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
| Jul 8, 2014
Does Zaha Hadid’s Tokyo Olympic Stadium have a design flaw?
After being criticized for the cost and size of her stadium design for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, a Japanese architect points out a major design flaw in the stadium that may endanger the spectators.
| Jul 8, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's posthumous gas station opens in Buffalo
Eighty-seven years after Frank Lloyd Wright designed an ornamental gas station for the city of Buffalo, the structure has been built and opened to the public—inside an auto museum.
| Jul 8, 2014
Lost in the Museum: Bjarke Ingels' maze will make you look up and around
The maze, located in the National Building Museum, is a precursor to an exhibit showcasing some of BIG's projects. To navigate the maze, people must look up.
| Jul 7, 2014
5 factors that can affect thermal stress break risk of insulated glass units
The glass type, glass coating, shading patterns, vents, and framing system can impact an IGU’s risk for a thermal break.
| Jul 7, 2014
Team unity pays off for a new hospital in Maine [2014 Building Team Awards]
Extensive use of local contractors, vendors, and laborers brings a Maine hospital project in months ahead of schedule.
| Jul 7, 2014
7 emerging design trends in brick buildings
From wild architectural shapes to unique color blends and pattern arrangements, these projects demonstrate the design possibilities of brick.
| Jul 7, 2014
A climate-controlled city is Dubai's newest colossal project
To add to Dubai's already impressive portfolio of world's tallest tower and world's largest natural flower garden, Dubai Holding has plans to build the world's largest climate-controlled city.
Sponsored | | Jul 7, 2014
Channel glass illuminates science at the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco’s new John Lo Schiavo Center for Science and Innovation brings science to the forefront of academic life. Its glossy, three-story exterior invites students into the facility, and then flows sleekly down into the hillside where below-grade laboratories and classrooms make efficient use of space on the landlocked campus.
| Jul 7, 2014
How to keep an employee from jumping ship
The secret to keeping your best employees productive and happy isn’t throwing money at them, as studies have continuously shown that money isn’t the top factor in employee happiness. Here are four strategies from leadership coach Kristi Hedges. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Jul 3, 2014
Gehry edits Canadian skyscraper plan to be 'more Toronto'
After being criticized for the original tower complex, architect Frank Gehry unveils a new design that is more subtle, and "more Toronto."