The Nest On Dryden: Multifamily At 1933 Dryden Rd.

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[dbigtex56]

I look at this building and think, "I do not understand. What are you trying to tell me?"

[Ross]

12 hours ago, dbigtex56 said:

I look at this building and think, "I do not understand. What are you trying to tell me?"

That there will be lots of opportunities for Romeo and Juliet to play out from those tiny balconies?

That you asked for density, so here it is?

That everyone has been bitching about too much boring stucco, so we tried something different with brick and wood that didn't work out quite as well as we had hoped, because our design team was really high when they did this work?

[HoustonMidtown]

Is it 3 separate buildings on a common base/platform - or are they connected together?

[KinkaidAlum]

I cannot believe we lost character filled art-deco for this hot mess.

 

[Amlaham]

I kind of like it 🤷‍♂️

[hindesky]

On 2/16/2022 at 9:13 AM, HoustonMidtown said:

Is it 3 separate buildings on a common base/platform - or are they connected together?

No, its one building with 2 set backs in-between. This is so much better than having neighbors right next to each other noise wise. Real patios on the back side.

Pre Leasing event on March 25th.

https://www.nestondryden.com

[rechlin]

So many different exterior finishes.  I count gray painted concrete, gray painted bricks (maybe CMUs?), reddish-brown bricks, gray stucco/EIFS, brown stained wood, gray painted wood/Hardiplank (maybe two different shades?), multiple shades of trim, and white windows.  And of course two more different kinds of bare/treated wood for the fence and garage gate.  Isn't that a bit much?  Did they just pick up random construction materials from various abandoned construction sites and combine them to have enough for one building?

[Specwriter]

3 hours ago, rechlin said:

So many different exterior finishes.  I count gray painted concrete, gray painted bricks (maybe CMUs?), reddish-brown bricks, gray stucco/EIFS, brown stained wood, gray painted wood/Hardiplank (maybe two different shades?), multiple shades of trim, and white windows.  And of course two more different kinds of bare/treated wood for the fence and garage gate.  Isn't that a bit much?  Did they just pick up random construction materials from various abandoned construction sites and combine them to have enough for one building?

Regarding "design" a very respected architect in this city (Houston) once told me "it will never get better if you don't stop picking at it." 🙂

[Luminare]

3 hours ago, rechlin said:

So many different exterior finishes.  I count gray painted concrete, gray painted bricks (maybe CMUs?), reddish-brown bricks, gray stucco/EIFS, brown stained wood, gray painted wood/Hardiplank (maybe two different shades?), multiple shades of trim, and white windows.  And of course two more different kinds of bare/treated wood for the fence and garage gate.  Isn't that a bit much?  Did they just pick up random construction materials from various abandoned construction sites and combine them to have enough for one building?

Just glancing at it, this is all entirely cement and concrete. The "Brown" wood plank is a Fiber Cement board that mimics the look and color of stained wood. The Stucco is either a Fiber Cement Panel, or its a Cement to mimic Stucco, Hardi Plank in the back. You are right about the CMU. Its just a CMU that mimics the look of stone. Other than that the rest are real materials (the metal panel, brick, etc...). I didn't know this was student housing so this must have been a very cheap build with a low budget. Honestly though it doesn't look to bad for what it is. Could have been worse, but this is very cheap.

[Specwriter]

3 minutes ago, Luminare said:

Just glancing at it, this is all entirely cement and concrete. The "Brown" wood plank is a Fiber Cement board that mimics the look and color of stained wood. The Stucco is either a Fiber Cement Panel, or its a Cement to mimic Stucco, Hardi Plank in the back. You are right about the CMU. Its just a CMU that mimics the look of stone. Other than that the rest are real materials (the metal panel, brick, etc...). I didn't know this was student housing so this must have been a very cheap build with a low budget. Honestly though it doesn't look to bad for what it is. Could have been worse, but this is very cheap.

It may not have been cheap-cheap to build but it should be durable which is great for student housing. The dorm I lived in my freshman year in college had CMU walls between the rooms and along the corridors. Half the people who lived there were animals; the rest of us were just careless. 🙂 At least the school splurged on vinyl tile instead of bare concrete for the floors.

