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fernz

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Everything posted by fernz

  1. fernz
    There is an exception on Chapter 42 (Houston development ordinance) that allows construction in Downtown with NO PARKING at all. But TC would be crazy to build a Class A office tower with no parking.
  2. fernz
    Park Shops used to have household name stores, and they left because the demand isn't there!
  3. fernz
    The architect's success in South Florida and Vegas doesn't mean much. If you can show me a similar list of the developer's track record in the Houston market, then I'll think there is a possibility. I have worked in three different architecture firms in the last ten years, and all three have an extensive list of "projects" as part of their marketing material that are a collection of real projects and a range of feasibility studies, competition entries, or mere marketing for owners looking to sell their land. Besides, looking at all the potential towers planned for DT, all are for office space because that is where the demand is. With the Finger tower going up and the HP residential scrapped, I would bet that the numbers are not there to support additional apartments or condos in DT, espacially for a luxury 50-story tower.
  4. fernz
    Just like everyone else I hope this one is for real, but something tells me it's not. Architects typically will not publish their designs without owner's approval, and that happens once the project has been anounced or canceled. As secretive as the potential developers for the next DT towers have been - especially Hines - I doubt they would let the rendering to be made public. Did anyone notice how most projects on that site are renderings? Architects love to post renderings of projects that never made it past schematic design because they are still their original design, before the owner and marketing gurus mess it up.
  5. fernz
    Anyone interested in a preview? Private Preview & Wine Tasting April 17 5:30p - 8:30p 2401 1/2 Bolsover - Rice Village RSVP: 713.528.9600 or RSVP@RANDALLDAVIS.COM
  6. fernz
    Trust me, the Catholic Church does not expect people to join because of their architectural likes or dislikes. It goes a bit deeper than that. And Cathedrals are not built as tools for mass converations.
  7. fernz
    Amen. Amen And for those who think the church wants mediocre buildings, please see the official guidelines from the US Conference of Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/livingstones.shtml#chapteroneb Churches, therefore, must be places "suited to sacred celebrations," "dignified," and beautiful. Their suitability for worship is determined by their ability through the architectural design of space and the application of artistic gifts to embody God's initiative and the community's faithful response. Church buildings and the religious artworks that beautify them are forms of worship themselves and both inspire and reflect the prayer of the community as well as the inner life of grace. The church building is a sign and reminder of the immanence and transcendence of God
  8. fernz
    The key word here is "spec" office building. If you are developing a tower that is pre-leased to a bank or giant energy corporation you can make a statement, as long as your tenant goes along with it. But if you don't know who your main tenant will be, you need a "safe" design, something that is not too trendy or flashy, which unfortunately means boring.
  9. fernz
    Is this another project that died before breaking ground? There have been so many of those...
  10. fernz
    I completely agree with you. But the design of the tower itself is so uninspiring...
  11. fernz
    What a disapointing design! Why can't Houston get something interesting like the project recently announced in Atlanta? see attached...
  12. fernz
    Do you think Central Market is sexy enough for Highland Village?
  13. fernz
    Does anybody have any recent pictures, or can update us on the progress of this building?
  14. fernz
    Good grief!
  15. fernz
    I hate to disapoint you, but they have stores in urban locations such as upont Circle in DC, and they do not sell CDs. Joe Muggs does have good coffee though.
  16. fernz
    I bet mrfootball has some info. He seems to be in charge of PR for Vintage Park.
  17. fernz
    ricco, did you get a chance to see who the architect is?
  18. fernz
    It looks great! Thank you Highway6! If anyone has more pics, please share...
  19. fernz
    I guess it could always happen. It sure sounds more official, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart makes it sound like it's not quite a Cathedral....just a "Co-Cathedral". Anyway, can anyone take a picture of the construction for those of us not living in Houston? The Archdiocese web site seems to be updated very infrequently these days. Thanks!
  20. fernz
    Yeah, right! The only reason this group is hard to please is b/c everyone believes anonymous posts that don't disclose their source. No one bothered to challenge the athenticity of this list... Books a million is a good tenant, but really HP is not much better than what you get between Bayou Place and the Houston Center...
  21. fernz
    Where did you get this info???
  22. fernz
    Randall Davis has such a succesful track record that he has a hoard of investors following him anywhere he goes - of course when I say succesful I'm talking about the investor point of view, and NOT the architectural point of view!!! That rendering from the ZCA postcard shown above is over two years old. In the meantime, he must have done his due dilligence, refined his market study, talked to his investors and his lenders, redesigned the building to look like the newer rendering (based on the market response) and finally launched his website and presales effort, which is probably a requiremnt from the lenders. As ugly as most of his buildings are (yes, that is my opinion) at least he knows what he's doing. I would say that if he's gotten this far in the course of two years it means the project is definetly not dead.
  23. fernz
    Unfortunately that goes against basic market forces. As long as inexpensive housing keeps sprwaling further out, the prices for housing in the inner core will be on the high end of the choices. If development was forbidden outside (for example) of the grand parkway - not that this would ever happen - as was done in Portland, the cheap exurban housing would no longer be an option and developers would have to build in the city. As long as the cheap option is available, people will take it, even if it means longer commute times. Besides, because Houston has no zoning, there's nothing stopping developpers to keep building employement centers on the outskirts, which means commute times don't necesserilly have to climb. There is no market or regulatory incentive for developers to build dense urban areas, there is only a niche market for them and that's why so little is being built. Finally, for those who think it doesn't matter because they choose to live in the city, what do you think happens as the city annexes all that new development? Who do you think pays for all those services? The less compact a city is, the more expensive the services per capita are. And why do you think the city's public transportation is so inneficient? It's too expensive to serve such a large area. The city, county and state prefer to spend tax dollars by building more freeway lanes and adding even more loops, rather than a transit system that is underused and can never catch up with the sprawl. So even if you choose to live in the city, you are still paying a premium for a city living experience that is sub-par. It's sad, but that's what's happening in Houston...
  24. fernz
    Most likely metal panels. Either painted aluminum or, if they get fancy, zinc.
  25. fernz
    Here is the exact quote: "This glorious cathedral will stand as a powerful symbol of the transcendence of God, and as an affirmation of the existence and importance of faith in a secular and disbelieving world. The Cathedral will serve as a soul and conscience of the city, reminding us of the importance of the spiritual amind the bustle of the commercial and corporate worlds - of the fact that God exists and faith matters."
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