5 things to know about the $225M skyscraper rising near downtown Houston’s Discovery Green

The tower, with 7,000 square feet of retail space, is the first phase in Discovery West, a mixed-use development spanning three blocks. Skanska hasn’t revealed plans for what’s to come but previously said Discovery West could incorporate residential and retail space.

Skanska has embraced mixed-use concepts elsewhere in Houston, such as at Bank of America tower, where it built a large upscale food hall concept called Understory. It’s also expected to build a mixed-use project at Westheimer and Montrose, where it demolished a shopping center with a Spec’s and Half Price Books.

2. Skanska wants a special energy-efficiency label 

Skankska is seeking a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Platinum certification for 1550 on the Green, the highest level a building can receive in the U.S. Green Building Council’s sustainable building program. The office tower is designed to pull in about 30 percent more fresh air than a standard office building, according to Skanska. The city granted the developer about $1 million in tax breaks over 10 years for its sustainable design.

Skanska also aims to reduce the construction-related carbon emissions tied to the project by 60 percent. Construction-related carbon emissions is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions globally. 

3. It will have to compete in a tough office market

The office market in Houston still hasn’t fully recovered from the pandemic and has a chronic oversupply of office. But developers keep building new construction because tenants are more willing to lease newer, nicer spaces. Mixed-use projects within walking distance to parks, restaurants and other amenities appear to be scoring tenants, too.

International law firm Norton Rose Fullbright signed a 15-year lease for about a third of the tower, which will eventually be renamed for the firm. However, Skanska hasn’t yet announced any additional office tenants, so it’s difficult to know how long it will take for the tower to lease up in a weak office market.  The return-to-office movement post pandemic could also foment further leasing activity, too, some real estate experts argue. Houston has been one of the top metros for highest return-to-office rates in the country, though office occupancies haven’t broken far past the 60 percent in Houston, according to Kastle Systems.

4. The tower has a distinctive architectural design

The shape of the parcel where 1550 on the Green is rising warranted a curved design to the building that will make it one of the more architecturally unique structures downtown. The curved design also would give tenants on lower levels of the building views of the Discovery Green tree canopy below.

This represents the first Houston project for New York City and Copenhagen-based architecture firm B.I.G., Bjarke Ingels Group, known for its projects such as a pyramid-shaped residential building in New York, VIA 57 West. B.I.G. also was involved in designing Google’s Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, with its series of scale-like panels forming dome-shaped structures for the roof of the campus, which is expected to be carbon neutral by 2030.

The fitness center and other tenant amenity spaces will be designed by the Texas-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, the same architects behind other new office and mixed-use projects in Houston such as Montrose Collective, M-K-T in The Heights and Zadok’s Post Oak Place in the Galleria.

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5. Discovery Green spurred development nearby

It’s nearly been 15 years since the 12-acre Discovery Green park opened to the public in April 2008. Today the park hosts hundreds of events every year, garnering millions of visitors to enjoy the park’s manmade lake, event lawn, two restaurants, kids play areas and a multiuse ampitheater. Discovery Green, couple with the nearby George R. Brown Convention Center, has helped to revive this section of downtown and attracted additional real estate development from other projects such as the Marriott Marquis hotel in 2016, High Street Residential’s Parkside Residences in 2022 and now Skanska’s 1550 on the Green.