flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Lessons from a living legend: The architect's developer, Gerald Hines

Building Owners

Lessons from a living legend: The architect's developer, Gerald Hines

Over a span of nearly 30 years, Gerald D. Hines and Philip Johnson teamed to create more than a dozen groundbreaking commercial developments.


By David Barista, Editorial Director  | October 14, 2016

For the cover of “Raising the Bar: The Life and Work of Gerald D. Hines,” the real estate pioneer posed with his signature development, Houston’s Pennzoil Place, as the backdrop. 

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

| Aug 7, 2012

How to win more state and local government projects

With a huge building stock at their disposal, state and local governments can be attractive clients, especially in these difficult economic times.

| Aug 7, 2012

Pankow names Lum new CEO

Lum joined Pankow in 1980 in Hawaii and has held leadership roles in Pankow’s Honolulu and Northern California regional offices and was appointed president of the firm in 2009.

| Aug 7, 2012

Essex Builders to build church in Somerville, Mass.

The project’s design documents were prepared by Boston Bay Architects and reflect the church’s mission to serve the broader community as well as worship.

| Aug 6, 2012

Johnson Controls GWS appoints Genemaras as COO

Genemaras brings a wealth of experience in international business operations.

| Aug 3, 2012

Goettsch Partners opens new Abu Dhabi office

The GP Abu Dhabi office is managed by Steven M. Nilles, FAIA, LEED AP, a partner in the firm and resident of Abu Dhabi.

| Aug 3, 2012

Nonres construction spending to increase through 2012, growth projected for 2013

Commercial and industrial projects poised to lead building sectors.

| Aug 3, 2012

IBI Group Inc. acquires Taylor Young Limited

Taylor Young is a full services architectural practice including professional skills in urban planning and design and landscape architecture, based in Manchester, U.K.

| Jul 31, 2012

Cohen rejoins Deloitte’s capital projects practice

Cohen has more than 20 years of dispute resolution, project advisory, and risk management experience spanning a wide range of domestic and international engineering and construction projects.

| Jul 25, 2012

Contract awarded for Gaillard Municipal Auditorium renovations in Charleston, S.C.

Seeking LEED Silver certification, the project will begin in August and is slated for completion in December 2014.

| Jul 25, 2012

KBE Building renovates UConn dining hall

Construction for McMahon Dining Hall will be completed in September 2012.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Construction Costs

Data center construction costs for 2024

Gordian’s data features more than 100 building models, including computer data centers. These localized models allow architects, engineers, and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for one-story computer data centers. 


Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.



Healthcare Facilities

Watch on-demand: Key Trends in the Healthcare Facilities Market for 2024-2025

Join the Building Design+Construction editorial team for this on-demand webinar on key trends, innovations, and opportunities in the $65 billion U.S. healthcare buildings market. A panel of healthcare design and construction experts present their latest projects, trends, innovations, opportunities, and data/research on key healthcare facilities sub-sectors. A 2024-2025 U.S. healthcare facilities market outlook is also presented.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021

Â