Project Profile

Houston Endowment Headquarters / Houston, Texas

“From the beginning, we knew we were in great hands with Bellows. Bellows served as a trusted and valued partner for our entire team as we worked through the different design options and pricing scenarios. Their ability to listen and understand our needs combined with their demonstrated excellence gave everyone confidence that this building will achieve our initial vision while coming in on time and on budget.”

The Houston Endowment’s mission is to enhance vibrancy and advance the equity of opportunity for all. This organization’s sole purpose it to give back to the Houston community and make it a better place. Created in 1937 by businessman Jesse H. Jones and his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones, Houston Endowment has grown to a fund of $2.57 billion. Each year, the endowment disburses about $100 million to dozens of Houston area organizations, focusing on public education, civic engagement, arts, parks and social services, as well as in response to emergencies such as Hurricane Harvey. Their new beautifully-designed and expertly built headquarters perched above Spotts Park off of Waugh Drive is yet another gift from the Endowment to the people of Houston. Their bold move to establish a centrally located, accessible Headquarters which will provide healthy workspaces, meeting spaces, and innovative facilities for use by Houston’s diverse community will directly impact the lives of countless Houstonians.

The 40,000-SF building relocates the Endowment’s private office space from the JPMorgan Chase Tower downtown, a space that was not representative of their organization’s identity. Kevin Daly Architecture and Mexico-based Productora envisioned the building’s airy, elegant superstructure with TLS Landscape Architecture and Transsolar, a German engineering company specializing in energy-efficient architecture. “The design communicates transparency and clarity,” says Ann Stern, President and CEO of Houston Endowment.

The Houston Endowment headquarters is an almost netzero building with its shaded canopy. Eighty percent of the building is covered in solar panels which allows more natural light to enter the patio while powering the building with natural energy. The building also features a unique geothermal HVAC system. Interior fans placed throughout the building lower the need for air conditioning.

The structural frame uses a combination of steel framing and cross-laminated timber (CLT), all of which are exposed inside to weave the theme of transparency throughout the building. The CLT panels were installed with precision and serve as a grounding yet beautiful ceiling treatment.

Purposefully designed to be inviting, the building is bright and light. Its sculptured exterior of curved aluminum panels is combined with a unique trellised canopy made of rows of 3D ovals of perforated metal, angled to filter harsh sunlight while still allowing soft breezes to sift through. The white exterior and canopy both reduce the latent heat of the building’s exterior, limiting the need for air conditioning.