-could-change-houston-forever/

Funny, I was going to draw something similar, although my had sharper corners. I also have a small collection of doodles I'll try and dig up later.

He said a design for Houston, not Midland...

 

Cool ideas guys, I used to have a whole spiral full of designs I did one summer but that was years ago and I have no idea where it went.

 

I know it's not a signature, but I liked the idea of the subtle X pattern for XOM. It's all about the night time lighting. 

Unfortunately very few ever did.  I tried it a couple of times when I didn't have much luggage, but I think I was the only actual traveler.  It seemed to me that the rest of the few riders were airport employees getting to/from work.

 

And luggage was not catered to.  My experience with airport transfer trains in other cities is that they are specifically configured to have luggage storage areas.  The busses that I rode on were regular busses.  And in the US, I think you'd need special luggage compartments close by where each traveler was sitting.  I get nervous leaving my bags 30 feet away at the door to the train car in Oslo, I'd never do that in a big US city.

 

But Oslo is a good model if you're going to do something like this.  The train station is right downstairs in the terminal so it's really fast to get off of your plane and get on a train.  There are special luggage racks to store big bags.  And then it's one stop or non-stop to the central station downtown.

 

And I'm just speaking to the model that I'd like to see, I'm purposefully not addressing:

economic viability, ridership numbers, opposition from cab companies, etc.

 

London's is similar with the Heathrow express. It connects to the terminals, and then to Paddington Station. Of course, from there it's easier to take the Bus to see Parliament and the Thames (for us, anyways). It would be great to have a direct route to Downtown with the baggage space. But I probably won't see that in my lifetime. The light rail connecting... maybe...

I'll play.

 

 

This is Exxon's new building Downtown. Has a unique lighting, the yellow dots represent strobe lights like the Eiffel Tower or a common smoke alarm. The Orange represent panels that would crisscross as arrows and X's (similar to the loading screen on Halo Reach). The frame work is a white concrete, and the glass would be light blue. The red dots are for airplane & helicopter purposes. 

 

The first floor would have connections to the tunnel system, as well as to 800 Bell. Ground floor restaurants/cafe, represented with the red corner patio space. Obviously a grand lobby, and than the first couple floors are parking. A nice little green/fountain space above the garage.

 

Sorry it looks crooked.

 

Edit: I also realized this is 2 blocks directly southeast of the proposed Chevron Tower, so in the drawing I noted it would also work on the block north east of 800 Bell, as 800 Clay.

 

2nd Edit: The top black box that I drew could be a darker glass or even black glass, could be meeting rooms, or new petroleum club. or even elevator STUFF. haha sorry.

Welcome to Market Street River Oaks District. All kidding aside, it's a step in the right direction from a strip mall. The office building in the first picture looks interesting, the cinema does too. Looks a LOT better than the previous ones that were released when the economy tanked and all the towers were scrapped.

Is their sales center in Roche Bobois? Or are they just advertising?

Awesome Photo from the unique prospective.  Thank you for that!  The trench...I mean "Bayuo"...makes me very sad. 

 

Some trees would do wonders.

Bisnow Reports of renovations for 3040 Post Oak, it also states a parking garage will be added. Ziegler Cooper is designing the Renovations.

http://www.bisnow.com/commercial-real-estate/houston/four-new-land-trends/

Is that the building on the right or left? I've kind of always thought the one on the right had some charm...

^{4? From HBJ "Belmont Village Senior Living broke ground in May on a senior living facility at 7667 Woodway Drive. The 158-unit complex will consist of assisted living and memory care services. The building will be a six-story midrise spanning 113,000 square feet. The project is expected to create 100 construction jobs and then between 75 and 100 full-time jobs once it is completed in about 14 months. Houston’s Harvey Builders is contracted for the project."}

Man if that Walgreens on San Felipe & Winrock isn't old people central, it will be now! Just kidding. You know, now that I saw the crane, when I remember to snap a picture I can't see it anymore. Might have to drive by to take a look.

My dream is downtown skyline connected with midtown high rises connected to the museum district towers connected to the med center skyline one day.

ONE HUGE SKYLINE!

It's a very Miami-esque condo tower. I'm sure not as grand as we all had imagined, but a fabulous addition to the skyline, and slowly making my dream of Hermann park completely surrounded by condo towers a reality.

Looks like it might be the tallest in the area!

I think Houston will grow by leaps and bounds outward. It's been slow, but the city in the beltway (and even some places out) have been infilling nicely. Before the economy tanked, I truely thought the inner loop was going to be only Townhomes, and not these huge apartment buildings.

 

As for the suburbs, and exurbs, they will continue to blossom and grow outwards as well, eventually (in 2-3 decades), it will be one continues suburban wasteland from huntsville to Galveston, and Sealy to half way to Beaumont. With the Grand Parkway, it will speed this process along.

I'm not one to say take it down... But I would hate to just see it as a skeleton frame with a park. I was really hoping for that company to turn it into an amusement park or a studio. If nothing like that can be done, I think it's time to say our goodbyes. It would feel like a slap in the face to leave the frame, but I'm sure that 2m/year could be put to better use.

I apologize for making a thread about something that I felt was an interesting topic. I'm still new at posting on this forum, as you can tell by me posting a quote without a reply. I am not someone who has several usernames that is secretly trying to bash houston. I have lived here my whole life and I love my city. If anyone is ruining this board it's the people that continue to post irrelevant replies that have nothing to do with the OP.

 

Well seeing as to how we have the same topic right below this one, going at the same time by someone else I can see his/her suspicions. Also something about the wording is... similar. Anyways, welcome to the forum.

What's your solution?

 

I'll make a dozen threads about the same topic in multiple subforums and igonore questions about my outlandish proposal and also answer questions with questions. Then, I might just get into a lengthy debate with redscare with will result in absolutely nothing.

 

I don't think i've ever hit the ignore button on anyone on here before, but here goes.