Camden Conte: Multifamily High-Rise At 1515 Austin St.

[Avossos]

the first one is def cool but the second one is almost identical to Hanover's 12-story residential going up in the village so you are, in fact, seeing some of these go up in houston.

 

 

It is similar I agree. The Hanover you speak of is one of my favorites going up in Houston right now. Although, the one pictured hear seems a little more 'east coast'. Both are cool. I actually think the 10 story going up in the southern part of downtown is vaguely similar to the more modern image. Of course not the same, but it is of a similar vibe, though less dramatic.

 

 

Never. Those renderings are from developers who build in Houston but these are for other cities.

We settle for less than we could get so that's always what we get, less.

 

"We settle for less" - this is hard to prove. Yes there are some cheap, cost cutting designs that get passed through. I don't know how much control WE or even the permitting center have as long as it meets requirements. If we had a competition for space - which we don't yet - we would see more money spent on design due to the NEED for a stand out property. Houston doesnt demand all the stand out properties we want yet. Right now, if it is new, and slightly edgy, it attracts the people... When time comes that anything new in downtown / midtown requires significant capital / competition / and architectural originality, then we will see some amazing things.

 

All we can do is promote a culture of high expectations. No use complaining we 'settle'. We have some amazing structures. We will get more, and more, as time goes on.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Avossos

[totheskies]

My only comment...

 

  SAYONARA surface parking lots!! 

[HoustonIsHome]

Why can't we get better designed buildings IN DOWNTOWN OF ALL PLACES

[Triton]

Was driving by and noticed a large area fenced off with construction workers and equipment onsite.

 

Edit: As you can tell, I was driving home and noticed it at the last second. Too much traffic to try and stop.

 

Edited March 24, 2014 by Triton

[Nate99]

Is this accelerated? 

 

I guess I'm confused with the two phase thing and what looks like a closed street. Maybe the renderings are wildly preliminary. 

[editor]

Why can't we get better designed buildings IN DOWNTOWN OF ALL PLACES

Money.  You get the best design that the developer wants to pay for.  If the developer only feels like spending a certain amount of money on design instead of double that amount, that's his business since it's his project.

 

Some cities have committees or mayors who personally approve projects to make sure they meet certain aesthetic qualities.  Houston doesn't have that.  Your options are to either change the law, or live in a place where the developers have less freedom.

[arche_757]

Money.  You get the best design that the developer wants to pay for.  If the developer only feels like spending a certain amount of money on design instead of double that amount, that's his business since it's his project.

 

Some cities have committees or mayors who personally approve projects to make sure they meet certain aesthetic qualities.  Houston doesn't have that.  Your options are to either change the law, or live in a place where the developers have less freedom.

Money + Architectural Talent.

 

Not all firms are created equal.

 

[H-Town Man]

THIS is what I want I want to see moreof in downtown and midtown

 

I will agree with some of the other posters that development in an area has to reach a certain threshold before we can reasonably expect quality like that. Of course Finger built quality with One Park Place, and it was the first new residential highrise downtown in 30 years, but that was a phenomenal location. For architecture to cater to the most discerning residential buyer, you have to ask - will the most discerning residential buyer want to live surrounded by parking lots in a still-transitioning area? This building is probably the best we can expect here for now.

 

I do think we should applaud buildings that make efforts towards building an active, attractive streetscape (preparing the way for discerning buyers to want to live there in the future), and criticize those that don't. I was glad the downtown residential subsidy program makes it a condition that the building should be attractive at street level.

[Triton]

Better

 

[HoustonIsHome]

Money. You get the best design that the developer wants to pay for. If the developer only feels like spending a certain amount of money on design instead of double that amount, that's his business since it's his project.

Some cities have committees or mayors who personally approve projects to make sure they meet certain aesthetic qualities. Houston doesn't have that. Your options are to either change the law, or live in a place where the developers have less freedom.

But downtown???

[Nate99]

But downtown???

