AUSTIN | The Independent | 690 FEET | 58 FLOORS | Complete - Page 114

The ATX · #**2261** Posted **Jul 16, 2019, 11:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusTex

The truth is the public will never hear the real reason why the crown of the Independent looks the way it does.

The powers that be, built a spec building for profit and made money!

We are very lucky here in Austin that we have not been left with other such "Detention Center" topped buildings since nearly all our building are spec built and not built for a specific client. We do not have buildings that are built for any higher purpose than to make the developer and investors a big profit. Face the reality... Corporate Capitalism is to return a profit folks. So what if they give the buyers and the general public the big middle finger. Its profits; pure and simple.

Capitalism at work is how the skyscrapers get built in the first place. And it's not just for developers and investors. They are places of work and homes for people. The fact that architecture - like art - is open to criticism is another matter.

AusTex · #**2262** Posted **Jul 17, 2019, 1:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

Capitalism at work is how the skyscrapers get built in the first place. And it's not just for developers and investors. They are places of work and homes for people. The fact that architecture - like art - is open to criticism is another matter.

Very well stated.

We vs us · #**2263** Posted **Jul 17, 2019, 1:50 AM**

Aren’t all residential buildings essentially built on spec?

zrx299 · #**2264** Posted **Jul 17, 2019, 2:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

Aren’t all residential buildings essentially built on spec?

I was always under the impression that most condo and office towers required a certain number of pre-sales or pre-leases to get financing secured and banks to satisfy their risk models.

We vs us · #**2265** Posted **Jul 17, 2019, 3:17 AM**

I honestly don’t know — not my field of expertise. But I’m very interested in how the financing works in general. I always kind of assume that high enough demand upends a lot of normal business calculations (as it does in my industry) so am curious what that means for buildings. In this case, the idea that a builder has to cut corners by not putting in a few hundred yards of additional netting to make his finances work, seems off to me. If so, that indicates to me that the overall margins were actually razor thin. And I don’t think that’s the case, at least from what we’re hearing.

Anyhow, not sure what I’m arguing here... just trying to work through what it all means.

Geckos_Rule · #**2266** Posted **Jul 17, 2019, 8:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zrx299

I was always under the impression that most condo and office towers required a certain number of pre-sales or pre-leases to get financing secured and banks to satisfy their risk models.

Yes -- for a condo to be "warrantable," i.e. to be eligible for Fannie Mae, etc., it has to meet a few requirements, like amount of units that are owner-occupied, and ratio of residential to commercial spaces.

Sigaven · #**2267** Posted **Jul 18, 2019, 1:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zrx299

Value engineering at its finest.

Also Fairmont, and 3rd and Shoal.

78701 · #**2268** Posted **Jul 18, 2019, 5:04 PM**

Any building built for the sole purpose of generating profits will be "value engineered". Obviously.
Buildings that are not considered to be income sources by themselves, e.g., company-owned HQs, personal homes, places of worship, have a much better chance to be done beautifully.

The ATX · #**2269** Posted **Jul 18, 2019, 7:42 PM**

The Science channel show Impossible Engineering will be doing a show about the Independent. The filming dates on the permits are late July to mid-August.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...ertyrsn=128516

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=2041165

Sigaven · #**2270** Posted **Jul 18, 2019, 7:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

The Science channel show Impossible Engineering will be doing a show about the Independent. The filming dates on the permits are late July to mid-August.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...ertyrsn=128516

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=2041165

Interesting. Unless there's some behind the scenes stuff I don't know about, I really don't see anything unusually striking or innovative about the Independent's engineering.

The ATX · #**2271** Posted **Jul 18, 2019, 8:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Interesting. Unless there's some behind the scenes stuff I don't know about, I really don't see anything unusually striking or innovative about the Independent's engineering.

I agree. Most of the episodes are not about skyscrapers. But when they do skyscraper episodes it's about projects like Hudson Yards. It's probably the Austin connection.

78701 · #**2272** Posted **Jul 19, 2019, 12:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Interesting. Unless there's some behind the scenes stuff I don't know about, I really don't see anything unusually striking or innovative about the Independent's engineering.

I thought the tension rods supporting cantilevers were fascinating, but I admit I don't know how common they are.

AusTex · #**2273** Posted **Jul 20, 2019, 2:05 PM**

I was a passenger in a car on MoPac and noticed what appeared to be something different on the crown yesterday. Is there a white horizontal bar on the north and south top of the crown? Also the corner vertical posts looked white. It actually looked like a frame for the existing crown that tied into the tower itself. It looked better. Was I seeing things?

78701 · #**2274** Posted **Jul 20, 2019, 6:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusTex

I was a passenger in a car on MoPac and noticed what appeared to be something different on the crown yesterday. Is there a white horizontal bar on the north and south top of the crown? Also the corner vertical posts looked white. It actually looked like a frame for the existing crown that tied into the tower itself. It looked better. Was I seeing things?

This is why I actually like this crown except for the incomplete top. It looks different from various directions, different times of day, light, etc. If only they extended the mesh to the top as per renderings...

AusTex · #**2275** Posted **Jul 20, 2019, 11:23 PM**

It was the lighting at that time of day. I saw the same lines tonight. Perhaps this is something the powers that be might think about. A white frame around the crown might be an inexpensive solution to the unfinished look of the top. Just a thought.

The ATX · #**2276** Posted **Jul 21, 2019, 3:43 AM**

That Science channel show starts filming in about a week, so maybe they will do something with the crown this week.

deerhoof · #**2277** Posted **Aug 3, 2019, 3:59 AM**

I was told there would be a quarter million spent on extensive amount of crown lighting that could change colors and would be installed later this year.

The ATX · #**2278** Posted **Aug 3, 2019, 4:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by deerhoof

I was told there would be a quarter million spent on extensive amount of crown lighting that could change colors and would be installed later this year.

That would be awesome. I wonder if the monthly HOA fee would go up significantly to maintain a crown that SSP posters approve of?

AusTex · #**2279** Posted **Aug 3, 2019, 11:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by deerhoof

I was told there would be a quarter million spent on extensive amount of crown lighting that could change colors and would be installed later this year.

Night lighting should come after fixing the crown! One can not see the mess up top at night. Its the daytime, when we all see it, that needs the money fix.

427MM · #**2280** Posted **Aug 3, 2019, 2:04 PM**

I live here and love it as is. #donttouchourcrown*

*Unless you're showing up with $3-5M in hand--then we'll play "opinionated critic" with you