bachanon

deb, many of the conversations of late lack the depth and thought that we had before the crash. it seems that some of the more informative posters became tired of lame one liner commentary that didn't contribute to many of the discussions. many people may still be lurking around waiting for the good stuff to return. there was a sense of agreeable disagreement on issues that were well thought out and thought provoking. (you had some very interesting posts i remember). it seems that many posters couldn't grasp that sort of friendly debate without seeing red. i've contemplated repeating (attempting anyway) past threads; however, i think that future "meaty" postings will have to occur organically.

The new Federal Reserve Bank building was designed by Michael Graves. PGAL has some part in it as well.

if affluence and level of education are a factor, the majority of zip codes with the greatest wealth and education in the greater houston area are outside of the loop. bellaire, memorial, champions, the woodlands, magnolia. the latest census showed that four woodlands/magnolia area zip codes were in the top ten wealthiest and highest educated households in the greater houston area. bellaire, champions and memorial also fall into this top ten category. the info was cited in a HBJ list some months ago.

what a suburban thought dbigtex, "continuity of architectural style..."? ..."a 'real' neighborhood"? come on, i thought it was diversity, old and new, contrasting structures that created a 'real' urban fabric. actually, i agree somewhat. the statement you made seems to contradict what many people love about being in an urban environment. i do prefer that an architect consider the neighborhood before designing; however, i'm really sick of red brick here in suburbia.

this is the best idea i've heard yet for the post office location. if you haven't already, i'd suggest parking at the downtown post office and go up to the garden/patio area that faces downtown. it's a commanding view of our monumental skyline, unmarred by the pierce, i-45, 59, etc.

this project would greatly enhance the annual livestock and rodeo for out of town guests. in addition, the car shows and tech shows, etc. that occur at reliant center would benefit. proximity to the rail line certainly aids it's viability.

one of the reasons that moderate income housing becomes so difficult in an urban environment is because investors require a quick turn around on their money. there are situations around the country where architects, urban planners and affordable housing fans are finding investors willing to have longer investment periods with lower rates of return. these things are rare but it could be the future for urban affordable housing.

Pei Wei - once a month Tortuga's - once a month Luby's - every week Saltgrass - once a month Rockfish Grill - once a month Infrequent favorites: La Jaliscience (sp?) Van Loc Mark's 59 Diner Sweet Tomatos P.F.Chang's

i would love to see a big book seller like borders or barnes and noble develop a main street parcel which connects to the tunnels below; a multi-level store with sales floors below and at street level. if security is an issue, close the tunnel level entrances when the tunnel schedule requires

did anyone doubt that this would occur? shirley delibero and lee brown were no spendthrifts. under lanier we had an emergency fund and metro had more money than it used, now both the city and metro are in the red. we will be paying for their excesses for years. and no, i don't blame light rail.

an alamo drafthouse would do well on washington avenue near dunlavy or waugh. having one downtown would require being a part of a larger mixed use development.

grogan's mill in the woodlands, we are a fifteen minute walk from town center and the woodlands waterway. this large sculpture called "dreamer" is located at the intersection of w. panther creek and woodlands parkway.

downtown proper would have been better after 7pm on a friday. also, the n. main area is ripe for development. there have been investors buying up property in this area between i-45 & i-10 for years. the light rail northern extension will pass through this area and there are street and beautification projects in the planning stages.

the obvious (corny, if you will) is what makes a good tourist destination. as i mentioned before the demise of our beloved site, a design incorporating molecular, cellular, organic elements such as a nanotube type structure would (yes, a 1400 foot nanotube), by the right design team, be a statement of ourselves, current, universal, etc. the nanotube is simply an example; maybe a dna strand 120 stories tall. you get the picture. of course, i prefer the inverted conical structure with the offset sphere three quarters of the way up facing main street from the north.

the inverted cone is precisely what i was thinking; however, the sphere would be more than 60% up the side of the cone (preferably 80%, depending on the pitch of the cone and structural stability), making it kinda float there.

understand, urbanerd, that the waterway and lake woodlands are flood control elements. the meandering concrete walls are there for a reason. the government requires that for a certain amount of pavement a certain amount of runoff acreage is required. check out how walmart and lowes accomplish this; they dig a hole in the ground and fence it in in the back of the store. they could be creating ponds or gardens, or even preserving natural vegetation in low lying areas to achieve this. the woodlands development took these ideals into consideration in 1972 and developed around the future flood and wetland needs of this area. any development near the waterway will not be at water level anytime soon.

i like the idea of the tallest "structure" in the world; however, and as i've said before our site was destroyed, i'd prefer a design by renzo piano or santiago calatrava with usable elements on the lower floors. say, 40 floors of office/residential/public space and then whatever additional height necessary to pull off the design and the title of tallest structure. groundfloor retail? of course. my personal idea is a conical shaped structure with an off center sphere in the upper 25% of the structure housing the obligatory observation deck and restaurant/bar (sky bar? no way! for houston the "space" or "moon" bar/centered and facing main street from the north). the wider side of the cone is at the earth's surface (upside down for you ice cream fans) and the sphere's outside diameter is tangential with the central spine of the building. it's an engineering nightmare, i'm sure. i guess the majority of the extended sphere would be unusable but would create a large open space enclosed by glass or merely a light weight structural element outside the cone. one more thing, the cone would have a slimmer sleeker pitch than an ice cream cone.

i remember seeing the hike/bike trails in chicago but i don't remember how wide they were. in the woodlands the trails are 6 feet wide or so. at the waterway they will be substantially wider.

Newest Parks Add to The Woodlands Appeal By The Woodlands Operating Company Five new parks and 32,500 linear feet of pathways were recently completed in The Woodlands, and more are on the way, according to Joel Deretchin, vice president of residential operations for The Woodlands Operating Company, L.P.

Pedestrian Improvements Scheduled for The Woodlands Waterway Room for Both Cyclists and Walkers By The Woodlands Operating Company - TWOC September 03, 2004 The Woodlands, Texas - Construction has begun on pedestrian improvements along the south side of The Woodlands Waterway from the turning basin at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion to Woodloch Forest, according to Daniel Kolkhorst, P.E., vice president of engineering and construction for The Woodlands Operating Company, L.P. (TWOC). Improvements include installation of a two-story elevator at The Woodlands Waterway and Woodloch Forest, extensive lighting, landscaping, irrigation and construction of a sidewalk with ample space for cyclists and pedestrians.

come on!! i love this building. it's a cube with perfectly square windows spaced apart in a perfect gridlike symmetry. it simple. each window, from the inside, makes each view look like a framed picture.

greenspoint mall itself could actually become a great mixed use location. the combination of residential, commercial, retail, north harris college, hotels, proximity to the airport, etc. is already represented in the area. with new urbanist type construction and a smart, affordable residential element added to the mall itself, a new breed of mall renovations could emerge. connecting the mall with the towers to the east via mall extensions and skywalks would further enhance a concentrated mixed use purpose.

lee brown road the coattails of idealists and the successful business people of houston. the main street coalition consisted of people such as ed wulfe, local architects, urban planners and business leaders. some of these same people were behind the cotswald project and now the buffalo bayou redevelopment. lee brown's legacy to our city is a corrupted crime lab and police force, red ink as far as the eye can see. he was an embarrassment to our fair city. light rail, along with all of the other positive things occurring would have happened without lee brown.

i went to a halloween party in this building several years ago. i'm not sure what floor it was on, it was a private club or something. the view was amazing. when the fog came in it became perfectly erie (sp?).