BakerRipley: Making Houston FABulous

The proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” came to life last week when the non-profit community development organization BakerRipley in partnership with Chevron celebrated the opening of its new Fab Lab in an economically challenged part of Houston. The goal is to elevate opportunities for a community of makers by providing resources and opportunities for collaboration, education, development – and entrepreneurship.

A community resident explained, “On weekends, this roadway (on which the BakerRipley East Aldine Economic Opportunity Center is located) is lined up and down with people selling what they made during the week.” Not only will the Fab Lab give these artisans an opportunity to expand their production, it will also give them and their children a chance to learn to use digital tools and elevate their educations. Page is very proud to be a part of this gamechanging opportunity, for the East Aldine community specifically and for Houstonians interested in digital fabrication and making.  

Page was selected by BakerRipley to design its seven acre mixed-use economic opportunity center campus, which will fully open in the fall of 2018. The project is a component of a larger 61-acre town center development in an unincorporated area within the city of Houston. The 14.8 square-mile East Aldine Management District was created by the Texas Legislature in June 2001 to enhance the physical, social, and economic well-being of the area.

The Page design supports educational opportunities and community engagement. The center is affiliated in part with Lone Star Community College, one of the fastest-growing systems in the U.S. The Harris County Sheriff's Office also plans to open a call center to serve as a regional asset and employer. A future retail/office development directly adjacent to the site will provide opportunities for education and support to users of the center as well as the whole East Aldine area. Centrally located to all the adjacent properties and the heart of the community are the East Aldine Management District Office Building and Civic spaces.

To learn more about FabLab Houston, click here. 

To learn more about the East Aldine Economic Opportunity Center project, click here.