A new Multi-modal Station near Houston’s Medical Center
Leveraged confluences
Houston in Transit
Part of considering these nodes is the
understandings. The parking and
Parking as Poche
idea of continuity vs. fragmentation. The two distinct parts of the project lend themselves to very different
To go beyond a transit station’s
infrastructural moves can be
traditional prerogative (moving
understood comprehensively and
people and representing a city) and
planometrically. They set up a series
to become a more inclusive, multi-use
of discrete spaces (ie column bays
public space, Leveraged Confluences
or parking spots). The figure within,
embraces Houston’s exemplar of anti-
however, can be understood only
public transportation: the automobile.
in fragments, scenographically and
A symbol of independence from other
sectionally. This understanding of a
people and particularly in Texas,
public social condenser recognizes the
the government, the automobile has
contingency of interaction. The play
strongly imprinted Houston’s urbanism
between these two extremes, their
in the form of ubiquitous and extensive
typical isolation and their occasional
surface parking lots.
collision are the project’s formal interest and framework for a social
This project takes the logic of placing
agency.
small buildings in expansive fields of parking and turns it 90 degrees,
Urbanistically, the projects suggests
taking the relationship as a sectional
a block emphasizing the Holcombe
provocation. Thus the project balances
corridor and greater density in
a contextual attitude toward Houston,
response to the presence of the multi-
with a projective one about the
modal station.
possibility of uniting public and private transportation, rather than strongly biasing one or the other. Formally and programmatically the idea of unifying diverse threads is picked up as parts of the programmed figure within the parking deck field extend to the ground level and engage different contexts--whether a busy street, the transportation needs of the neighborhoods to the East, or the ludic whimsy of park-goers to the north.
Figure inserted in field of parking
Transverse sections
Ground Plan
Transverse sections
2
The facade registers the insertion of red, programmed spaces into the new garage
Third and Fourth Floor Plans: Theater, Retail, Cafe, Light-rail access.
Fifth and Sixth Floor Plans: Parking
4
The interior of the garage is animated by glass elevators, retail outlets, a movie theater and
6
1/16th”=1’ section model
New Infrastructure integrates and challenges the highway culture of Houston
Houston’s Transit Future Despite its long history of asphaltobsession, bicycle-hatred, and heavy light rail indifference, Houston is well-positioned to take advantage of a multi-modal train station in the Texas Medical Center. The success of the existing light rail line suggests the sentiments of Houstonians are shifting. If we take increased dependence on mass transit as a given, the questions turn to the relationship between the new and old modes of navigating the city. The infrastructure, and the enormous investment it represents, is well-placed to continue moving thousands of cars, at high speeds, anytime, anywhere. However more sustainable modes of transportation, increasing, will be essential. The only way to gain traction with Houston’s socially and economically diverse population is by acknowledging the role of the automobile and embracing its possibilities to inform the infrastructure of the future.