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bobruss

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Everything posted by bobruss

  1. bobruss
    It's beautiful, but I wish they'd bury the power lines.
  2. bobruss
    They said it would be true to the leaked renderings to HAIF and i see no Hardie Plank in the renderings. This will definitely be a game changer for the Village.
  3. bobruss
    Just received confirmation that this project has started, permits have been received and it will be the 12 story building true to the renderings that have been on this site.
  4. bobruss
    I thought this was an architecture forum. Maybe I was confused when I started following. It sounds more like a construction developer site. I realize work was slow and it helps the economy but I can't believe the quantity over quality argument espoused all over this site. I would rather see less built but better thoughtful design for urban spaces. I think it's more important to create well conceived projects that address urban issues, and think more about how all these millions of new residents are going to get from home to work inside the loop once all of this infill that so many of you are craving gets built. I too would love to see Houston become a truly urban metropolitan area, but I would like to see a little restraint on the part of the developers to just put up anything they want. And why should we be excited with ugly, especially in quantity. Once it's built there's nothing you can do to hide it. On the other hand you can go to another project and find people up in arms about marvy's new fiesta site project, and how poorly it fits in with the neighborhood. Obviously there is a lot of inconsistency in the thinking on individual projects. There seems to be a consistent thread that no matter what it looks like just so long as it gets it gets built. I for one think that this is a terrible stance and if that'is what you want what happens to aesthetics, and smart design? I thought this was an architecture forum. Maybe I was confused when I started following. It sounds more like a construction developer site. I realize work was slow and it helps the economy but I can't believe the quantity over quality argument espoused all over this site. I would rather see less built but better thoughtful design for urban spaces. I think it's more important to create well conceived projects that address urban issues, and think more about how all these millions of new residents are going to get from home to work inside the loop once all of this infill that so many of you are craving gets built. I too would love to see Houston become a truly urban metropolitan area, but I would like to see a little restraint on the part of the developers to just put up anything they want. And why should we be excited with ugly, especially in quantity. Once it's built there's nothing you can do to hide it. On the other hand you can go to another project and find people up in arms about marvy's new fiesta site project, and how poorly it fits in with the neighborhood. Obviously there is a lot of inconsistency in the thinking on individual projects. There seems to be a consistent thread that no matter what it looks like just so long as it gets it gets built. I for one think that this is a terrible stance and if that'is what you want what happens to aesthetics, and smart design?
  5. bobruss
    I know its exciting to see all of the infill and watch the cranes go higher and higher, but if its just going to end up being an ugly building I don't want it cluttering what so far has been a pretty evenly designed skyline. One last thing Mattlock, and then I'm going to leave this for you others to resolve. There is a very well known quote that says it all. "Less is More" Mies
  6. bobruss
    I think Randall should stick to doing his work down on Padre Island. Maybe mother nature will resolve the issue.
  7. bobruss
    First off Lockmatt, I hope what I'm saying you don't take too personally. I just think a lot of his problem is in the detailing. I think, and its only my opinion, that its schlocky, and overdone and just flat out in bad taste. Now if you want to see nice detailing on a new building go look at what was the new Enron building or 1500 Louisiana designed by Cesar Pelli. Very simple but aesthetically pleasing. No garish colors, just clean light design. Whereas the Davis tower on Post Oak is a terrible color, and he's trying to out deco, deco with his hmmm post modern design. Unfortunately it sticks out like a sore thumb. Just like in art when something in a painting sticks out it shouldn't. His work always sticks out and it shouldn't.
  8. bobruss
    Is there a rendering of the high rise tower that's going up and how many floors is it projected to have? Thanks
  9. bobruss
    Okay Lockmatt, everyone has a right to their own taste, but for me Randall Davis has only done one project in Houston that I approve or rather am not totally offended by and that is the Rice Lofts makeover, mainly because he had nothing to do with the exterior of the building. I give him credit for starting the ball in the historic downtown area with this project but everything else he has done is pure garbage. I'm sorry but his style or lack of aesthetics is disturbing. It comes across as very cheap and will not stand the test of time. Unfortunately we are now in a phase of Houston's development that is pretty much void of great design and everything that is being done is on the cheap and purely profit driven with no one out there with the balls to do great architecture. All the new growth is in the energy, and quite frankly I haven't seen a nice tower built for an energy related company in town since Pennzoil, and Gerald Hines was still calling the shots. They are about profit and not design. Sure the BG tower is nice but it still doesn't hold a candle to Pennzoil. I don't think his son or others at Hines have the interest in doing for Houston what Gerald did. Besides they're too busy overseas and on the West Coast to do great work here like they used to be known for. The renderings for the new tower they are talking about sure doesn't send chills up my spine. I hope I'm wrong about Hines, but I know I'm dead right about Davis.
  10. bobruss
    I'm sorry, but I don't understand all of the excitement about a project being developed by Randall Davis, who has proven over and over that he has no taste and will do whatever he can to make the Galleria area look bad. He's already put up one very unattractive building on Post Oak that really detracts from the cluster of interfin buildings by Borlenghi. His projects on West Gray and Shepherd at Dallas are disgusting. At least most of his projects have been relatively low rise buildings but now that he is starting to throw up these kitschy towers I say we revoke his developers license, and make him pay a fine for polluting our skyline. Really, if any of you can defend his work I want to hear it, so I will know who not to consider a reliable source, and someone who has no aesthetic values. I don't get excited by ugly infill.
  11. bobruss
    Passed by Minute Maid on Friday and there was dirt being moved on the site.