 

Well, it's still half parking lots. As it is, downtown is competing for the types of businesses (and lately residents) that can afford premium priced real estate with several different places in the metro area. 

 

I'm all for pretty buildings, but that's not exactly our bread and butter. Once things fill up and values rise, then we can be afford to be ultra-choosy about what things look like. 

 

Downtown has development momentum, but how much of that would get squashed if a third party had more power over the designs is anyone's guess. I don't think the answer is zero. As a city, we're filling in where there is nothing, that's a good first step in creating value that has to be there as an antecedent to any aesthetic restrictions that are never costless.  Maybe these types of restrictions would be worth it in the long term, maybe not, but that's not a simple equation to solve in any case. 

 

The progress happening all over downtown is astounding; matters of minor design preference seem marginal and miss what (if it all goes as rendered with many imperfections) would still turn out to be something of a miracle in such a concentrated market.  

[Timoric]

-

 

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[Nate99]

To add some context to Houston filling in, consider this newsbit.

 

The Houston Metro area had the largest numeric population increase from 2012 to 2013, 130,000 residents. 

A few years before that, we passed Philadelphia as the nation's 5th largest metro area with 6.3M residents (2013 estimate) 

Now if we could just chip away at the DFW 500K population lead and take #1 in Texas I would be pumped. 

DFW usually grows just slightly slower than Houston but because they have Ft. Worth too, they beat us. 

Also, Maricopa county, Phoenix, is pretty close to Harris County in Population 3.9M vs 4.2M (and also grows fast), so I watch that one too to see if they will pass us, which is unlikely soon with our boom town status.

 

Article on the 130,000 increase: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/032714_Census_Philadelphia_population_grows_again_but_rate_slows.html

 

Maricopa County 3.9M

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04/04013.html

 

Harris County 4.2M

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48201.html

 

Interesting. I'm not that familiar with metro Phoenix, but it would seem to me that expansion outward would be more difficult there than here. We have Ft. Bend, Montgomery, and Galveston counties that are also growing right along with Harris. 

 

DFW is geographically huge and has two of the top 20 discrete cities with their respective metropolitan areas merging over the last century with suburbs to the West, East and in between. Houston is one city with an exurban ecosystem developing in several different directions pretty much from scratch, unless you count 19th century Galveston, which I don't given that it was wiped off the map in 1900. No two cities or areas will develop the same way or for the same reasons, so comparisons and duplication of efforts only go so far, but interesting all the same. 

[nativehoustonion]

Maricopa County is over 9,000 square miles and their population has slowed.  DFW almost includes all of north Texas I'm sure Fort Worth hates being second fiddle.  Yes the latest census just see our metro area closing the gap.  But we know how better and bigger we are.  It is getting crazy here.  Everybody we meet going out are somewhere else. 

[nativehoustonion]

Just check census.gov and DFW is at 6,810,913 and Houston, The Woodlands, Sugar Land is at 6,313,158 with Houston the largest increase in the U.S.  Harris grew by 83,000 and Maricopa added 69,000.  And this from July 2012-July 2013.  Sorry moderator get back to the topic.  These apts. downtown I'm sure they will fill up quickly. 

[HoustonIsHome]

Well, it's still half parking lots. As it is, downtown is competing for the types of businesses (and lately residents) that can afford premium priced real estate with several different places in the metro area.

I'm all for pretty buildings, but that's not exactly our bread and butter. Once things fill up and values rise, then we can be afford to be ultra-choosy about what things look like.

Downtown has development momentum, but how much of that would get squashed if a third party had more power over the designs is anyone's guess. I don't think the answer is zero. As a city, we're filling in where there is nothing, that's a good first step in creating value that has to be there as an antecedent to any aesthetic restrictions that are never costless. Maybe these types of restrictions would be worth it in the long term, maybe not, but that's not a simple equation to solve in any case.

