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arche_757

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Everything posted by arche_757

  1. arche_757
    As stated in the above post - I have a friend who is well connected in a major architectural firm downtown - and what he said is that its a possible big Chevron project out near The Woodlands. Personally I think its probably some sort of training and research facility (though they have a research facility on Buffalo Speedway if I'm remembering correctly). I doubt they would bother with even paying a firm the money to develop plans for a 55 floor building and then go in the opposite direction. Besides, they have a nice little cluster of buildings in Downtown and I'd imagine that allows their workers to live anywhere in Houston and not just in The Woodlands or Klein/Spring areas.
  2. arche_757
    Well.... I'm "yapping" about what a friend who works for one of the major architectural firms here in town told me about working on a campus for Chevron up near the Exxon campus. He said that's the next major project planned. Now, Chevron could be consolidating a campus up there for all of its researchers and training departments etc? I'm not sure. Its just a rumor - since I can't actually substantiate it as I'm not sure how many square feet they are building out there (or plan to), or if it is "plan b" or some other idea they are floating around. Chevron's moves are a mystery. It does seem odd that they would back out of so much square footage downtown - but I can imagine the security concerns for a company like an Exxon or Chevron would perhaps move the needle towards a more controlled campus in a more suburban setting.
  3. arche_757
    Of all the proposed buildings potentially going up around downtown, this is the one I have the least amount of faith in. Hines got out in front (which they were always in the front with 609), and Skanska is likely not going to spend the millions tearing down the Houston Club building and not build something there. Chevron could go either way? I understand they are looking to build a suburban campus like Exxon out near Spring Woods/The Woodlands - if that happens perhaps they move from Downtown? If that does happen, then perhaps they will vacate both fromer Enron buildings? That would leave 2 40 floor towers virtually empty and place little need for something like Stream to move forward.
  4. arche_757
    I doubt a 260 unit, 4 floor, wood framed apartment complex on the other side of the tracks (so to speak) is keeping a company from breaking ground on a $150,000,000 40+ floor commercial office building. EADO Station was canceled because that developer felt they could make a greater return on investment over near the TMC. That has zero to do with Stream Realty and their plans on the Stream/Essex Tower.
  5. arche_757
    Hard to tell anything through that rendering, but it appears there is a massing on either the northwester or southeastern side, and then some sort of division of the tower horizontally through three different skylobby looking elements. Not too pleased if that is what is going to be done, but as I've said before I will reserve judgement until I see something more clear.
  6. arche_757
    Thanks Urbinnizer. Those were likely posted before I started signing in, and as such I couldn't clik on them/couldn't read them. Odd that even though it only has a few floors more than BG Group Place, that it will be so much taller. Granted the height of the "fins" add to the overall height, but the floor-to-floor height must also be considerably more?
  7. arche_757
    That's what I'm asking for. How tall is that crown? And I wonder if they're using a 14'-0" floor-to-floor, or something less?
  8. arche_757
    So BG Group Place is 46 floors and it is only 630" tall. If what someone said above is true, that this is going to be a 750' tall building, that would be more in line with towers that have 55 floors. Is there a way anyone can get an architectural height for us?
  9. arche_757
    Just some rudimentary math, 47 x 14' is just under 700'-0" in height. I'm guessing we're looking at a possible 750' tall building (what with the spire/fins)? That should make some of the folks here very happy, and I'll be pleased that a centrally located building like this will be visible from all sides if indeed it is that height (or taller?).
  10. arche_757
    I don't live there. And of course we're all allowed an opinion.
  11. arche_757
    I don't think the Huntingdon is ugly - very 1980s but not ugly. You can almost see the mirrored walls, and carpet in the units with the white w/ gold trimmed faux (or real) French styled furniture throughout. In actuality I'm sure it is quite chic in most units, as I do believe it is quite expensive (certainly in a nice neighborhood).
