KirbyDriveKid

On top of the comments above, that irrigation they're putting down across from the tower is a bad sign for the (maybe not) Restoration Hardware building, right..? Or am I misreading that activity?

Love that they are actually putting down pavers. I usually expect these kind of details that show up in renderings to end up dropped (if they were ever actually intended...) during construction

Is that the final exterior (between window) material going up on the west side of the bottom seven-or-so floors in the photos?

I thought it was fascinating how frequently Moussavi brought up Houston's weather as a reason to include engaging outdoor patio spaces in the designs. And while I laughed in my head when I heard that, I think it does get at something that Houston lets sneak by unappreciated, which is that with proper shading we actually have broad swathes of the year where outdoor activity is actually quite doable, especially outside the hottest parts of the day in the hottest months. I think the pandemic prompted some rethinking of this in areas such as outdoor dining, but having spent the last several years in DC and now being up in Boston, it's amazing how cities with even fewer months of usable outdoor weather (especially DC, they basically have our summers with a halfway decent winter tacked on for good measure) do a much better job of engaging outdoor spaces. And the answer is basically just provide more shade, a touch less asphalt, and some helpful air movement. I'm so glad this project and Moussavi are embracing this ethos/bringing it to Houston, and hope it'll keep spreading!

I love the view out to Jones Hall! This diagonal view and the redevelopment of Jordy's Toilet into a proper park (okay, more so the latter) should do wonders for the appreciation of our wonderful performing arts buildings downtown

We don't need to be humble. Best high-rise in Texas!

I know busses are a lot less sexy than rail (and I do love rail) but true BRT systems can be really great and if anyone hasn't looked up some of the really impressive systems in places like Bogota then I'd definitely recommend it. I was blown away when I visited to see how extensive the system was and how many people were using it. Also the lower per-mile cost could be very important for building out a full system in an expansive city like Houston.

Boy do I miss the St. Luke's/Texas Childrens needles :( The wedding cake roof is much less impressive without them.

Actually, Tolkien preferred to use "dwarves" :)

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/High-style-Museo-medical-office-building-tops-out-16123467.php Museo Medical Office Building, a 10-story, contemporary building at the gateway to the Museum District, celebrated a construction milestone with a topping out ceremony Thursday. Slated for completion this fall, the building is the first phase of a planned mixed-use project spanning three blocks. Testa Rossa Properties, led by Dr. Mike Mann of Mann Eye Institute, is spearheading the development at 5115 Fannin. Real estate broker Brandy Bellow Spinks of CBRE organized the event, which was attended by medical professionals and commercial real estate brokers specializing in health care and life sciences. Marko Dasigenis, a principal at PJMD Architects, designed the building in tandem with Dallas-based Huitt-Zollars. The building features a contemporary angular design inspired by the Cubism art movement. Mission Construction is the general contractor. Museo will be a specialty surgery center for internal medicine specialists, dermatologists, plastic surgeons and other medical and nursing practitioners. Mann Eye Institute will relocate from next door to occupy the 10th floor. Houston-based medical practice Texas Laparoscopic Consultants has leased 9,130-square-foot lease on the ninth floor. Other tenant announcements are coming soon.

Given this design, I'm most happy that they didn't run a street down the riverfront (bayoufront?). Even if the current plan is only an enlarged sidewalk, it's all *pedestrian* at this point. So hopefully as this development matures and is a success, they can grow the pedestrian infrastructure, build out plazas along the water, and add a few smaller commercial structures with patios. All those things. Basically, I'm glad they haven't closed the door on that yet, even if the current focus seems to be more traditional streetscapes that remind more of the River Oaks District than something like the DC Waterfront development.

Deleting! Think I misunderstood

Technology Greentown Labs unveils Midtown space, seeks $1.7M to complete build-out By Chris Mathews – Reporter, Houston Business Journal Feb 2, 2021 Greentown Labs, the largest climate-tech incubator in North America, unveiled portions of its Midtown facility on Feb. 2 ahead of the incubator's anticipated spring opening. The reveal ceremony for the facility at 4200 San Jacinto St. included stakeholders from the city of Houston, Somerville, Massachusetts-based Greentown Labs, the Greater Houston Partnership, Rice Management Co. and other organizations. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke of the incubator's importance in developing Houston's clean tech and renewable energy economy and urged organizations in Houston to assist Greentown Houston in reaching its fundraising goal of $10 million. "We did this in the middle of a public health emergency, accompanied by a profound economic crisis and a national reckoning with racial inequality faced by communities of color," Turner said. "There is a very real urgency to act on climate, accelerate the energy transition and invest in a green and just recovery from the Covid-19 crisis." Emily Reichart, CEO of Greentown Labs, said the incubator is still raising for $1.7 million to finish the renovation of the facility, which is being built out in a former Fiesta grocery store. The funding will also go toward filling out Greentown Houston's facility with furniture and lab equipment. "We're really trying to set up our team here to be supported for the first three years of operation," Reichart said. "We'd like to allow them to get started focusing on the entrepreneurs and building a community, rather than constantly be fundraising." The incubator's doors have yet to officially open, but 18 startups focused on clean tech and renewables have already joined Greentown Houston as inaugural members. The incubator hopes to support around 50 startups in its Midtown facility. Companies typically spend two years in the Greentown incubator, Reichart said. The renovated Fiesta building will include a number of amenities for startups, including a town hall space with standing room for 250 attendees, flexible desk space for around 50 member companies, lab and shop space for light industrial and metal fabrication, and more. Those 50 or so companies at Greentown Houston will employ up to 300 people, Reichart said. Greentown Labs aims to open its new Houston facility by April 22 — Earth Day 2021. The Midtown Fiesta store closed in July amid declining sales and increasing competition. However, Rice University has owned the property since October 2017, according to the Harris County Appraisal District. Before that, it was owned by Sears since 1988. Greentown Labs announced plans to expand into Houston in June 2020. Rice Management Co. is developing the Greentown Labs site as part of the 16-acre Midtown Innovation District. The district is anchored by The Ion, a 280,000-square-foot innovation hub being built at 4201 Main St., just a block away from the Greentown Houston space. The Ion will be home to other accelerator programs, including The Ion Smart and Resilient Cities Accelerator and Austin-based DivInc, a nonprofit accelerator aimed at promoting diversity and equity in the startup space.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/home/design/article/First-look-Houston-s-Giorgetti-building-makes-15628205.php Update from the Chronicle! Apparently the building is open and the interior pictures look amazing. Drove by today and the Giorgetti could really use an HEB mid/highrise across the street. The empty lot really takes away from the gorgeous building. "Its subtle, black brick exterior -- the pattern spells out "G-i-o-r-g-e-t-t-i" in binary code -- mimics the black basalt pavers often used in streets throughout Italy, and slabs of brilliant marble speak of the quarries the country is known for." ^also learned this today.

There is an image of this side at the 0:57 mark in the video on this website: https://ionhouston.com/. Seems to be the final look for the exterior of those floors. I like them. Breaks up the general wall of glass look, and ties in some of the verticality from the old Sears windows. Tried to attach a screen grab from the video but not sure if it worked.