[Luminare]

15 hours ago, Specwriter said:

It may not have been cheap-cheap to build but it should be durable which is great for student housing. The dorm I lived in my freshman year in college had CMU walls between the rooms and along the corridors. Half the people who lived there were animals; the rest of us were just careless. 🙂 At least the school splurged on vinyl tile instead of bare concrete for the floors.

Oh I'm okay with student housing in general being cheap. Not a fan of the over emphasis on "luxury" for student dorms, housing, apartments, etc... I don't believe it to be sustainable long term. I mean more cheap in quality of materials and aesthetics. Rather their be more honesty in regards to materials being what than are than pass them off as something they are not. That's just my design/aesthetic sense. Overall they did a serviceable it looks like with the budget and program they had.

[Luminare]

3 minutes ago, Specwriter said:

I'm also a proponent of honesty in materials. I shudder when I see metal panels that are finished to look like wood - and they only look that way from a distance. 🙂 Perhaps the designer was just trying to add visual interest while maintaining the budget.

Luminare, when you write cheap do you intend that it doesn't look "high-end?" If so, I agree but I must say concrete and CMU are not cheap in initial cost or the labor it takes to put them in place. They are, however, durable and are a good budget decision long-term which is what most institutional clients are looking for.

Wood studs and OSB sheathing are cheap(er) and, unfortunately, that is what we are seeing on many affordable housing projects. Their lower construction cost will make rents more affordable in the beginning but the long-term maintenance costs, if there is any maintenance at all, will be significant.

Then again wood frame construction may be fine for the intended service life of the building. Most of the wood framed apartment buildings that came about in the 1970s have survived several decades or at least until they were replaced.

Mean cheap in the visual and aesthetic sense. Great question though. I really love concrete's aesthetics particularly when you imprint patterns into it like one does with board form. I don't like when cement is used to look like other things. In this regard faux is cheap. They are trying to seem more aesthetically pleasing and luxury, but are going about it in the cheapest and faux way possible. I don't care if something is cheap or even looks cheap. Just don't be cheap while trying to look more than what you are. Not a good look and historically this fades over time. As for products like OSB I really like it. Its simply wood that is fragmented and laminated to give you a sheet for a particular cost. Its an honest material, with actual aesthetic value at its face, but has great utility. I wouldn't even mind products like Hardiboard if it wasn't used be a substitute for wood. Just say its concrete/cement board. We have to in the specs why can't we be honest about it? I don't know.

[Specwriter]

5 hours ago, Luminare said:

Mean cheap in the visual and aesthetic sense. Great question though. I really love concrete's aesthetics particularly when you imprint patterns into it like one does with board form. I don't like when cement is used to look like other things. In this regard faux is cheap. They are trying to seem more aesthetically pleasing and luxury, but are going about it in the cheapest and faux way possible. I don't care if something is cheap or even looks cheap. Just don't be cheap while trying to look more than what you are. Not a good look and historically this fades over time. As for products like OSB I really like it. Its simply wood that is fragmented and laminated to give you a sheet for a particular cost. Its an honest material, with actual aesthetic value at its face, but has great utility. I wouldn't even mind products like Hardiboard if it wasn't used be a substitute for wood. Just say its concrete/cement board. We have to in the specs why can't we be honest about it? I don't know.

Well said, Luminare. I do believe we are considering the word 'cheap' in a different way of thinking though. You appear to be condemning, and rightly so, the cheap aesthetic of having one material 'pretend' to be another. I was thinking more in terms of materials like concrete having a higher initial cost but providing economy through long-term durability.

Here's something to think about: In past times formwork for vertical concrete was made up of boards nailed across whalers. When the formwork was removed the concrete showed the individual planks and often the wood grain of each plank. I don't believe the look was intentional so I wouldn't consider it dishonest. Besides, the concrete was often parged or covered by some other material.

Also, I should not deride OSB in and of itself. It does have an honesty about it when it is exposed and properly protected with something like a clear polyurethane coating. I was thinking more in terms of its use as the sheathing over wood studs in situations like tract house construction when it is covered by other materials like a sheet weather barrier. In that case it does not stand up well to shoddy construction that allows moisture to get to it and destroy it. That is my understanding of cheap. 🙁

We are both architects. We should be part of a panel discussion to reinforce those Vitruvian ideals for the next generation. This has been a very interesting exchange. Thanks for your contribution.

[hindesky]

I didn't notice the spilled paint last time.

[hindesky]