From a high-flying source come these fascinating close-up aerial views of the massive ExxonMobil campus just north of the intersection of I-45 and the now-building-to-suit Grand Parkway in the northern reaches of the city of Houston. The campus is still under construction but also partly occupied. The pix were taken late last month; the first of an expected total of 17,000 workers began moving into almost-complete structures back in April.
The photo at top shows the Pickard Chilton-designed “Energy Center” meant to serve as the campus gateway, as well as house a reception area, training and conference facilities, and a restaurant. When construction is complete, the scaffolding will come down and visitors will be able walk underneath the suspended 4-story glass block hovering at center in the photo above.
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- ExxonMobil coverage [Swamplot]
Photos: Swamplot inbox
Cannot wait to work out there. NOT
Im sure going to miss my short commute, my office with a door, coffee bar on my floor and the list goes on and on. sigh But at least I wont have to drive all the way to the Hughes Landing location and I can retire in less than 6 years.
Bring on the oil company haters. :)
Anyone have insight into what is painted on the roofs of the parking garages? Is that some sort of map of Buffalo Bayou on the right, Or have I been hanging out with the Geto Boys too much lately?
meh who cares its in the lame burbs
All I can say is: wow
adr, it represents some of the field sites that ExxonMobil owns. I don’t recall which ones, though.
I find that the amount of time spent parking and walking between buildings in a corporate campuses is never as quick or as efficient as taking an elevator to another floor in an office tower. Sprawling campuses are nice and pretty for universities, but I really don’t get the value they add to a corporate environment where efficiency is more important.
The roofs of the parking garages were painted with various environments of deposition for key petrolem source and reservoir rocks. Two are meandering rivers (point bars) and the third is a tidal shoreface.
Let me see. Parking 2 blocks away (paying for parking) and walking in the rain to a tower, then waiting for elevators to come down 26 floors versus free parking in a parking garage and walking 5 minutes to your building under cover, and waiting on an elevator that only has to cover 5 floors. And not to mention if there is an emergency and you have to walk down those 26 floors. No thanks. From one end to the other will be 7-10 minute walk. Consider it an ergo break. Plus, the view is a lot better than the tops of other downtown buildings. Nature is literally right out the window. If you aren’t high up in those towers, your view, if you have one, is the side of another tower. And we will have bank kiosks, hair dressers, flower and gift shops, and I think, dry cleaners onsite, as well as online concierge for car servicing. These start opening up in October. Some of the walking paths through the park area are already open, too.
Not that I’m looking forward to losing my office either, but 1000 times better than being stuck in a similar non-office in a downtown tower. Not sure where they got the 17,000 figure. Last I heard, it was 12,000. Or are they counting all of the other support, too, like full-time mechanical and engineering staff, landscaping staff, food service staff, housekeeping staff, security etc., that it will take to maintain everything?
I find that the amount of time spent parking and walking between buildings in a corporate campuses is never as quick or as efficient as taking an elevator to another floor in an office tower
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What office tower would be able to hold that many people?
ah I see. The old Facies Depositional Model Roof Treatment. Too early to nominate for a Swampie in the category of “Best Realization that Google Maps means you should probably pay attention to how your building looks from above”
The New World Order is upon us. Bow to your overlord.
That’s no moon.
I hear the gym is going to be incredible.
You have a job correct. Do not complain.
That building is insane. And I’m sure all the commuters who had been driving downtown from way up in BFE will appreciate the move.
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However it sucks for the people that live or moved downtown to be closer to work. Now they have to commute to burbia each day (at least it’s a reverse commute?)
those painted parking garages are hilarious and i can’t stand the campus atmosphere. by default they’re always going to be located out in the middle of nowhere and they always try overly hard to create a “lifestyle” that just ends up further blurring the distinction between home and work.
Having worked in the energy business for 24 years, I have observed that ExxonMobil employees tend to insulate themselves into their own little world. This is the ultimate realization of that concept.
This is a heck of a way to fill-in the under-utilized space between 8 and The Woodlands off 45. I wonder if they will attempt to connect to The Woodlands or Spring Creek trail systems, or is total isolation the objective?
Ive been working at Greenspoint for EM and live downtown, now here in the new building. EM is moving 500 employees a week so it is a steady flow of new people and buildings (3 buildings now complete). The commute is only slightly longer for me because the toll road access is better versus Greenspoint. The on-campus traffic sucks right now with senselessly functioning red lights restricting in and out flow. The walk from the garage is fine, same as 800 Bell or any downtown location. The buildings are very nice and have definitely impacted culture for the better. It’s VERY social now. The office space is way less “open” than originally touted with lots and lots of floors with office-only versus cubes. The cafeteria is great for cafeteria food but ca be really really crowded and the flow is poorly designed. Overall it will be great for EM because no one cool enough to want to live in an urban area (and that bar for cool is admittedly low) is in the EM hiring demographic anyway. My department basically hires Mormons and military at this point, which fits nicely with the demographic of people who want to live in Spring TX.
All The Woodlands residents are very happy to see the Exxon facility become reality . It increases the value of our homes , and brings in many new businesses . On average our home values have increased about 25 % due to the high demand . The additional work in construction of the complex has meant thousands of great jobs . Texas now produces over 41 % of the nations liquid Hydrocarbons . We still see 20-30 years of Energy industry growth and activity . Many Billions in expansions are planned in the Texas Valley of Energy Technology . Tax Revenues have increased significantly . Construction is continuous in our area to make Roads better and move people easier . Our schools are typically rated a 10 on a national Scale . There is work almost everywhere you look . We expect 310,000 new jobs in Texas in 2014 . Exxon and all Energy companies are major contributors . We are now producing over 12 million barrels of Oil per day across America , that number will increase significantly . We have over 700 trillion dollars of Energy In America between Public and Private owned land that is recoverable. These facts and Engineering improvements will be a driving force for our future . Exxon is playing a major role in Employing thousands of Americans . The sweetness of Energy production has made Texas the number one job growth state in the nation , and this will continue .
I work out at BTEC. I still can’t decide if I would rather work out there. Baytown drive is a breeze usually. That said I ALWAYS wanted to work at the Buffalo Speedway location. No chance of that now I guess.
@allen
Thank you for that! Did you copy and paste that off of a The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce powerpoint presentation?
Does anyone know when the rest of the moves to the new campus will be taking place? Is there a schedule posted somewhere?
Does anyone knows how to get the job there? I graduated with IT major last December and I’m looking for anything right now. I’m so stress out after I spend for years in college and now it so hard to get a job.
Phina, nothing personal but how can someone graduate from college with English skills as bad as yours? Exxon won’t likely hire you once they see how you write. Start there….
@phina
I used to work in EMIT and you have demonstrated average communication skills based on my former coworkers. (Above average for managers though!)
Some of the EMIT people who moved in back in April have been loving it. Aside from the white noise machines not working, no privacy in the office, the heat when moving around during the summer and the reverse commute being the suck. At the end of the day it’s a box you sit in for 8+ hours a day.