4703 Merwin St

[IntheKnowHouston]

 The 9,808-square-foot property, located at 4703 Merwin St, sits on 0.2251 acres of land.

4703 Merwin Street is in (or maybe near) the Afton Oaks neighborhood.






Parcel map





January 2022 Google Earth image






 

[IntheKnowHouston]

May 2022 Streetview of 4703 Merwin St.












September 2022

[IntheKnowHouston]

The proprietor of BlendIn Coffee Club purchased the 0.2251 acre parcel in the fall of 2021.

A new BlendIn Coffee Club storefront will be built from the ground up at 4703 Merwin St.

BlendIn enlisted Content Architecture to design a new coffee roastery with retail.


Additional details from Content Architecture's website:

 

The design for Blendin Coffee Club enables the Houston-based company to expand on the Tree-to-cup experience that is their identity. As their first ground-up project, the building seeks to provide Blendin with an enhanced presence and visibility in the city while also communicating the values of their brand. Situated on a corner lot just off the Highway 59 access road, the building mitigates between the scale of the highway to the south and the adjacent neighborhood to the north.
 

Public programs and gathering spaces are placed at the ground level with upper floors containing spaces focused on production and training.

• The first floor provides the neighborhood with a small coffee shop and retail space with a large shaded patio as well as a classroom where visitors can learn about the intricacies of roasting and brewing coffee.
   
• The second floor offers a roof deck and garden where small gatherings can take place.
   
• The top floor contains large spaces for storing and roasting coffee as well as more intimate spaces where cupping, training, and competitions occur. The design places the programs of the top floor in a long horizontal bar within the tree canopy that allows the building to be visible from the highway while also providing shade to the covered patio below.
   

Throughout the building, the design blurs the relationship between interior and exterior. At the ground level, the northeast and southwest corners open to the sky to create outdoor rooms within the building's envelope. Pivoting doors at these spaces allow the boundary between inside and outside to be implied or explicit depending on the desired conditions. At each level, a perforated metal skin introduces an intermediate layer between solid and transparent. This metal veil helps to mitigate between allowing natural light and views to the exterior to enter while also providing privacy where needed and reducing solar heat gain from the sun.


http://www.contentarchitecture.com/blendin-roastery/

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by IntheKnowHouston

[IntheKnowHouston]

Renderings of BlendIn Coffee Club's new roastery and retail at 4703 Merwin St.

The renderings are located on Content Architecture's website.

[IntheKnowHouston]

Renderings of BlendIn Coffee Club's interior. The local coffee shop has plans for a new roastery with retail at 4703 Merwin St.

The renderings are located on Content Architecture's website.

[Amlaham]

Loveee the renderings, however, the location is a little weird being right in the middle of a neighborhood. I wish this abstract building would go up along a major street instead of hidden inside a neighborhood but happy with it regardless!

[editor]

Reminds me of the Toronto School of Art:

The problem with the Toronto building is that it's too big.  From the street, it's hard to find a place where you can stand and appreciate it.  The Houston building looks more manageable.

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 3/19/2023 at 4:32 PM, editor said:

Reminds me of the Toronto School of Art:

The problem with the Toronto building is that it's too big.  From the street, it's hard to find a place where you can stand and appreciate it.  The Houston building looks more manageable.

There is a strong resemblance.  

Personally, I like the design of both. The elevated structure provides room for green space, parking, or other use, in my opinion.

 

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 3/18/2023 at 3:03 PM, Amlaham said:

Loveee the renderings, however, the location is a little weird being right in the middle of a neighborhood. I wish this abstract building would go up along a major street instead of hidden inside a neighborhood but happy with it regardless!

I had the same initial reaction. However, there are several coffee shops residing in the middle of Houston's residential areas. Granted, most of them blend in with surrounding homes.

Looking at the rendering, it seems the structure will face Lanceshire St. Surface parking looks as if it's on the Merwin St side. With BlendIn facing Lanceshire St, it may be easy for people to spot it and the signage from the feeder and freeway. 

Still, I wonder how neighbors feel about the proximity of such a large looking commercial building in their backyards.

[IntheKnowHouston]

Sprudge interviewed BlendIn Coffee Club's general manager recently. In the interview is a mention of BlendIn's forthcoming roastery facility and retail shop.

BlendIn Coffee Club is building a new outpost from the ground up. It will be located at 4703 Merwin St.



