Houston-based Midway, a real estate investment, development, and management firm, plans to redevelop the former ConocoPhillips corporate headquarters site into a mixed-use destination called Watermark District at Woodcreek.
In the late 1970s, architect Kevin Roche originally designed the Conoco site so that it resembled a Japanese fishing village, with bridges over ponds and grassy areas connecting the 16 three-story office pavilions.
To preserve this history and minimize carbon impact, Midway plans to repurpose some of the 70-acre site’s existing infrastructure while creating new office, multifamily, retail, restaurant, and hotel opportunities, all surrounded by waterfront views and outdoor walkways.
“Watermark is … an urbanization of the suburban experience in one of the fastest-growing regions in Houston,” said Brad Freels, Midway Chairman and CEO.
Midway says it will repurpose portions of the existing 1.3 million square feet of office space while preserving the low-rise, low-density work environment. Once completed, Watermark’s 650,000 square feet of office space will offer flexible floorplans, abundant natural light, and direct access to surrounding amenities.
To support a vibrant neighborhood after working hours, Midway plans to repurpose existing buildings as luxury multifamily apartments and a boutique hotel, and the development will include various restaurants, cafes, and bars. Midway also intends to modernize the existing 100,000-sf fitness facility.
In addition, Midway has partnered with cleantech social impact company 374Water to provide a fully integrated sustainable wastewater management system at Watermark. The system will transform wastewater and food wastes generated onsite into valuable resources, such as clean water, energy, and minerals, that will be reused within the district. The project also will preserve more than 500 trees.
On the Building Team:
Owner and developer: Midway
MEP engineer: I.A. Naman
Structural engineer: VSM Structural Engineers
Landscape architect: OJB
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 15, 2024
San Francisco voters approve tax break for office-to-residential conversions
San Francisco voters recently approved a ballot measure to offer tax breaks to developers who convert commercial buildings to residential use. The tax break applies to conversions of up to 5 million sf of commercial space through 2030.
Sustainability | Mar 13, 2024
Trends to watch shaping the future of ESG
Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability Services Leaders Anthony Brower, Juliette Morgan, and Kirsten Ritchie discuss trends shaping the future of environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 7, 2024
3 key considerations when converting a warehouse to a laboratory
Does your warehouse facility fit the profile for a successful laboratory conversion that can demand higher rents and lower vacancy rates? Here are three important considerations to factor before proceeding.
Urban Planning | Feb 5, 2024
Lessons learned from 70 years of building cities
As Sasaki looks back on 70 years of practice, we’re also looking to the future of cities. While we can’t predict what will be, we do know the needs of cities are as diverse as their scale, climate, economy, governance, and culture.
Adaptive Reuse | Feb 4, 2024
Corporate modernist buildings increasingly popular fodder for adaptive reuse projects
Beginning in the 1970s adaptive reuse projects transformed 19th and early 20th Century buildings into distinctive retail destinations. Increasingly, developers of adaptive reuse projects are targeting outmoded corporate buildings of the 1950s to 1980s.
Luxury Residential | Jan 30, 2024
Lumen Fox Valley mall-to-apartments conversion completes interiors
Architecture and interior design firm Morgante Wilson Architects (MWA) today released photos of its completed interiors work at Lumen Fox Valley, a 304-unit luxury rental community and mall-to-apartments conversion.
Senior Living Design | Jan 24, 2024
Former Walgreens becomes affordable senior living community
Evergreen Real Estate Group has announced the completion of Bellwood Senior Apartments. The 80-unit senior living community at 542 25th Ave. in Bellwood, Ill., provides independent living options for low-income seniors.
Adaptive Reuse | Jan 23, 2024
Adaptive reuse report shows 55K impact of office-to-residential conversions
The latest RentCafe annual Adaptive Reuse report shows that there are 55,300 office-to-residential units in the pipeline as of 2024—four times as much compared to 2021.
Adaptive Reuse | Jan 18, 2024
Coca-Cola packaging warehouse transformed into mixed-use complex
The 250,000-sf structure is located along a now defunct railroad line that forms the footprint for the city’s multi-phase Beltline pedestrian/bike path that will eventually loop around the city.
Adaptive Reuse | Jan 12, 2024
Office-to-residential conversions put pressure on curbside management and parking
With many office and commercial buildings being converted to residential use, two important issues—curbside management and parking—are sometimes not given their due attention. Cities need to assess how vehicle storage, bike and bus lanes, and drop-off zones in front of buildings may need to change because of office-to-residential conversions.
