Gensler-designed mid-rise will be Houston’s first mass timber commercial office building

A Houston project plans to achieve two firsts: the city’s first mass timber commercial office project, and the state of Texas’s first commercial office building targeting net zero energy operational carbon upon completion next year. Framework @ Block 10 is owned and managed by Hicks Ventures, a Houston-based development company.

Located in Houston’s Memorial City district, the six-floor, 200,000-sf office building will be built with sustainably sourced heavy timber. Because of mass timber’s carbon-storage capability, the building will save more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions, and it will achieve 100% reduction in outdoor potable municipal water consumption and more than 50% reduction in indoor potable municipal water consumption, Hicks Ventures says. 

Designed by Gensler, with mass timber design and engineering by StructureCraft, Framework @ Block 10 will comprise dowel laminated timber (DLT) floor and roof panels supported by glulam post and beam framing designed to showcase the wood’s beauty and efficiency. A rainwater harvesting cistern, full roof solar panels, LED lighting, and a sensory system will help reduce wasteful energy use. The building design targets LEED Platinum certification, WiredScore Platinum, and WELL Platinum building standards.

Design and smart building features include an accessible dashboard showing up-to-date information on the building’s energy consumption, indoor air quality and ventilation sensors, an underfloor air distribution system, complete tenant control of environment-based responsiveness to available metrics, 10-foot ultra-high-efficiency vision glass panels, ceiling heights of 11.5 feet, and shared, spacious balconies on each floor. In addition, 5,000 sf of ground-level space will be available for a future restaurant partner.

Framework @ Block 10’s groundbreaking is slated for later this year, with completion scheduled for late 2024.

On the Building Team:
Developer: Hicks Ventures
Design architect and sustainability team: Gensler
Mass timber design and engineering: StructureCraft
MEP engineer: CMTA
General contractor: HOAR Construction