Below is an excerpt from the interview published today:

"We have a new roastery in the works that will house our coffee roasting production, a cafe, SCA and CQI training lab as well as a competition lab for those wanting to train and compete in US Coffee Champs."

https://sprudge.com/on-the-menu-florals-for-spring-at-blendin-coffee-club-in-houston-202668.html 

Edited March 22, 2023 by IntheKnowHouston

[j_cuevas713]

It's a little weird they're choosing to build this right in the middle of a single family neighborhood. Doesn't this area have deed restrictions? 

[Houston19514]

On 3/19/2023 at 4:32 PM, editor said:

Reminds me of the Toronto School of Art:

 

The problem with the Toronto building is that it's too big.  From the street, it's hard to find a place where you can stand and appreciate it.  The Houston building looks more manageable.

I presume you meant to type the "Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design at OCAD University."  (Toronto School of Art is a different organization at a different location.)

[editor]

17 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

I presume you meant to type the "Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design at OCAD University."  (Toronto School of Art is a different organization at a different location.)

I'll defer to you.  I searched for "totonto art school" and the correct building came up.  I have my own photos of the building, which I hope has the right name, but they're on offline storage and not readily accessible.  Thanks for the correction.

[Dewey]

On 3/22/2023 at 1:18 PM, j_cuevas713 said:

It's a little weird they're choosing to build this right in the middle of a single family neighborhood. Doesn't this area have deed restrictions? 

This little two block neighborhood, Merwin and Ingersol west of Lancashire, are technically a neighborhood called Atwood Villas and not part of Afton Oaks. That's why you have the old duplexes turned into town homes, duplexes serving as office buildings and dental practices, in this section. I lived on Merwin for nearly a decade in my twenties. The neighborhood was mostly divorcees and confirmed bachelors of folks who most likely grew up in Afton/River Oaks in the 60s-80s and wanted the "prestige" of a 77027 zip code without the cost. 

[IntheKnowHouston]

CONTENT Architecture purchased a plan review in August for 4703 Merwin St. The architecture firm submitted a plan reviewing fee in June.

Permitting has yet to be approved for the "4,088 sf new coffee factory" going up on the site.

As noted in previous posts, BlendIn Coffee Club is building a new coffee shop and facility from the ground up.

[hindesky]

Planning Commission approved it. It will only be a coffee roastery not a coffee shop.

[IntheKnowHouston]

1 hour ago, hindesky said:

Planning Commission approved it. It will only be a coffee roastery not a coffee shop.

 

Thanks for the update, @hindesky. Are you sure this won't be a coffee shop? It's being billed as a roastery with the first floor serving as neighborhood coffee shop.
 

Edited November 15, 2024 by IntheKnowHouston

[hindesky]

Architect - https://contentarchitecture.com

[IntheKnowHouston]

6 hours ago, hindesky said:

Architect - https://contentarchitecture.com

@hindesky not sure how you didn't see that the exact same renderings and text pertaining to BlendIn Coffee Club's new roastery and coffee shop have already been posted. In fact, they were posted last year...



Here:
https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/topic/50373-4703-merwin-st/?do=findComment&comment=675727

On 3/18/2023 at 11:40 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Renderings of BlendIn Coffee Club's new roastery and retail at 4703 Merwin St.
The renderings are located on Content Architecture's website

 

Here:
https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/topic/50373-4703-merwin-st/?do=findComment&comment=675728


And here:

https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/topic/50373-4703-merwin-st/?do=findComment&comment=675726

Edited November 15, 2024 by IntheKnowHouston

[Texasota]

This building is rad and I dig it. I'm really curious to see how it actually turns out. 

[j_cuevas713]

This is still a very strange location but whatever it looks great

[IntheKnowHouston]

Chron.com published an article today on BlendIn Coffee Club's forthcoming facility at 4703 Merwin St. The article also clears up plans for the property.

BlendIn also states it doesn’t have an opening date just yet. They’re still dealing with the permitting process. 


From the article:

"BlendIn Coffee Club, the highly-rated specialty coffee shop with locations in Sugar Land and Allen Parkway, is setting itself up for some big moves with a new facility just inside Houston's Loop 610. Owner Weizhong Zhang said the coffee shop will open a roastery in Houston's Afton Oaks neighborhood... 'This location is actually not going to be a coffee shop," Zhang cautioned. "[It's] where we roast coffee.'"

https://www.chron.com/food/article/blendin-coffee-builds-houston-roastery-20017677.php