Encouraging employees to return to the office goes beyond furniture
Exploring the intentional design of Texas Tower in Houston
What’s the Point?
Texas Tower, Hines’ new global headquarters in downtown Houston, was designed with a focus on employee wellness and connectivity. The intentional design of Texas Tower promotes collaboration and connectivity, both within the building and its surrounding community.
Texas Tower is a skyscraper case study in how to walk the talk in bringing employees back to the office. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, Hines developed the building in partnership with Ivanhoé Cambridge.
The building was designed with technology at its core, offering a sophisticated underfloor HVAC system that enables employees to control the air flow in their spaces. The window shades also adjusted based on temperature and sunlight, thanks to sensor technology. Conference rooms have been transformed into warm spaces with integrated video and conferencing technology to make meetings simpler and more engaging. Texas Tower offers an automated dry-cleaning system and motorized sit-stand desks. Hines apps also assist with space booking and community activations, employee recognition and awards.
The intentional design of Texas Tower promotes connectivity and collaboration, both within the building and its surroundings. The tower is placed diagonally on the site, resulting in unique and more interesting view angles. It is situated at the confluence of downtown Houston’s central business district, Theatre District, and Historic District, providing easy access to restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues.
The innovative amenities focus on employee wellness and well-being, and include a state-of-the-art fitness center, a public garden, and access to fresh air and green space throughout the building.
The building operates as a living lab for Hines occupier services and facilities management business. The goal is to offer hospitality-focused experiences to our own employees and test programs and services that help refine offerings and support clients and tenants. Programs include hosting a Family Day, a Coffee Chat series, and pop-up events like surprise dessert bars, gift-wrapping stations, and ping-pong tournaments to promote fun-focused amenities. The Hines property management team is also considering ways to use Texas Tower and other headquarters spaces to host region- or firm-wide, in-person events and programs that foster team connection, collaboration, and culture.
Texas Tower also offers a flexible office amenity. The Square at Texas Tower is self-managed and a direct extension of Hines’ hallmark property management services. Comprised of 18,000 square feet on the mezzanine level overlooking the activated lobby, The Square at Texas Tower offers a comprehensive range of flexible space solutions to its tenant customers and provide an elevated level of service and amenitization akin to a hospitality environment. Connected to the city and tailored to members’ specific needs, The Square at Texas Tower is programmed to optimize performance and maximize satisfaction.
A beautiful addition to the Houston skyline, Texas Tower also shines as a destination built to the highest standards, including LEED® Platinum, WiredScore, and WELL Building Standards. Come see Texas Tower for yourself as Hines continues to transform the office experience and refining programs and services to support its clients and tenants.