Both questions are answered in the Towers article :)
https://austin.towers.net/[email protected]

"The building is expected to break ground by summer 2023."

"Sharp readers may note that the structure’s impressively thin profile is partially due to the setbacks imposed by the Downtown Parks Overlay due to the presence of Brush Square directly south of the project site — we weren’t sure how the redevelopment of Avenue Lofts would respond to this little-known regulation, but the building’s sharp look is a pleasant side effect."

Funny how the overlay is going to result in the ugliest part of a beautiful building facing the park.

True, though I believe at least a few buildings in Houston have been converted to residential over the last several years. At least in theory, it would seem to be easier to convert an office building to residential than it would to do the opposite (if it were somehow ever needed).

That’s very true. Office building floors are taller to accommodate for piping, wiring, ductwork, etc. and have a drop ceiling where as residential usually just has the slab for the next floor as the ceiling. :)

The problem is the plumbing and layout aren't what you'd want/need for residential.

Office you can have a large floorplate, with lots of space far away from any windows. I believe bedrooms absolutely require exterior perimeter/windows, while it's greatly desired for other rooms.

Office plumbing is mostly congregated, instead of individual bathrooms per unit. That would work for single room occupancy/common bathrooms, but that's mostly precluded by zoning currently.

It can be done, but it's usually cheaper to just tear the building down and build a new residential building with different floorplates (barring any historical limitation).

Good point. I believe fire code requires a window in any bedroom.

Originally Posted by H2O View Post
Holy windowless bedrooms Batman! That is criminally insane.


What's the matter with you? Can't you see it's multi-family?
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You put your least favorite children in the room without windows.

I wish that were true. It is for combustible construction like houses. For non-combustible, sprinklered buildings like high-rises, the requirement is two means of egress for each dwelling unit, within a maximum distance to egress. Having an operable window in each bedroom of a high-rise for escape purposes would not be a life-saving measure!

Sadly, there are multiple buildings under construction and already occupied in West Campus with windowless bedrooms. It should not be allowed for health and safety reasons unrelated to fire safety. There is a movement among local architects to get the City to make it illegal to build a bedroom without a window, but currently it is perfectly legal.

Going further than H20, for combustible building, depending on the jurisdiction, it is either a window or any source of natural light (for instance: things like interior bedrooms with pony walls to grab light from the living room’s window).

There was a ton of discourse on twitter about this exact thing a few weeks ago. At the end of the day, I don't care if windowless units are built as long as housing continues to get built. There are a lot of units with "windowless" bedrooms out there that have an interior window or a false wall that will let in light from the living area.

I mean, high enough up a window isn't going to do much of anything for you in a fire.

If this tower kicks off next summer as the article states I will have to upgrade my supertall viewing capacity. Currently 1 tower has my memory near maxed but 2 would be an OVERLOAD!!!

[QUOTE=dilliam;9792168]There was a ton of discourse on twitter about this exact thing a few weeks ago. At the end of the day, I don't care if windowless units are built as long as housing continues to get built. There are a lot of units with "windowless" bedrooms out there that have an interior window or a false wall that will let in light from the living area.[/QUOTE/]

Build away, friend, you only need provide 70 sf per bedroom and you don't need money-wasters like interior windows or false walls.

My buddy (who also posts here) had a windowless bedroom in west campus back in the day. It wasn't that big of a deal to be honest? In my bedroom the blackout curtains are normally closed anyway. A living room without a window would be a bigger deal.

Ugh! Why does that slide keep moving? I want it to stay still! lol

Wilson Who?
 

Just who is Wilson???

Woodrow:
https://i.postimg.cc/rpr1VHYL/300px-...ber-2-1912.jpg

Mister Wilson from Tool Time:
https://i.postimg.cc/SsGzjb6H/tool-time-wilson.jpg

How about Playboy Playmate Reagan Wilson:
https://i.postimg.cc/BZMK0sQK/Reagan-Wilson.jpg

Maybe its Poor Ole Mr. Wilson from the Dennis the Menace cartoon:
https://i.postimg.cc/qM6M5dt0/dennis...-mr-wilson.jpg

I hope it's Playboy Playmate Reagan Wilson

It's Wilson, from Cast Away.

Interesting. I must have been thinking about houses regarding egress windows and assumed it applied to multi family also.