Republic Square
Overview
Houston, TX
300,000 ft.² renovation
BRIEF
Design a contextual organization system and environmental graphics for a unique and enduring office park in Houston's Energy Corridor.
SERVICES
Research assessment, signage audit, vehicular wayfinding signage design, pedestrian wayfinding signage design, monumental signage installation design at campus entrances/exits
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SITE ANALYSIS
- Republic Square is a significant commercial campus in Houston’s energy corridor, situated next to Terry Hershey Park
- The building was originally built as the headquarters of Exxon Mobil Chemical, and re-opened as a multi-tenant office building in early 2019 after sitting dormant for four years
- The site retains many features of an intentionally private campus, with access control, limited entries, and significant setback from the road. This can make it feel unwelcoming and inscrutable to visitors
- Dual frontage along I-10 and Memorial Drive with two different street addresses causes confusion about which entrance is the 'front door'
- No public entrance on the Memorial Drive side of the building causes guests to frequently have to walk around the perimeter trying to find an operable door
- Room numbering needs to be systematized so that guests can comprehend the building's scale and navigate efficiently
Updates
Focal Points
Studying: Entry on Foot
Materiality + Place
Visual Character Study
Announcement of Work
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1/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
2/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
3/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
4/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
5/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
6/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
7/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
8/ 8A selection of proposed treatments that attempt to create new points of focus around an expansive, forested campus with structures over and underground -
Excerpt from "Louis Kahn: Silence and Light", a Michael Blackwood Production (1996) -
1/ 3Exploring form and material references from Houston's oil industry. Images via the Library of Congress. -
2/ 3Exploring form and material references from Houston's oil industry. Images via the Library of Congress. -
3/ 3Exploring form and material references from Houston's oil industry. Images via the Library of Congress. -
1/ 7Site details and atmosphere -
2/ 7Site details and atmosphere -
3/ 7Site details and atmosphere -
4/ 7Site details and atmosphere -
5/ 7Site details and atmosphere -
6/ 7Site details and atmosphere -
7/ 7Site details and atmosphere -
1/ 3FORMATION will design a campus-level wayfinding system and environmental graphics program for Republic Square, an adaptive reuse development of the former Exxon Chemical headquarters in Houston's Energy Corridor. -
2/ 3FORMATION will design a campus-level wayfinding system and environmental graphics program for Republic Square, an adaptive reuse development of the former Exxon Chemical headquarters in Houston's Energy Corridor. -
3/ 3FORMATION will design a campus-level wayfinding system and environmental graphics program for Republic Square, an adaptive reuse development of the former Exxon Chemical headquarters in Houston's Energy Corridor.