AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 299

futuresooner · #**5961** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zx14

I have a theory on the drought and why its happening. The tall buildings being constructed are blocking the normal southeast wind flow. Moving the flow to a more southerly direction. Letting the high pressure of summer drift east into central texas and pushing the normal coastal plain wet pattern to Louisiana. We are doomed.

just kidding. However expect the hottest temps around 108 or so this weekend or late this week. This summer may not have the hottest temp as in 2000 but it will be remembered with the likes of 1954. Completion of the 55th floor will be delayed so the workers can finish and fill the swimming pool. They deserve a cool dip.

Thank goodness you're kidding, I was getting ready to throw my coffee at the monitor.

Dan Denson · #**5962** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by futuresooner

To respond to your OT question. This very well may be attributed to the drought. The ground is settling further w/o any real moisture left and is causing power poles to settle and lines snap in a few cases. A fire in Spicewood was caused by such an event. If you all do not get an appreciable amount of rainfall soon, the region may be in some serious shit to say the least. Just fyi, I'm a meteorologist, granted, in Florida. Thought I'd help out. I do find it funny that, what 2 or 3 years ago, the dam near Mineral Falls was almost topped, or something like that. Now, ya'll can't even buy a drop. The only solution appears to be a tropical system right now that stalls over the region.

Foundation damage is indeed starting to show up, and trees are starting to die around the area. People refuse to use a drop of water, though, and are going to pay for it big time. My neighbors across the street just lost their 45 year old American elm to the drought. They refused to do any deep watering and now they're complaining about losing the tree. Meteorologist here, too...it's amazing that you can go to the west, north, and northeast not far at all from Austin and encounter very green landscapes. East of here (e.g., Giddings, Brenham) things look different than I've seen them in decades. Not even a hint of green in areas that are normally wet and green much of the summer.

futuresooner · #**5963** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 4:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

Foundation damage is indeed starting to show up, and trees are starting to die around the area. People refuse to use a drop of water, though, and are going to pay for it big time. My neighbors across the street just lost their 45 year old American elm to the drought. They refused to do any deep watering and now they're complaining about losing the tree. Meteorologist here, too...it's amazing that you can go to the west, north, and northeast not far at all from Austin and encounter very green landscapes. East of here (e.g., Giddings, Brenham) things look different than I've seen them in decades. Not even a hint of green in areas that are normally wet and green much of the summer.

Likely due to watering restrictions. Lake Travis is also approaching the lowest levels since 1984, which was worse than this. While the water supply is probably not in danger, watering the lawn and landscaping takes a backseat to this. As said, if things don't change around soon, then things may start getting desperate.

This drought shows another thing, more urban development and using natural, native landscaping conserves more water than a typical surbuban lawn. I'm surprised the TV stations haven't put out a list of the biggest residential water users. The large, McMansions and estates, sprawling lawns, more water needy landscaping of West Austin and such is just about the biggest waste of water.

The drought is yet another reason to make more urban, environmentally concious development in the city, not West Austin or rural Travis or Williamson Counties.

M1EK · #**5964** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 2:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

Foundation damage is indeed starting to show up, and trees are starting to die around the area. People refuse to use a drop of water, though, and are going to pay for it big time. My neighbors across the street just lost their 45 year old American elm to the drought. They refused to do any deep watering and now they're complaining about losing the tree. Meteorologist here, too...it's amazing that you can go to the west, north, and northeast not far at all from Austin and encounter very green landscapes. East of here (e.g., Giddings, Brenham) things look different than I've seen them in decades. Not even a hint of green in areas that are normally wet and green much of the summer.

We just lost a big old cedar elm - I typically don't water the trees, but do remember some arborist saying that the big heatwave of 5 years ago would result in some big old trees dying about 5 years down the road, and here we are.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5965** Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 3:01 PM**

Luckily, my grass is green and tall, and our foundation is solid w/ a few cracks. We keep a good watering schedule.

Dan Denson · #**5966** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 2:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by futuresooner

Likely due to watering restrictions. Lake Travis is also approaching the lowest levels since 1984, which was worse than this. While the water supply is probably not in danger, watering the lawn and landscaping takes a backseat to this. As said, if things don't change around soon, then things may start getting desperate.

This drought shows another thing, more urban development and using natural, native landscaping conserves more water than a typical surbuban lawn. I'm surprised the TV stations haven't put out a list of the biggest residential water users. The large, McMansions and estates, sprawling lawns, more water needy landscaping of West Austin and such is just about the biggest waste of water.

The drought is yet another reason to make more urban, environmentally concious development in the city, not West Austin or rural Travis or Williamson Counties.

I think that in the long run, you're correct. As our landscapes wither away, they should not be replaced with the same thing, especially considering that the long term outlook for the central TX climate is for drier and hotter summers.

I like the idea of saving trees, though. The grass is not really important, but trees remove pollutants and reduce the urban temperature (lots of studies on that). In my neighborhood, houses with big, well maintained trees are valued at many thousands more than other houses. For me, that's important since I plan to sell and move to the Big H as soon as the market is back up in earnest. So I need to keep my property up really well (I would anyway). I'll miss Austin but need to be closer to my aging parents.

AustinDerm · #**5967** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 5:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

OK... which one of you was in the Apple Store in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday night (7/25)?

Seriously, I walked into the store after dinner with some friends. I decide to take a look at the macbooks, so I go up to a random one on display, place my fingers on the touchpad and what should appear before my eyes but skyscraperpage.com! Not only that, but it was on this very thread! Or at least, it was on some thread concerning Austin projects.

