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infinite_jim

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Everything posted by infinite_jim

  1. infinite_jim
    This probably is a case of market incumbents flexing political power under the spin a "living wage" for the poor when it's really just protectionism.
  2. infinite_jim
    It's closed all weekend starting tonight.
  3. infinite_jim
    I kinda glad it doesn't take away from the Williams tower in terms of height. I bet if the San Felipe Plaza was on this site people would complain about it "lopsiding" and ruining uptown's skyline! btw I think that tower has great orientation tapering.
  4. infinite_jim
    I'm actually really happy that they are having to build around the old mansion. Kinda reminds me of another very Houston situation with the Asia House development process. I think what we will see is something along the lines of what Texas911 said best, "interesting architecture occurs at the boundary lines."
  5. infinite_jim
    Brookfield has been slowly improving the Allen Center bldgs over the past couple years by modernizing all the elevator mechanics and controls. I can only assume that they want a 5 Allen Center catty corner to 3 Allen (based on the monitor screen shot) but realize it would require a renovation of the common areas of the Allen Center first for it to be useful and connected to the rest of the complex. I believe the most recent complex renovation was done in the early 90's (ca. 1992) by Morris Architects which featured the glass atrium box at Dallas & Smith.
  6. infinite_jim
    This morning they were doing a rough stake out of the 0 grade foot print (the podium base). It looks like the construction guys are planning the spatial logistics of the job site.
  7. infinite_jim
    Upon closer inspection of the lobby rendering it kinda has a Pennzoil-esque geometric dynamism but with a much more attuned 21st century notion of public to private space threshold (think of Seattle public library's facade unfolding onto the street). This will be a probably be a new photo op spot on Main St. (although I' m still pulling for Gensler's sunken lobby at the Capital tower as the big pedestrian "wow factor").
  8. infinite_jim
    A drilling crew was out there this morning taking soil cores under the tower footprint.
  9. infinite_jim
    B/c there are foundations where some of those parking lots are now (like the HP lot) When the Humble tower was built there was nothing but single and double storey commercial bldgs throughout the area. Also I can't think of any logical reason to have some weighted counter-balance "anchor" underneath adjacent properties unless the bldg was intended to lean like the tower of Pisa. Edit: Previously mentioned was that the closest tunnel connection is the sunken lobby of the Wedge tower; however Chevron could opt for both connections (across Milam due north-west by skywalk or tunnel and diagonally north via tunnel) with a secured Wedge tower connection. Shorenstein has stated that they wanted to renovate the bldg and add a tunnel connection.
  10. infinite_jim
    Why would Shorenstein pay good money for a tunnel connection to the Wedge tower if it's bldg is in the Chevron downtown masterplan?
  11. infinite_jim
    Anyone else notice how it's shape emulates 1600 Smith by orientating it's mass with it (not to mention incorporating a similar spine-like window extrusion on the north facade). They even preserved some of the views of the KBR-Kellog tower by tucking most of the tower mass into the corner at Smith and Pease. This is certainly no "speed stick" design except in the application of a similar cladding scheme. I'm impressed most of all by it's potential height.
  12. infinite_jim
    I brought this up in the downtown residential incentives thread (i.e. mirroring the boundary line)and nobody seemed to care about mixed-use in that scale.
  13. infinite_jim
    Does Chevron also own the block with the daycare center across Louisiana St.? Is it part of a masterplan?
  14. infinite_jim
    Yikes, it's like they asked Kirksey to deliberately ruin the bldg's elegant sense of proportion and visual weighting.
  15. infinite_jim
    Lost opportunity; even more expensive to fix too. It's right in front of a train stop (which makes me wonder why the MFAH doesn't advertise on the side of their parking garage at the Museum District stop but that's another convo), if anything the tower next door doesn't need retail b/c this one doesn't. Or they both need retail; but one having retail and the other not is a recipe for disaster for the sole retail property.
  16. infinite_jim
    Not sure why but in my mind I see the WTC memorial design but with a tunnel connected food court.
  17. infinite_jim
    Where do yall think the massing of this tower will go?
  18. infinite_jim
    That magnolia in the street view is still there. I can pretty much guess that the same design theme will carry over based on the sidewalk repairs being made around the base of 1400 Smith and 1500 Louisiana. About 6-9 months ago they completed the exterior infill paneling where 1500 Louisiana previously connected to the old YMCA. From the looks of the assembly the new design will probably not have a single storey sky walk and more likely the architect will move the mass of the tower's podium base to align along Smith St. to make the interior lobby a seamless double storey transition and this is above where the tunnel access is too but there's no telling where the mass of the tower will end up or how they will connect or improve the drop off/smoker park into the new design.
  19. infinite_jim
    By "slabbed" do you mean they poured a "slab on grade" foundation or they razed a previous bldg down to the foundation?
  20. infinite_jim
    Is this tower taking the land under the town-homes to the south of the HCC bldg? That rendering POV looks to be about from Sammy's across the street.
  21. infinite_jim
    I prefer Stuckey's.
  22. infinite_jim
    He's gone full falang.
  23. infinite_jim
    Pretty good location, maybe they could even get a portion of the dead ended streets (along San Jac) to be converted to pocket parks.
  24. infinite_jim
    Is the tower keeping the same curb cuts as shown in post #220?
  25. infinite_jim
    I predict it will have to be re-cladded on the south facade.
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