Alliance Breaks Ground on Houston Urban Infill Rental Community

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorHouston– Alliance Communities has broken ground on Broad¬stone Voss, an urban infill multifamily development located in the Galleria corridor area near the Uptown District in Houston. Designed by Meeks + Partners, this four-story community features 307 rental apartments. It is expected to be ready by the summer of 2009.Broadstone Voss is a redevelopment of apartments built in the early ’70s on a 4.89-acre site. The community serves as a transitional piece of the urban fabric shifting from an adjacent commercial retail center on the south side to less denser single-family and multifamily developments nearby.“Our main goal was to embrace and enhance the vibrant street life of the Westheimer corridor,” says Meeks + Partners’ Principal Som Petchsrisom. “This unique setting gave us an opportunity to stress visual transparency with glass façades that integrate the development with the streetscape. We also incorporated metal siding that undulates in a basket-weave pattern, as well as moveable steel panels to create a kinetic energy along the western façade of the residential building. This is the first multifamily development in Houston to offer such architectural elements.”Positioned along the exterior of balconies, the moveable sunscreens will allow residents to control the amount of light entering their units. The unique nature of these environmental controls will enable the façades to continuously transform in direct response to sun orienta¬tion and resident comfort.The massing of the nine buildings is broken into clusters that wrap units around three court¬yards and a six-level parking structure. When developing the project, Meeks + Partners had professionals who work in the Galleria area, Houston’s Energy Corridor, the Westchase business district or downtown in mind as the target demographic. Broadstone Voss is nestled near a premier single-family neighborhood and school district, as well as an near existing retail stores and restaurants.The 7,000 sq.-ft. clubhouse exterior features 10-ft. storefront glazing and a 14-ft. cantilevered metal awning. Amenities include a lounge with entertainment kitchen, a fitness facility, business center and conference room. The main courtyard features a resort pool and fountain with deck and fireplace. The property offers one- two- and three-bedroom units that range from 632 sq. ft. to 1,445 sq. ft. Market rate for the area’s one-bedrooms start at about $1,000 and two-bedrooms go up to $1,600.Modern kitchens will include stainless appliances, pendant lights, islands with wine storage and granite countertops. Floating, laminate floors expand the sense of space throughout the living areas. Upgraded plumbing fixtures are included in all kitchen and bath areas, in addition to walk-in showers and spa-sized baths.