POST
Overview
Houston, Texas
550,000 ft² renovation
Brief
Reimagine the historic Barbara Jordan Post Office in downtown Houston as a mixed-use complex featuring an arts and music venue, workspaces, and one of the world’s largest rooftop parks and farms. In cooperation with OMA, MTWTF, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, and Dot Dash. The POST visual identity system was developed by MTWTF.
Services
Design and documentation, testing, vehicular and pedestrian wayfinding
Site Analysis
- Site offers a cultural terminus to the Bagby Street corridor in north downtown
- Opportunity to reuse and feature architectural artifacts from the existing site (flag pole, column identification), preserving the historic significance of the original post office
- Wayfinding program must be distinguishable but also align with the character of the existing structure and new architecture
Updates
Roof Portal

Suspended POST MARKET neon for the Skylawn
POST in Cite







It's a good idea to join Rice Design Alliance and subscribe to Cite: The Architecture and Design Review of Houston
The Spirit of the Place

















Photographs by Leonid Furmansky
Project Documentation



















Photographs by Mickey Aloisio
Site Identification Installation
Project Features
Sign structure models
Skylawn Signage Install







Fabrication






Interior Install



Skylawn Surveys





Site Walks / Construction












Bayou Sight Line Study



Design Team Site Walk







Scale Model: Site Identification





Site Identification
















Unused: path lamps


Under Construction



Studying: material transparency, flexibility, shadow color



Installation

Kronberg's Flags
kronbergsflagsandflagpoles.com/
Field Test
Field Test





Field Test
Using an augmented reality iPhone application to answer questions of scale for planned scaffolding installation.



Workshop × MTWTF

Site Visit, Workshop









Announcement of Work
FORMATION is pleased to be part of the design team reimagining the former US Postal Service distribution center at 401 Franklin in Downtown Houston.
This important structure was originally designed by Wilson Morris Crain & Anderson and named in honor of Barbara Jordan, civil rights activist and the first Southern African-American woman elected to the US House of Representatives.


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1/ 7Write-up by Drake Flood with a premium design by MG&Co.; edited by Jack Murphy -
2/ 7Write-up by Drake Flood with a premium design by MG&Co.; edited by Jack Murphy -
3/ 7Write-up by Drake Flood with a premium design by MG&Co.; edited by Jack Murphy -
4/ 7Write-up by Drake Flood with a premium design by MG&Co.; edited by Jack Murphy -
5/ 7Write-up by Drake Flood with a premium design by MG&Co.; edited by Jack Murphy -
6/ 7Write-up by Drake Flood with a premium design by MG&Co.; edited by Jack Murphy -
7/ 7Write-up by Drake Flood with a premium design by MG&Co.; edited by Jack Murphy -
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1/ 6Thanks to Kirby, Salome, and Jason -
2/ 6Thanks to Kirby, Salome, and Jason -
3/ 6Thanks to Kirby, Salome, and Jason -
4/ 6Thanks to Kirby, Salome, and Jason -
5/ 6Thanks to Kirby, Salome, and Jason -
6/ 6Thanks to Kirby, Salome, and Jason -
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Size: Maximum Allowed -
Skylawn identification -
1/ 7Rooftop signage -
2/ 7Rooftop signage -
3/ 7Rooftop signage -
4/ 7Rooftop signage -
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7/ 7Rooftop signage -
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1/ 5Shop visit to GraphTec, Inc. -
2/ 5Shop visit to GraphTec, Inc. -
3/ 5Shop visit to GraphTec, Inc. -
4/ 5Shop visit to GraphTec, Inc. -
5/ 5Shop visit to GraphTec, Inc. -
Phase one installation -
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1/ 5Rooftop signage planning -
2/ 5Rooftop signage planning -
3/ 5Rooftop signage planning -
4/ 5Rooftop signage planning -
5/ 5Rooftop signage planning -
1/ 5Sign location planning, construction process documentation -
2/ 5Sign location planning, construction process documentation -
3/ 5Sign location planning, construction process documentation -
4/ 5Sign location planning, construction process documentation -
5/ 5Sign location planning, construction process documentation -
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Pedestrian path view -
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1/ 7Mockup reviews and sign location planning -
2/ 7Mockup reviews and sign location planning -
3/ 7Mockup reviews and sign location planning -
4/ 7Mockup reviews and sign location planning -
5/ 7Mockup reviews and sign location planning -
6/ 7Mockup reviews and sign location planning -
7/ 7Mockup reviews and sign location planning -
Interior construction -
1/ 3Philip built a wood model of the site identification sign structure -
2/ 3Philip built a wood model of the site identification sign structure -
3/ 3Philip built a wood model of the site identification sign structure -
1/ 2Internal illumination simulated with electroluminescent wire and printed vellum -
2/ 2Internal illumination simulated with electroluminescent wire and printed vellum -
1/ 6Material and Illumination studies -
2/ 6Material and Illumination studies -
3/ 6Material and Illumination studies -
4/ 6Material and Illumination studies -
5/ 6Material and Illumination studies -
6/ 6Material and Illumination studies -
1/ 10Development of form and structure -
2/ 10Development of form and structure -
3/ 10Development of form and structure -
4/ 10Development of form and structure -
5/ 10Development of form and structure -
6/ 10Development of form and structure -
7/ 10Development of form and structure -
8/ 10Development of form and structure -
9/ 10Development of form and structure -
10/ 10Development of form and structure -
1/ 2Landscape lighting studies -
2/ 2Landscape lighting studies -
1/ 3Scenes from a site visit -
2/ 3Scenes from a site visit -
3/ 3Scenes from a site visit -
1/ 3Clamp lamp and flexible PVC -
2/ 3Clamp lamp and flexible PVC -
3/ 3Clamp lamp and flexible PVC -
Custom sewn 8'×12' graphic appliqué flag flying over 401 Franklin (flag by Kronberg's) -
Pre-flight visibility tests (pictured from a distance of ~300ft.) -
1:1 mockup of sign type 406 -
1:1 mockup of sign type 405 -
1/ 5Fabricating scale mockup of sign type 405 in Philip's wood shop -
2/ 5Fabricating scale mockup of sign type 405 in Philip's wood shop -
3/ 5Fabricating scale mockup of sign type 405 in Philip's wood shop -
4/ 5Fabricating scale mockup of sign type 405 in Philip's wood shop -
5/ 5Fabricating scale mockup of sign type 405 in Philip's wood shop -
1/ 3Scale visualization test -
2/ 3Scale visualization test -
3/ 3Scale visualization test -
Scale visualization test -
Initial planning and charrette at the office of MTWTF, New York -
1/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
2/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
3/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
4/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
5/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
6/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
7/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
8/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
9/ 9Site tour and project workshop with OMA, Powers Brown, Hoerr Schaudt, MTWTF -
1/ 2The historic Barbara Jordan Post Office building in 1962, Barbara Jordan -
2/ 2The historic Barbara Jordan Post Office building in 1962, Barbara Jordan