Unfortunately, the person had either logged out or was just browsing as a guest

We may never know....

WOW! THAT WAS ME! --- SERIOUSLY!!!

Long time lurker here but I decided to create an account just to respond to this post.

I just moved to Birmingham from Dallas. Will be here for a year (training at UAB) but will move to Austin in June 2010, so I have been following the Austin threads. I was at the Apple store to get my MacBook fixed.

Scottolini · #**5968** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 5:38 AM**

It's a small world.

Raining Inside · #**5969** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 9:32 AM**

It's a small world for skyscraper geeks anyway.

priller · #**5970** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 2:37 PM**

A few shots from E. Riverside, 2 days ago. Been out of town lately so I haven't had time for taking photos. But I went out here to meet a friend who works out near the old golf course and thought the view from this angle was pretty good. Too many wires and poles, of course, but still a good view.

futuresooner · #**5971** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 2:54 PM**

Now that I've talked about the drought. I'll say that I'm quite proud to see Austin finally fill out it's skyline and look like a city of over 700,000. Definetly one of the better tranformations as a result of the boom and still pent up demand for downtown living options.

However, the Longhorns thing, that's another issue. Unless anyone wants to discuss the see-thru pants.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5972** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 3:46 PM**

Thx for the pictures Priller. An angle that isn't heard of much on SSP.

Mopacs · #**5973** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 4:54 PM**

Fantastic photos Priller! I was in that same area on Friday, but it was a little late and lighting not ideal for photographing. I loved how Austonian stands there front and center. The skyline looks incredible from that vantage point. Morning lighting allows for great westward shots from Riverside.

Mopacs · #**5974** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 4:58 PM**

^^^ That shot also puts things in perspective, with the Austonian rising above One Congress Plaza...which at one time was just mere feet from being the tallest in the city. Austonian absolutely dwarfs it.

MichaelB · #**5975** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 5:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinDerm

WOW! THAT WAS ME! --- SERIOUSLY!!!

Long time lurker here but I decided to create an account just to respond to this post.

I just moved to Birmingham from Dallas. Will be here for a year (training at UAB) but will move to Austin in June 2010, so I have been following the Austin threads. I was at the Apple store to get my MacBook fixed.

That is so fun! See....you can't hide!!!!!! (the eyes of Texas, etc.!)

KevinFromTexas · #**5976** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 5:31 PM**

Great shots! I've also been noticing how much The Austonian rises above One Congress Plaza. This view and anyone looking at One Congress Plaza's narrow side really points it out. By the way, I had found a new height for One Congress Plaza from the architects (HKS) and they say the building is 397 feet tall. I double checked that with the Bing Maps, which has a GIS map feature. It lets you measure the height of a building. Anyway, it measured it as 397 feet as well. The funny thing is, One American Center measured as 397 feet also. So they're both the same height to the highest point on the roof (to the parapet). One Congress Plaza's roof height though, without the parapet, is 393 feet tall, while One American Center's roof height without its parapet, is 383 feet tall. So basically they're the same height to their highest points, but if you had the buildings side by side, and were to stand on each of their roofs, they'd be the same height. The only way to get higher on One Congress Plaza would be to stand (balance) on the parapet. And I wouldn't suggest it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinDerm

WOW! THAT WAS ME! --- SERIOUSLY!!!

That's great. Haha. Welcome to the forum!

Austin Rises · #**5977** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 5:41 PM**

Great Photos!!!

Just got back from vacation for 3 weeks; and I have to say, boy does it
look different. Cranes went down, more glass on buildings, and closer and closer topping out and finishing buildings! WOW!!!

Scottolini · #**5978** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

By the way, I had found a new height for One Congress Plaza from the architects (HKS) and they say the building is 397 feet tall. I double checked that with the Bing Maps, which has a GIS map feature. It lets you measure the height of a building. Anyway, it measured it as 397 feet as well. The funny thing is, One American Center measured as 397 feet also.

Interesting. I always thought One American Center used to be Austin's tallest at 395'.

On another note, by the end of the decade it will only be the eighth tallest in Austin.

KevinFromTexas · #**5979** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 7:55 PM**

Well technically since One American Center is 3 years older than One Congress Plaza, it still was the tallest, just not for as long as we'd thought. Instead of from 1984 to 2004, it was the tallest from 1984 to 1987. It's kind of bittersweet that it didn't hold the title for as long, because the cool thing is, that means we had 2 new tallest buildings built during the 1980s, instead of just one.

As for the different heights, I'm not totally sure why there were different ones listed. Sometimes a building can be proposed and then enlarged later and made taller. Although, this wasn't that much of a change, so I'm not sure that was the case. It's not like adding a floor would have only added 2 feet to the building. It is possible it was something much more minor like a roof detail that was changed that made it slightly higher. Or it could have been a mis-calculation. I've heard before that the heights we typically read and hear from the blueprints aren't always the true height. That might be what they're shooting for, but then the actual physical product may be slightly taller just because of some minor detail like I mentioned above or it may end up taller by accident. One other possibility, and more likely, is that the stated height of 395 feet might have been measured from one particular side of the building. If one side of a property is lower in elevation than the other, it will make the building seem taller on that side since it still has to go that far to meet the street. So one property that sits on a hill and isn't level, could end up being 10 feet higher on one side. For a building that would mean it would be 10 feet higher above the ground at the roof on that side. One example of this is the Norwood Tower on West 7th Street, where West 7th climbs a hill as it goes west.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5980** Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 8:39 PM**

So final question, is One Congress Plaza taller than One American Center?