Midland Skyline Gains Iconic Form Offering Affordable Function
Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) July 16, 2013 -- Internationally acclaimed architectural designer Michael Edmonds shared with Dallas energy and real estate leaders his signature vision for how vertically integrated spaces can combine form and function, while maximizing efficiency in terms of construction costs, energy consumption and land use.
He used the proposed ENERGY TOWER at City Center in Midland as the cornerstone of his presentation.
The founder of Edmonds International, having delivered more than 60 million square feet of signature architecture and interiors across North America, Latin America and Asia, provided an inside look and virtual tour of his iconic designs for ENERGY TOWER at City Center which will transform the Midland skyline with scheduled completion for the sixth-tallest building in the state planned for 2015.
A LEED-certified, 58-story vertically integrated, multi-use facility combining retail, shopping and dining with a hotel, residential condos and commercial office space, ENERGY TOWER at City Center will help meet growing business needs in the booming, oil-rich Permian Basin area, while providing a central cultural and shopping destination for residents with inviting vertical gardens, reflecting pools, a public plaza and underground parking.
“To offer the most efficient use of space, we're going vertical―combining form, function and efficiency,” noted Edmonds. “ENERGY TOWER’s vertical design will preserve 80 percent of the building site for public spaces, reviving and rejuvenating downtown Midland, offering a grass-top amphitheater, large plazas for community events, art and music festivals and perhaps even a farmer’s market.”
In addition to adding strength, the building’s diagonal bracing pays homage to the city’s landmark Petroleum Tower built nearly a century before.
“The highest density spaces, the hotel, will sit atop the retail shops conveniently located at street level and above the underground parking. Private residential floors are above the hotel, and the building is then topped with Class-A office space,” Edmonds explained. “The living space, which demands greater infrastructure support, is located at lower levels, allowing increased floor plate efficiency in the office space in the upper floors.”
The integrated approach reduces the overall cost of construction and development, introducing an affordable yet iconic building.
“Michael brings us a product that’s beautiful, functional and appropriate for our market,” explained Pat Duffy, president of the Houston office of Collier’s International, responsible for marketing ENERGY TOWER. “His approach creates memorable projects that are efficient and cost effective. It allows us to give our tenants great space at reasonable rates and still maintain a reasonable return on investment.”
ENERGY TOWER at City Center reflects Edmonds’ reputation for iconic, sustainable and efficient designs that meet clients’ business objectives within reasonable budgets while improving the lives of the people who use the spaces.
Edmond’s experience in major metropolitan areas where it’s expensive to build have shaped an approach that doesn’t involve trade-offs between elegance and affordability. Upon seeing the initial estimates for ENERGY TOWER, Edmonds explained, he knew he could achieve his vision for less. Today, current estimates for the project are more than 30 percent less than initially forecast.
Another example of Edmonds’ architectural vision is The Park Plaza complex in Mexico City, a mixed-use development featuring the award-winning The Westin Santa Fe as well as movie theaters, retail shops, top-tier restaurants and office buildings. The complex’s entertainment options give people who live and work in or near the complex the luxury of leaving their cars at home much of the time, something almost unheard of in one of the world’s largest and most sprawling cities. The development achieved LEED Gold certification for its functional environmental efficiency, thanks to 100 percent rainwater harvesting, thermal insulating facade, all-green roof, increased water efficiency and interior ventilation, among other measures. These and other amenities have also succeeded in attracting such leading companies as Dell to the site. Fittingly, The Park Plaza was recognized by prominent developer association ADI as the top design project of 2012.
The success of The Park Plaza prompted developer William Meyer, CEO of Energy Related Properties, to choose Edmonds over the dozens of architectural designers he was considering to build the 900,000-square-foot-plus mixed-use tower in Midland, Texas.
Edmonds’ work has been recognized as “Best Commercial Architecture 2011” by ADMI for The Westin Santa Fe and “Best Convention Center” by Latin Trade Magazine for Centro Banamex. In 2010, Edmonds was named a “Design Icon” by Architectural Digest Mexico and selected as one of the top 15 architectural designers in the world by Real Estate Market & Lifestyle.
Edmonds graduated with honors from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, with studies in architecture, industrial and environmental design.
For more information and a virtual tour, visit http://www.EnergyTower.co.
Kathryn Bonesteel, Crosswind Media & Public Relations, http://www.crosswindcommunications.com, (214) 901-6934, [email protected]
Share this article