Comments on: The New Regent Square: Details and Drawings http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/ Houston, Texas real estate development, home buying, landscape, and design Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:13:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Elouise A. Jones http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1816 Elouise A. Jones Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:50:05 +0000 http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1816 I agree with the comments regarding the use of brick. May I add that it is oppressvive and unattractive and looks and feels brooding and imposing like a prison. It doesn't fit this part of the country unless it is old pretty brick with real color pigments which I would think is prohibitive for a project this size. Even then you are using so much brick it is rather overwhelming. It is already overdone in our town. It isn't inviting and does not read vitality. Ugly brick without the proper pigments is very dull, depressing and flat. Unfortunately CVS has put it all over Texas. So have the corner banks. It's not too late guys to reconsider your choices. Think Texas vernacular, please. Overhangs and trees, clean lines, and don't forget the sky and good lighting, park benches, birds and a place to water your dog.Create vistas and views from the interiors. And make buildings that attract and delight, that makes one curious and that is exciting to occupy; buildings we can all learn from and emulate. That is what every city should strive for. If you really want to do something right and make a great contribution to Houston make it GREEN with great style. I agree with the comments regarding the use of brick. May I add that it is oppressvive and unattractive and looks and feels brooding and imposing like a prison. It doesn’t fit this part of the country unless it is old pretty brick with real color pigments which I would think is prohibitive for a project this size. Even then you are using so much brick it is rather overwhelming. It is already overdone in our town. It isn’t inviting and does not read vitality. Ugly brick without the proper pigments is very dull, depressing and flat. Unfortunately CVS has put it all over Texas. So have the corner banks. It’s not too late guys to reconsider your choices. Think Texas vernacular, please. Overhangs and trees, clean lines, and don’t forget the sky and good lighting, park benches, birds and a place to water your dog.Create vistas and views from the interiors. And make buildings that attract and delight, that makes one curious and that is exciting to occupy; buildings we can all learn from and emulate. That is what every city should strive for. If you really want to do something right and make a great contribution to Houston make it GREEN with great style.

]]> By: Houston Steve http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1389 Houston Steve Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:33:40 +0000 http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1389 The best thing I read is that they are putting a traffic light at Dunlavy and Allen Parkway. Hopefully we'll be able to turn left onto Allen then. Presently there's nowhere to turn left on Allen except Montrose Blvd. That's ridiculous. The best thing I read is that they are putting a traffic light at Dunlavy and Allen Parkway. Hopefully we’ll be able to turn left onto Allen then. Presently there’s nowhere to turn left on Allen except Montrose Blvd. That’s ridiculous.

]]> By: Jackson http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1262 Jackson Thu, 29 May 2008 16:33:22 +0000 http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1262 "why can’t developers figure out that building ?types more suited to Toronto or Boston are really stupid for our climate? " Actually, as somebody who moved to Houston from Toronto, I can say that Houston has more months of nice weather than TOronto. Back in Toronto its below freezing from November to the end of March. Here in H-Town the weather is beautiful from October to May and then we have 4 months of hot weather. Big deal. “why can’t developers figure out that building ?types more suited to Toronto or Boston are really stupid for our climate? ”

Actually, as somebody who moved to Houston from Toronto, I can say that Houston has more months of nice weather than TOronto. Back in Toronto its below freezing from November to the end of March. Here in H-Town the weather is beautiful from October to May and then we have 4 months of hot weather. Big deal.

]]> By: Miz Brooke Smith http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1231 Miz Brooke Smith Tue, 27 May 2008 22:57:00 +0000 http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1231 Amen, Scott. From suburban McMansion developments to monstrous in-town multi-family complexes like these, there is little to no sense of place and climate in the vast majority of new construction in Houston. Where, indeed, are arcades? Where are deep roof overhangs for shade, rain protection and breeze? And where, for pete's sake, on all those acres of roofs, are solar panels for hot water and electricity? Jeez. Amen, Scott. From suburban McMansion developments to monstrous in-town multi-family complexes like these, there is little to no sense of place and climate in the vast majority of new construction in Houston. Where, indeed, are arcades? Where are deep roof overhangs for shade, rain protection and breeze? And where, for pete’s sake, on all those acres of roofs, are solar panels for hot water and electricity? Jeez.

]]> By: Scott Bodenheimer http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1230 Scott Bodenheimer Tue, 27 May 2008 20:53:57 +0000 http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1230 Houston is about the same latitude as Cairo and New Dehli, why can't developers figure out that building types more suited to Toronto or Boston are really stupid for our climate? Why can't there be arcades over the sidewalks like there used to be in lots of Texas downtowns and places like Bologna Italy? Or the development could have been designed with interior climate controlled streets like old Victorian developments in London and Paris and Santiago Chile. In the internet age there's just no excuse for planners and architects not to research building types that are more appropriate for the context. Houston is about the same latitude as Cairo and New Dehli, why can’t developers figure out that building types more suited to Toronto or Boston are really stupid for our climate? Why can’t there be arcades over the sidewalks like there used to be in lots of Texas downtowns and places like Bologna Italy?

Or the development could have been designed with interior climate controlled streets like old Victorian developments in London and Paris and Santiago Chile.

In the internet age there’s just no excuse for planners and architects not to research building types that are more appropriate for the context.

]]> By: Matt http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1228 Matt Tue, 27 May 2008 19:50:55 +0000 http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1228 Making Dallas one lane each way would be ridiculous! Making Dallas one lane each way would be ridiculous!

]]> By: Brad http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1226 Brad Tue, 27 May 2008 17:15:06 +0000 http://swamplot.com/the-new-regent-square-details-and-drawings/2008-05-27/#comment-1226 Future slums. Future slums.

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