toxtethogrady Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Just threw up a little... That's okay, MetroNational is throwing up an office building over at Memorial City. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I went back and reviewed the original proposal; the design was actually not the greatest even back then. But the nifty sleight of hand with the garage on the first few floors appears to have shrunk the leasable space. And the name change sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I went back and reviewed the original proposal; the design was actually not the greatest even back then. But the nifty sleight of hand with the garage on the first few floors appears to have shrunk the leasable space. And the name change sucks. Exactly. This isn't all that different from the original proposal and people liked it then. I think the mood perhaps has just changed since we are now accustomed to a lot of projects going up and expect a lot more from the design. Back then, we were just happy to see something happening early post-recession. And yes, the name is terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Freeway architecture at its worst. The glass/prettier side with the garage hidden faces the highway. The concrete/stucco blank walled garage and boring 1970s institutional hospital side faces the Montrose neighborhood behind it. Total a$$hole move 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownproud Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Freeway architecture at its worst. The glass/prettier side with the garage hidden faces the highway. The concrete/stucco blank walled garage and boring 1970s institutional hospital side faces the Montrose neighborhood behind it. Total a$$hole movelet me preface this by saying i hate the garage and stucco side of the building, and no one should be forced to look at that side. that said, people drive both ways on Montrose, so an equal number of drivers on Montrose will see the nice and ugly sides of the building regardless of orientation. So it makes some sense to have the nicer side to the freeway where exponentially more people will see the building (and where the view of the building will be unobstructed). can you imagine what an ugly welcome mat this would be to downtown for folks coming from 59 South if the orientation was reversed? of course, a strong argument can be made that the people that live nearby matter most. so i'm not advocating one way or the other, but there is at least an argument that this orientation is the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 this new concept look's as though the company has hereby taken a GREENER approach. just take a really good look at the edifice itself. very modern, cleaner lines than before, and much more greener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 What I like least in the new design is the big plain vertical slab facing Montrose, covering what appears to be a stairwell. The original design had windows facing the street, and what looked like a cool red lobby. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) Will any of these homes survive another 100 years? Even just 25 years more? Everywhere between downtown and uptown is like a serious of exploding streetscapes bleeding into the original neighborhoods... Until they are all choked out. Churches, museum campuses, apartments, all expanding and eating up homes as they go.I'm not sure how u feel about it to be honest. I'd like to keep the neighborhoods in tact in some way shape or form Edited October 2, 2014 by Avossos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arche_757 Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 What I like least in the new design is the big plain vertical slab facing Montrose, covering what appears to be a stairwell. The original design had windows facing the street, and what looked like a cool red lobby. I guess I didn't notice that in my first "once over" of the new proposal. Agreed that is a bad architectural feature. This building - for those who've missed it elsewhere in town - is the typical representation of Houston speculative (and even specific use) architecture. In that we have a featured design which turns out too expensive, or badly timed, or sold to a different developer who has a lesser eye for design, so the original design gets revamped into something similar yet far less architecturally fulfilling. The name is abhorrent! Like Subdude (I think) said above: the name sounds like a residential enclave on a suburban cul-de-sac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Talk about a schizophrenic design--this one is all over the place. Why an attempt to conceal the parking levels on the freeway side (as poor as the treatment is), but no attempt whatsoever on the neighborhood side? No attempt whatsoever to integrate the parking levels into the overall design. Not even an attempt to use the bridge characteristics as a model for the building design--if there going to name it after something they might as well incorporate said model into the design. One of the worst designs around these parts in a while. Maybe a large mural can improve the large Montrose facing wall??? A great piece of public art would keep everyone from looking at the building itself. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) Will any of these homes survive another 100 years? Even just 25 years more? Everywhere between downtown and uptown is like a serious of exploding streetscapes bleeding into the original neighborhoods... Until they are all chocked out. Churches, museum campuses, apartments, all expanding and eating up homes as they go.I'm not sure how u feel about it to be honest. I'd like to keep the neighborhoods in tact in some way shape or formI would like to keep as many trees as possible. If the main streets get filled with high rises like Westheimer and Montrose I'd be ok with it, preserving the smaller streets. Which is slowly but surely happening. Edited October 2, 2014 by Montrose1100 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I would like to keep as many trees as possible. If the main streets get filled with high rises like Westheimer and Montrose I'd be ok with it, preserving the smaller streets. Which is slowly but surely happening. Yes the main streets are first to get dense. Hopefully some more districts pop up, preserving some homes on the smaller streets. I think it would be very cool if the main streets (Montrose, Westhiemer, Richmond, Dallas, Kirby, Washington / and to a lesser extent: Fairview, W Alabama, Waugh, Shepard) get filled up and the neighborhoods inside of them remain genuine. To me, that would be an awesome urban phenomenon! It is possible we could get that... but it is a slippery slope... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 moo. Reminds me of a DC midrise office building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Freeway architecture at its worst. The glass/prettier side with the garage hidden faces the highway. The concrete/stucco blank walled garage and boring 1970s institutional hospital side faces the Montrose neighborhood behind it. Maybe they'll great creative and cover the Montrose facing side with murals, a la Mexico City. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 A mural or LED lighting would do that side wonders. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 I know this has been said, but... There was a time we would have jumped for joy with a proposal like this.I still want this to happen. The drive into town is going to look so cool / dense with things like this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arche_757 Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 ^Its not that this is a terrible building, just rather uninspired in the quality of its design. The worst part about this particular building is that what was first proposed was a really nice building, and this current proposal is not in the same realm as that first one. Which happens. Seems it happens all too often in this city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 The worst part is there is a vibrant, healthy, interesting neighborhood that faces this uninspired POS. I love tall buildings. I love increasing density. But I also know when something sucks. THIS project is when I wish we had even just the most basic of regulatory standards for design. A blank, multi-level garage wall should never be inflicted upon a neighborhood street. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 We lost the textile factory down the street and got a retirement condo building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Going off Swtsig's thought, the wall would be a good place for a mural. It would add some character to the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 At least it will block freeway noise for the neighborhood. There's something to be said for that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Well, the HBJ is breathlessly announcing an "Exclusive!" on this one that we've known about for months. They're still saying Q1 start next year, opening 2016. http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/10/exclusive-new-spec-office-building-slated-for.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMIKA! Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 "Bridgeview Crossing"? Sounds like some suburban strip center. As in "The Shoppes at Bridgeview Crossing". Couldn't agree more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 That's an interesting little community car garden on the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 pfffft... such low ambitions, borne out by the absence of Audis. An A class Mercedes, a Smart, and assorted Chrysler products just don't cut it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 They need to up their game - a charging station with a Tesla S hooked to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 i wonder what particular garden seeds it took to grow those uninspiring automobiles? oh heck, at least it's another first for houston... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 What an absurd juxtaposition to have parked cars resting under the shade of trellised ivy while workers look upon from a much too small uncovered, unceremonious balcony. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 I'll take the bus. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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