Houston Endowment Corporate Headquarters At 3683 Willia St.

[hindesky]

VA Medical Center is covered in solar panels on buildings and huge parking lots.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7014366,-95.3886787,916m/data=!3m1!1e3

8 hours ago, BeerNut said:

Solar installer:  How many solar panels do you want?      Houston Endowment:  Yes.

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by hindesky

[BeerNut]

@hindeskyWow,  I've seen places in the West go all out but didn't realize we had one in Houston.  With the increase in energy cost and questionable reliability probably more businesses and homes will consider solar.

[hindesky]

1 minute ago, BeerNut said:

@hindeskyWow,  I've seen places in the West go all out but didn't realize we had one in Houston.  With the increase in energy cost and questionable reliability probably more businesses and homes will consider solar.

Looking thru the COH permits on Monday morning I see 20-40 permits for solar panels every week.

[Luminare]

1 hour ago, BeerNut said:

@hindeskyWow,  I've seen places in the West go all out but didn't realize we had one in Houston.  With the increase in energy cost and questionable reliability probably more businesses and homes will consider solar.

Solar takes up a lot of space. I'm only in favor of employing solar if its in areas that are already taking up space, and would be enhanced with extra utility such as parking lots and roofs. Other than that I don't think solar justifies the cost in terms of power output to acreage of land. The applications seen above are great examples.

As far as out west...yes. Particularly when I was driving through Arizona on my way up to Utah, they definitely throw solar around there a lot which makes sense.

[BEES?!]

Houston has so much potential for solar installments like that. I had no idea the VA hospital one was so big! 

I feel like parking garage top floors would also be a good choice for those types of installs, too, because I hate parking at the top floor when it’s hot or fixing to rain. You get some electricity, you get another level of covered parking to protect from sun and rain. Win-win! 

I also agree, @Luminare, I think solar is at its best when it’s working alongside other uses. 
The arrays in the deserts are pretty cool though! I was so blown away when I was flying to CA and could see all the solar farms from the plane! Wow! 

Edited July 27, 2022 by BEES?!

[freundb]

Front side is moving along. They've done a bunch of concrete work on the driveway and parking lot. Hopefully they'll be required to fix the lot for spots park as there equipment has really made a crater there. 

[hindesky]

[strickn]

Wish our street artists were invited to color some of these panels.  Houston is colorful.

The Menil has been cited as a touchstone for these designers but this feels overdressed where the Menil feels relaxed.  This is a tasteful linen seersucker suit where none was required.

Seems like it breeds not community-centric, but institutional, activity

[strickn]

My $.02.

[Ross]

On 7/14/2022 at 7:10 PM, pokemonizepic said:

Talked to the Sherriff sitting outside of the construction site, they've been there for at least a couple of weeks now, stopping traffic anytime construction crews are crossing Waugh due to a worker being hit last month by a car. He Said the city currently has no plans to rework the intersection, which was a little disappointing. I don't think them sitting out there is a good use of their time nor a proper long term solution for the increase of foot traffic that will happen once this building is complete. 

Those are off duty deputies and they make a ton of money sitting there on their off hours. They are paid by the contractor.

[freundb]

@hindesky got the back and top, so here's a shot out front. Gates for the garage and lot. And some landscaping including fun rock berm thingies

[tangledwoods]

Quote

And some landscaping including fun rock berm thingies

They are called "gabion walls" they can be brutish if the landscape design isnt well thought out but they look pretty good on this one. 

[MrFubbles]

On 8/24/2022 at 8:48 PM, strickn said:

Wish our street artists were invited to color some of these panels.  Houston is colorful.

The Menil has been cited as a touchstone for these designers but this feels overdressed where the Menil feels relaxed.  This is a tasteful linen seersucker suit where none was required.

Seems like it breeds not community-centric, but institutional, activity

personally I like how they're leaning into the "Menil architecture is Houston architecture" narrative. I think it goes well with the Ismaili Center across the bayou too

I like graffiti walls as much as the next guy but every city west of the Mississippi uses them to show they have "culture"

now, if by street artists you meant the Orange Show and by "color" you meant "decorate", then I could be persuaded 😄

Edited August 26, 2022 by MrFubbles

[j_cuevas713]

1 hour ago, MrFubbles said:

personally I like how they're leaning into the "Menil architecture is Houston architecture" narrative. I think it goes well with the Ismaili Center across the bayou too

I like graffiti walls as much as the next guy but every city west of the Mississippi uses them to show they have "culture"

now, if by street artists you meant the Orange Show and by "color" you meant "decorate", then I could be persuaded 😄

I was literally just thinking the same thing. It flows so nice with the Ismaili Center down the road. 

[Montrose1100]

Take a drive down Richmond (starting at Kirby and heading West), and you'll get a sense this is very "Houston".

I'm all for color and culture, but not every building needs to be a loud, eye-catching fuchsia. Allow the sky, trees, and flowers to frame structure. 

[hindesky]

[freundb]

Looks like the address is 3683 Willia. The numbers are in a normal spot now. A week or two ago they were up in the corner on the second floor. 

[hindesky]

[freundb]

Construction fence is down. I wonder how close they are to finishing it. Hopefully they host an open house for the public.

[Luminare]

2 hours ago, freundb said:

Construction fence is down. I wonder how close they are to finishing it. Hopefully they host an open house for the public.

To my eyes it looks like its at or very close to Substantial Completion. I imagine all they have is the final walk and punch list.

[mattyt36]

2 hours ago, freundb said:

Construction fence is down. I wonder how close they are to finishing it. Hopefully they host an open house for the public.

Is it just me or was this completed relatively fast?

[Luminare]

2 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Is it just me or was this completed relatively fast?

1 1/2 year construction isn't bad. This looks to me to be a very efficiently designed building from top to bottom. Steel Frame Construction for the guts of the building which is one of the quickest structures to erect. The canopy probably is using standard sizes. Same with the windows and doors. Even the special facade pieces are in regular and consistent measurements around the building (you can see what I mean by the creases and separation points). Having only one facade material also speed things up.

[hindesky]

[bobruss]

A very handsome addition to our growing Buffalo Bayou frontage thanks to the amazing work done by the Bayou project over the last ten years. It has definitely helped to stimulate growth along this natural corridor. 

[freundb]

Now we just need to get Spotts Park some updates.

[BEES?!]

Love the way the gabion walls turned out. 
Overall, just a really nice-looking building imo

[Luminare]

On 9/15/2022 at 6:34 PM, freundb said:

Now we just need to get Spotts Park some updates.

I believe that's an eventual phase to this. Lets just say I'm familiar with the original RFP that was sent out to design firms.

[freundb]

18 hours ago, Luminare said:

I believe that's an eventual phase to this. Lets just say I'm familiar with the original RFP that was sent out to design firms.

I know the designs that came back in the competition all had park improvements, but I would really love to see them come to life. I know it's a bowl and it's always gonna hold water, but when it rains now it turns two portions of the paths to mud. just some better drainage and grading would help there. 

[sapo2367]

4 hours ago, freundb said:

I know the designs that came back in the competition all had park improvements, but I would really love to see them come to life. I know it's a bowl and it's always gonna hold water, but when it rains now it turns two portions of the paths to mud. just some better drainage and grading would help there. 

I was really disappointed when they did a bunch of work on the main drainage point in Spott's park (brand new concrete culvert and pipe it looked like), only for all the water to pool NEXT to the drain and cover up the path to the bayou.

[hindesky]