The progress happening all over downtown is astounding; matters of minor design preference seem marginal and miss what (if it all goes as rendered with many imperfections) would still turn out to be something of a miracle in such a concentrated market.

Im not even talking about pretty buildings. Im talking about fitting into the place.

I would expect downtown the apartments would look less like a suburban fortress and more pedestrian Friendly. That's my main issue with the building. I would take a ton of ugly buildings if the street facing areas are not all... STAY AWAY looking

[HoustonIsHome]

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2014-03-05/140303_Project_Renderings_11_x_17.pdf

Looking at the building, I wouldn't even say it is ugly. Just the bottom floor is so Dairy Ashford. Lol

[Montrose1100]

Looking at the building, I wouldn't even say it is ugly. Just the bottom floor is so Dairy Ashford. Lol

Is it just me or did the project sink 4 floors?

[Naviguessor]

One phase/block has 8 floors the other has 12. 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

I grew up off of Dairy Ashford, so, hey, I see nothing wrong with it... LOL

[bachanon]

at least it represents more residents in the city's core, even though i hate the walled off sidewalks.  when i see new structures in houston i do not like, i simply think of detroit.

[Subdude]

Looking at this I wonder if it was an intentional design decision to give it somewhat of a blocked off from the street fortress appearance.  People do value security, and given that the area is mostly new to development they might well have wanted to impart a feeling of safeness. 

 

 

[mollusk]

Maybe they are trying to market their downtown project to people coming from Dairy Ashford, who would otherwise be skeert of all the "yucky" (i.e., somewhat different) people they might otherwise feel that they would have to interact with.  cf., some of the trolling over at Swamplot anytime rail gets mentioned.

[UtterlyUrban]

Looking at this I wonder if it was an intentional design decision to give it somewhat of a blocked off from the street fortress appearance. People do value security, and given that the area is mostly new to development they might well have wanted to impart a feeling of safeness.

It's interesting that you say this because I see it exactly opposite.....

I see a parking structure that is seemingly unsecured, open to the street and with the vegetation on the walls (not sure if the wells are solid or those are just vines on some sort of mesh), totally blocked off from view from the street. To me, that spells: "criminal's dream".....

Funny how different people can interpret the same structure completely differently!

Either way, I really hope that this project is successful as that part of downtown would be terrific to have lots of new residents in! 5 more projects like it in the immediate area would be even better!

[Subdude]

It's interesting that you say this because I see it exactly opposite.....

I see a parking structure that is seemingly unsecured, open to the street and with the vegetation on the walls (not sure if the wells are solid or those are just vines on some sort of mesh), totally blocked off from view from the street. To me, that spells: "criminal's dream".....

Funny how different people can interpret the same structure completely differently!

Either way, I really hope that this project is successful as that part of downtown would be terrific to have lots of new residents in! 5 more projects like it in the immediate area would be even better!

 

The garage doesn't appear to be open to the street though.  Notice the sliding metal doors at the garage entrances.  I'm not sure what the green is.  Certainly not live vegetation.  Painted fence?  

[Triton]

Vines.

[Nate99]

The garage doesn't appear to be open to the street though.  Notice the sliding metal doors at the garage entrances.  I'm not sure what the green is.  Certainly not live vegetation.  Painted fence?  

 

I'm with Triton, I assumed ivy. 

[Houston19514]

The garage doesn't appear to be open to the street though.  Notice the sliding metal doors at the garage entrances.  I'm not sure what the green is.  Certainly not live vegetation.  Painted fence?  

 

Why is it "certainly not live vegetation?"

[Subdude]

Why is it "certainly not live vegetation?"

 

Well I thought that because of the funky color and the consistent CGI patterning.  I hope I'm wrong.

[Montrose1100]

Well I thought that because of the funky color and the consistent CGI patterning.  I hope I'm wrong.

The rendering doesn't look like the highest quality, I'm sure it was a lot easier to copy & paste. My first thought was flora. It's better than a solid wall.