Established in 1937, Houston Endowment is a private foundation committed to a vibrant and inclusive region where all residents can thrive. The foundation partners across the community are advancing equity in public education and civic engagement and supporting the vitality of Greater Houston’s arts and culture sector. As the headquarters for a philanthropic foundation that supports diverse groups across Houston, the Houston Endowment moved their office from the business district to its new site to better embed the organization within the community and provide an accessible workplace for the foundation on the edge of Spotts Park. 

Following an international selection process, Arup was chosen to support the architectural collaboration of Kevin Daly Architects and Mexico City-based firm Productora. Arup provided structural engineering as well as fire and life safety consulting services to help realize the new headquarters. Situated near downtown Houston, the building is covered by a louvered canopy supporting an extensive photovoltaic array. The new headquarters’ amenities include a mix of enclosed and open office spaces, multi-use public event spaces, and flexible conference rooms. The building also features extensive landscaping and hardscape features as part of the greater masterplan to revitalize Spotts Park.

The new Houston Endowment Headquarters leverages the benefits of steel framing and mass timber with a cost-effective and flexible structural design. The facility’s expanded amenities will allow the foundation to continue its mission of advancing equity in public education and civic engagement and supporting the vitality of Greater Houston’s arts and culture sector.

A building with a grass lawn.

The new Houston Endowment Headquarters leverages the benefits of steel framing and mass timber with a cost-effective and flexible structural design © Iwan Baan

A few men in an office.

Houston Endowment's new headquarters’ amenities include a mix of enclosed and open office spaces, multi-use public event spaces, and flexible conference rooms © Iwan Baan

Maximizing design impact with steel and timber 

First envisioned as a cast concrete structure, Arup reconsidered the original schematic design for Houston Endowment Headquarters to address significant structural costs and a protracted construction schedule. In addition, problematic soil and site conditions, which included foundations from a previous building, did not provide the appropriate bearing for a heavy all-concrete structure. To address these obstacles, Arup supported the architect in evaluating numerous alternative systems. We ultimately recommended a hybrid steel and cross-laminated timber (CLT) approach. The result is an airy architectural design with 40,000 ft² of office space, making the new Houston Endowment Headquarters a welcoming space for community engagement and a vibrant hub for philanthropic work.

CLT, a mass timber product consisting of layers of lumber glued together in alternate directions, offers exceptional strength while also enabling a reduced carbon footprint as a renewable resource. On the other hand, steel framing provides both stability and flexibility for meeting the architectural goals of the project. The intricate latticed canopy maximizes daylight in the building while minimizing cooling requirements and energy consumption. Together, steel and mass timber achieve a highly efficient and visually appealing new headquarters.

Arup’s structural team was aligned with the project at every stage; they brought insight and creativity to the competition phase and were tireless and resourceful in the technical development of the project. The collaboration has been an essential part of the design since the entire structure is visible. 

Kevin Daly

Kevin Daly Architects

Using building materials to speed up construction and reduce carbon footprint

Though mass timber is often assumed to be more expensive, Arup’s proposed scheme cut the structural cost in half while still realizing the project’s ambitious sustainability goals. The hybrid materials reduced the construction schedule, with a quicker approach utilizing smaller mobile cranes to create a lighter building than would not have been possible with concrete construction. The unique hybrid steel-CLT approach is groundbreaking for the Houston construction market, as it is one of the first hybrid and steel buildings in the state.

Building on previous experience with mass timber construction and extensive knowledge of building codes, Arup’s contributions achieved considerable cost savings and carbon reductions for this project. As a result, there was an almost 50% reduction of carbon emissions and a 40% reduction in embodied carbon relative to the building’s original concrete design. These decreased carbon emissions supported the project’s goal of achieving the “Net Zero Challenge 2030.”

Arup has been actively contributing to the development of Texas since the 1980s. Most notably, Arup provided engineering and design services for Houston’s enduring Menil Collection Main Building years before the establishment of the local office. As the Houston office’s first ground-up construction project, the new Houston Endowment Headquarters is a significant contribution in Arup’s continuing development of the fourth-largest city in the United States. 

Partners & collaborators

Productora