My life is rather good, but it’s negligible compared to what that man has done for the art of architecture.” It’s not every day that a Pritzker Laureate heaps praise on a commercial real estate developer. But that’s just want happened during a 1998 lecture by the late postmodern design pioneer Philip Johnson.
Reminiscing about his collaborations with Gerald D. Hines, Johnson gushed over the Houston developer, calling Hines his “mentor and Medici,” adding, “Everything I’ve done, and everything I’ve been, I owe to Gerry Hines.”
Over a span of nearly 30 years, Hines and Johnson teamed to create more than a dozen groundbreaking commercial developments. The unlikely duo—Hines a Gary, Ind.-born math whiz who carried a slide rule in his suit jacket pocket all of his professional life; Johnson, a Harvard-educated, East Coast design elite best known for his Glass House and work with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe—threw the developer-architect rulebook out the window in creating some of Hines’ most daring—and successful—developments.
Most notable is Houston’s Pennzoil Place, with its twin, 36-story trapezoidal towers. Some credit the acclaimed project, completed in 1975, with sparking a reconnection between architecture and commercial real estate development in the U.S. “After Pennzoil, everyone wanted something other than a box, it seemed,” wrote architecture critic Paul Goldberger in 2012.
The Hines-Johnson alliance is one of countless stories chronicled by author Mark Seal in a new 464-page book about the developer’s career and life, “Raising the Bar: The Life and Work of Gerald D. Hines.”
The book offers a glimpse into the man who, fresh out of Purdue University in 1948 with a degree in mechanical engineering, road tripped to Houston with little money and no place to live. In less than a decade, Hines was developing warehouses and small office buildings throughout the city. By the late 1960s, he was working on what would become some of the city’s most iconic buildings: One Shell Plaza, The Galleria, and later Pennzoil Place and Williams Tower.
Through his stories and projects, Hines, who turns 91 this year, offers a wealth of lessons in real estate development. A few that stuck out:
Know how to spot an opportunity. Hines was one of the first developers to gamble on the idea of high-rise living in Houston when he planned the 16-story Willowick apartment complex in 1963. While others questioned his move, Hines had a trick up his sleeve. He spotted a niche market that wasn’t being served: housing for widows, who preferred the security and efficiency of high-rise living over single-family homes.
Take pride in ownership. While other developers profit from flipping their properties, Hines favors the build-and-hold strategy. “I didn’t think anybody built them better than I did,” he said. “I believed they’d be worth more in the future.”
Harness the power of great architecture. From Bruce Graham to Gyo Obata to Johnson, Hines invested in quality design because he realized the market was willing to pay for something that is truly unique. Great architecture makes good business sense.
For anyone who is fascinated by the world of commercial real estate development, “Raising the Bar” is a must-read. Let’s just hope that Hines’ lifelong passion for creating great buildings inspires a new breed of holistic, design-minded developers.
Related Stories
| Oct 9, 2014
Beyond the bench: Meet the modern laboratory facility
Like office workers escaping from the perceived confines of cubicles, today’s scientists have been freed from the trappings of the typical lab bench, writes Perkins+Will's Bill Harris.
| Oct 8, 2014
New tools for community feedback and action
Too often, members of a community are put into a reactive position, asked for their input only when a major project is proposed. But examples of proactive civic engagement are beginning to emerge, write James Miner and Jessie Bauters.
| Oct 8, 2014
Massive ‘healthcare village’ in Nevada touted as world’s largest healthcare project
The $1.2 billion Union Village project is expected to create 12,000 permanent jobs when completed by 2024.
| Oct 8, 2014
First look: Woods Bagot unveils plans for new Christchurch Convention Center
The locally-inspired building is meant to serve as a symbol of the city's recovery from the earthquake of 2011.
| Oct 8, 2014
Denver transit project wins design-build Project of the Year honor
The Denver Union Station Transit Improvement Project is among 25 projects honored by the Design Build Institute of America for excellence in design-build project delivery.
| Oct 7, 2014
Analysis: Student loans will cost housing industry $83 billion in 2014
More than 410,000 single- and multifamily home sales will be lost in 2014 due to student loan debt, according to analysis by John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
Sponsored | | Oct 7, 2014
Boost efficiency with advanced framing
As architects continue to search for ways to improve building efficiencies, more and more are turning to advanced framing methods, particularly for multifamily and light commercial projects.
| Oct 7, 2014
Economic gains are rallying rents in Raleigh, N.C.
The greater Raleigh, N.C., market appears to be getting back on its feet again, which is good news for rental property owners.
| Oct 7, 2014
Structured, not stirred: The architecture of cocktails [infographic]
In this downloadable graphic, technologist Shaan Hurley dissects 37 cocktails and analyzes their architectural makeup.
| Oct 6, 2014
Moshe Safdie: Skyscrapers lead to erosion of urban connectivity
The 76-year-old architect sees skyscrapers and the privatization of public space to be the most problematic parts of modern city design.
