This is a rendering of the newly completed tower. The outside is faceted to resemble a sapphire-cut diamond, Mooz says.
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Another rendering that shows the lowrise portion of the building, which United Airlines will be occupying much of, as well as the atrium connecting the lower part to the highrise tower.
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Another rendering that shows the lowrise portion of the building, which United Airlines will be occupying much of, as well as the atrium connecting the lower part to the highrise tower.
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The building’s lobby hasn’t been outfitted in furniture yet, but the lobby’s entrance consists of eucalyptus wood paneling.
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The building’s lobby hasn’t been outfitted in furniture yet, but the lobby’s entrance consists of eucalyptus wood paneling.
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A living wall of plants adorns the lobby.
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A living wall of plants adorns the lobby.
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In a jet-black water feature — you’d call it a fountain, but its water looks tranquil and still — you can see some of 609 Main’s downtown neighbors.
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The “crystalline atrium” from inside.
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Beautiful granite slabs adorn the elevator bays. This one, from Italy, is called “Irish Mist.”
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In a jet-black water feature — you’d call it a fountain, but its water looks tranquil and still — you can see some of 609 Main’s downtown neighbors.
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The “crystalline atrium” from inside.
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Beautiful granite slabs adorn the elevator bays. This one, from Italy, is called “Irish Mist.”
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Steel rods adorn the outside of the building.
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A look at what will be United’s private rooftop deck.
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A look at what will be United’s private rooftop deck.
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Steel rods adorn the outside of the building.
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A view from Hines’s 44th-floor office.
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A view from Hines’s 44th-floor office.
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The building has a gym with state-of-the-art locker rooms that anyone who works there can use.
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From the 44th floor, you can see multiple other high-profile Hines projects, including Pennzoil Place, in front, and Bank of America Tower, behind, both designed by Philip Johnson.
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From the 44th floor, you can see multiple other high-profile Hines projects, including Pennzoil Place, in front, and Bank of America Tower, behind, both designed by Philip Johnson.
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The building has a gym with state-of-the-art locker rooms that anyone who works there can use.
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This is a rendering of the newly completed tower. The outside is faceted to resemble a sapphire-cut diamond, Mooz says.
Houston’s office market has the highest vacancy rate in the country, making it an interesting time to debut a brand-new skyscraper downtown. But 609 Main at Texas, the newest in a string of towers by local developer Hines, opened last week with 60 percent of the more-than 1 million-square-feet building spoken for. Tenants include several law firms, as well as United Airlines, which has taken several floors in the building and has private access to a roof deck for its employees.
The building has cachet not only because of its posh finishes, including ornate granite slabs that resemble paintings, but for something much less sexy — its air conditioning system. 609 Main’s AC is pumped through the floor at a much lower pressure than a typical overhead system, which allows for individual customization, and yes, that means each coworker, including the one who is always wearing a parka inside, can adjust the temperature for themselves.
It’s also a much more efficient system, bringing down energy bills for the tenants and lessening its impact on the environment. The fancy system, which Hines senior managing director John Mooz says will become a future industry standard, added $10 million to the developer’s cost.
Roxanna, a native of Las Vegas, joined the Houstonia staff in December 2015. As associate editor, she focuses on news stories and real estate features. She got her bachelor’s degree from University of Texas at Austin and her master’s degree from CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she was a breaking news stringer for the New York Daily News and a real estate reporter for the Houston Business Journal.
Roxanna lives with her husband, son, and her girl cat, Charles.
