Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF GREATER HOUSTON HEADQUARTERS

Agency-Agency, Method Architecture

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald

CLIENTS
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Triten Real Estate

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Tei Carpenter (designer) and Jackie Rye (AOR)

MANUFACTURERS
AutoDesk, Armstrong Ceilings, Assa Abloy, Berridge, Daltile, Elkay, Kawneer, Kohler, Legion Lighting, SWF Contract, Shaw, Sherwin-Williams, Signify, Sloan Valve Company, Steelcase, Ameripolish, Calibamboo, Countertops, Luminas Lighting, Millwork, +2

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
DMAC Construction, Lance McIntyre, Doug Meadows, Jason Stavinoha

LANDSCAPE AND IRRIGATION
Moss Landscaping

ARCHITECT OF RECORD
Method Architecture (Jake Donaldson, Nicholas Kapple, Charlotte Martin, Jackie Rye)

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
TBG Partners, Jacob Burgus, J. Wes Cegelski, Lisa Girard, Sarah Zelenak

DESIGN TEAM
Agency—Agency, Elizabeth Stanfel, Nora Leon, Adelina Koleva, George Hewitt, Min Chen, Tei Carpenter

CONSTRUCTION BUDGETING SERVICES
Rogers O’Brien Construction

CONSTRUCTION BUDGET
Rogers O’Brien Construction

REAL ESTATE SERVICES
The Weitzman Group

LEGAL SERVICES
Vinson & Elkins

SELLER REPRESENTATION
Cushman & Wakefield

ENGINEER
Bury Engineers

AREA
20000 ft²

YEAR
2018

LOCATION
Houston, United States

CATEGORY
Community, Other

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald

Text description provided by the architects.

Founded on the belief that in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life, Big Brothers Big Sisters works to make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of children facing adversity by establishing one-to-one relationships with volunteer mentors.

Supporting this mission of inclusion and social justice, the new headquarters of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston imagines the building as a catalyst for community engagement with a design that is visually porous, vibrant in its use of color, and filled with natural light.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald

The project uses architecture to produce a joyful and hopeful presence in the city that can act as a model for future chapters of Big Brothers Big Sisters throughout the country.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston creates and sustains nearly 2,000 mentor matches, yet with hundreds of children on its waiting list, there was a growing need to expand its services and increase its visibility within Houston to attract new mentors

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald

Located just north of downtown, the headquarters takes advantage of its site on an urban island between the elevated I-45 highway and the active Washington Avenue Corridor with a design that offers different experiences at different speeds, whether from a pedestrian walking down the sidewalk to a car speeding along the highway.

A dynamic seesaw roof and a lively variety of window openings provide different faces to the multiple sides of the city making the building more visible and reflecting the mission’s core values of openness and vitality.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald

The building’s unique volume responds to its irregular footprint to maximize spatial experience both on the interior and exterior.

With a program combining private and open office space with interview and meeting rooms, a childrens’ playroom, café, and a multi-purpose event space connected to an open-air balcony with commanding views of downtown Houston and the Buffalo Bayou, the building uses standard building systems and cost effective materials to produce an inspiring work environment that is more than just an office.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald

A three-story open atrium at the west entrance acts as a thickened public zone, within which a main staircase and balcony system connect the three floors physically and visually to enhance interaction, communication, and fluidity of movement.

At night the illuminated headquarters, alongside the downtown skyline, becomes a community beacon within the city of Houston.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald


Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
© Michael Vahrenwald


Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
Site plan oblique
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
Site plan
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
Ground floor plan
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
1st floor plan
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
2nd floor plan
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
Ground floor plan text
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
1st floor plan text
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
2nd floor plan text


Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
Elevation 01
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
Elevation 03
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston Headquarters
Butterfly Section