  12. arche_757
    The rents downtown are high. What we need - in and around downtown - is more affordable spaces for smaller companies. I also don't see this project working to its full potential without commercial & retail. Besides, do all of you really want such a big piece of land so close to downtown really just being 1 more tract with 4-5 floor apartments above ground level parking? I don't. I'd like to see something better. Think West Ave before they shelved all the hotels and highrises.
  13. arche_757
    If this actually happens we can complain no more about what has been the ugliest building in town for at least 20 years. Now if only someone would find a way to coax Greyhound out of its prime real estate and demo that dumpy McDonalds across from 2016 Main.
  14. arche_757
    You don't mean they are tearing out part of the Piano designed museum out? I'm not clear on what you just posted bobruss?
  15. arche_757
    It is NativeHoustonian. I always remember the Royal Bank of Scotland's offices being up there too. Wonder if they still lease that same space?
  16. arche_757
    That is my point, retail+residential+office will be needed to make this a successful project. And like I said - its a crying shame the Dynamo Stadium wasn't incorporated into this project. Not that I mind where it is currently.
  17. arche_757
    I've long thought the best re-use of this project would be to sell it to the Texas Medical Center (or even just lease it) and turn it into a Bio-Medical research center with interior parkscape and even maybe build an adjoining hotel? Think of all the construction happening right now in the TMC. Now, imagine somwhere else there is a building capable of housing ~1 million or so square feet of office/research space. Yes much work would need to be done, and many elements of the dome would change, but talk about a meaningful repurposing. Something tells me the county already has plans in place to tear the dome down and leave that space as a park or parking, and eventual plans (long range) have a new stadium being built on that exact spot when Reliant is ~30-40 years old.
  18. arche_757
    While I was pleased with Keenum's performance, I'm going to adopt a "Wait and See" approach as to how good/how much upside he actually has until after the Indy game. If Keenum has another good performance (and some of his recievers can catch better... Graham!) then he could very well be the future. If he has a great game, and Kubiak benches him in favor of Schaub and we lose, then Kubiak should probably be shown the door.
  19. arche_757
    I agree with Subdude. While the Exxon building isn't a "gem" of an architectural piece, it is unique and maintains a very distinct look that defined an era in Houston. It is certainly capable of being modernized without losing the mid-century/modernist edge that it has and made into a signature building on the southern edge of Downtown. Perhaps if it is changed and "modernized," it will some day be mentioned in some future/distant thread - perhaps of this site or some other - when some future developer reworks it to its orginial 1963 glory. One can only imagine the pride this building evoked, and the spirit of "Anything Is Possible" that helped define Houston during the 1960s and 1970s.
  20. arche_757
    The balconies ruin this tower. Not that it would be a strong design then, but the balconies really push this over the top. I'm a big fan of sleek highrises, not ones with clunky extrusions and protruding secondary elements. Probably a Morris design.
  21. arche_757
    Nothing against the folks who live there (I used to know some people who did) but I'm all for that being torn down and the Menil expanding. Perhaps they will expand into the realm of private arts intensive school? Regardless it will be nice to see a unified campus of the Menil extend into and outward from the neighborhood a bit more. As a former "Inner Looper" it is increasingly difficult to live in the nicer neighborhoods with a more modest income.
  22. arche_757
    Half a cup of what?
  23. arche_757
    I see a lot of people love this because it is "tall" but I for one will go out on a limb and say it: This is an ugly looking building. Ugly. Looks like it belongs in Macau
  24. arche_757
    There was speculation by Urbannizer that there may be some sort of development taking place at this site other than the previously mentioned 23 floor commecial building. That building wasn't listed in the developments list also linked earlier. I was only saying - maybe it could go that route? I guess I'm wrong?
  25. arche_757
    Then don't forget Galveston. The city actually has quite a few smaller public fountains that were donated by wealthy individuals a century ago so horses could have access to water. They may not spray as high, but most of them still work I believe.
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