Preserving Houston, One Project - And Award - At A Time

By the standards of other parts of the United States, Houston is a relatively young city. Even so, the city had developed a reputation for tearing down its historic structures which prompted the formation of Preservation Houston in the late 1970s. Now, Page is the proud recipient of an annual Preservation Houston award given to The Cistern.

John Cryer, FAIA, Board Emeritus of Page who currently serves as President of the Board of Preservation Houston, chaired the annual awards ceremony, which was a sellout event. An independent jury selected 11 awards among the many submittals and granted the Martha Peterson award for the restorative adaptation of The Cistern at Buffalo Bayou Park, which Page led. Martha Peterson was a Houstonian who was considered an expert for her institutional knowledge of local history and this award has been given in her name for over a decade.

The Cistern was a defunct underground drinking water reservoir, built in 1927, that had been out of service for years when Page collaborated with its non-profit client Buffalo Bayou Partnership to save it from being demolished. They repurposed the space as a visitor destination that can accommodate installation art, particularly light and sound. Today, it is a nationally recognized and award-winning destination, a tremendous accomplishment for a project that has been completed less than a year.

In addition, each year Preservation Houston bestows the President’s Award upon an individual who has had a significant impact on Houston and its history. This year’s award was given to Gerald D. Hines, Chairman of Hines, a privately owned global commercial real estate firm based in Houston for whom Page is proud to have done project work. Through his vision and firm, Gerald Hines elevated Houston’s architectural fabric and many of his buildings have already been recognized as historically significant. Preservation Houston acknowledged his unparalleled impact on the skyline of Houston and the city’s future history.

Gerald Hines also is recognized for having prompted the architectural industry to begin working regularly with developers and recently celebrated a milestone birthday that was the buzz of the design industry. He was honored by eight architects who are considered living legends such as John Burgee, Cesar Pelli and Robert A. M. Stern. Page employees who had worked on Hines projects such as 1100 Louisiana, in which the Page Houston office is a tenant, and 811 Louisiana, were privileged to be in the audience. 

In addition, City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a proclamation naming Gerald D. Hines Day in Houston. John Cryer and the mayor jointly presented the awards to Hines. Also in attendance were Page Senior Asssociate and Cistern Project Manager Melanie Starman Bash, Page Principal Jeffrey Bricker and Page Associate Principal Wendy Heger. The firm is proud to be associated with such a momentous event. 

To see media coverage of the 2017 Preservation Houston Good Brick Awards, please click here.