  12. bobruss
    What firm is working on the plans for this project and has anyone seen renderings?
  13. bobruss
    Actually, the brick towers along the bayou next to the Wortham theater were part of the Sesquicentenial park designed by a couple of U. Of h. Arch. Students in a competition to create the park that now exists. One of the members of that group was Guy Hagstette. The Aluminum towers with the cutouts that were drawn by elementary school kids was the art project by a very well known Houston artist Mel Chin. He is also responsible for the Palm tree and metal pyramid sculpture that unfortunately is in disrepair behind the contemporary art museum. It would be nice to see that public sculpture completely refurbished and have a more visible location. It's a great sculpture.
  14. bobruss
  15. bobruss
    I was a member of the original group of stakeholders who worked with Guy Hagsttette on the Cotswold project. It was initially planned to turn one of the northern most east wets streets into a waterway. This was shelved but everything else was built as planned. There were three issues which altered the downtown while Cotswold was being built. The metro rail line with water feature on Main St.. Every north south street from Smith to Austin were totally rebuilt, and it was found once excavation started on Prairie next to Cabo's in the test block, some of the water lines were still made of brick which they hadn't planned on replacing and ironically they had to remove the remnants of the old trolley lines. Everything else including signage, trees, parking and lighting were finished as originally planned. It was a very interesting chance to see things from behind the scenes. Sorry, I hit send twice.
  16. bobruss
    I was a member of the original group of stakeholders who worked with Guy Hagsttette on the Cotswold project. It was initially planned to turn one of the northern most east wets streets into a waterway. This was shelved but everything else was built as planned. There were three issues which altered the downtown while Cotswold was being built. The metro rail line with water feature on Main St.. Every north south street from Smith to Austin were totally rebuilt, and it was found once excavation started on Prairie next to Cabo's in the test block, some of the water lines were still made of brick which they hadn't planned on replacing and ironically they had to remove the remnants of the old trolley lines. Everything else including signage, trees, parking and lighting were finished as originally planned. It was a very interesting chance to see things from behind the scenes.
  17. bobruss
    After watching what happened in the late 70's early 80's with the downtown building boom, and hearing reports of a similar building spurt I really think the speculative talk about supertall skyscrapers,and the supersizing of proposed buildings is a little naive. Sure I would love to see a really well designed 80 story building on the vacant lot on Milam in the heart of town which once was the proposed site of the Southwest Tower competition. Realistically, I don't think that is going to happen. Developers are more conservative now and the city has developed too many other areas, the Galleria, Energy Corridor, the Woodlands, to name a few, that have taken up much of the sq. ftage. and the excitement of building everything downtown. My hope is that the Chevron Tower, the Skanksa Building, the Marriot Marquis, and possibly the Hines or Linbeck properties are developed along with the Hines Market Square condo tower, joining the already in progress Finger condos at Minute Maid and the sky space tower across from the Houston House. Throw in the other smaller convention center hotels and HSPVA, and I think everyone should be very excited about this cycle of downtown development.
  18. bobruss
    I think that if the project gets built it will be the game changer this part of town needs. The market square area is poised to develop into an upscale residential enclave where the performing art district rubs shoulders with the historic district. The diversity in restaurants is finally starting to attract more interests and now that Market Square park has finally found its heart it will be a magnet for growth. Just like what Discovery Green has done for the east side with continuos programming of activities and dining, market square will Attract more and more development.
  19. bobruss
    Not to bore anyone, but I read some of the earlier texts and there was a little confusion abot the different shows. Looney town which my father hosted was the show with the money tree where kids would go on their birthday and grab for pennies. Also you used the Looney bucks on Looney Auction to bid for prizes. Looney Town came out of the Bert Lynn show and featured puppets from outer space and had a theme song. It's time now for Looney Town and you can bet were ready set to go. Silly little theme song written by our next door neighbor at the time who a lot of old time Houstonians would remember for his jingle for Utotem- You tellum you totem. Or his Dixienauts, who used to play at the Astrodome. Next door to him lived another old Houston T.V. Celebrity named Lee Gordon, who did commercials for the YMCA, and next door to him lived Tom Reiff who was station G. M. for KPRC, and next door to him were my Godparents Marrietta and Bob Marich who had dinner theaters and actually she and my father had one of the earliest T.V. shows on Houston T.V. It was sponsored by I think Lightcrust flower and ran on Saturday afternoons. They did slapstick and sang with a live orchestra, between commercials on the feature movie of the week. Just to keep things straight.
  20. bobruss
    I just found this site and was intrigued by the current discussion. My father was Captain Bob on KPRC in the late 50's and 60's. He actually had 3 childrens t.v. shows. The first ws Looney Town and that was a rival show that competed in the same time slot as Kitirik. He also had a show on Saturday Mornings called Today is Saturday which was formatted like the Today show on NBC. He had guests like John Wehrler from the Zoo and cartoons and science films. He had another show on Saturdays which someone earlier was confusing. It was called Looney Auction and you did collect looney bucks from Carnation milk and the rainbo Bread company. We used to ride around in the Isetta. He used that for promotions and parades. The picture that was shown was not of his car. His had a big white admiral cap on top big plastic eyes and a smile painted on the front so it looked like a face. I hadn't thought about this in a long time. I used to get kidded at school about all of this but it had its perks. Rodeos circuses concerts parades celebrities. We got to meet every star that came to town for the rodeo or T.V. stars appearing at channel 2. Quite a crazy time.
  21. bobruss
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