TDIndustries Houston Regional Office

Project summary provided by submitting company.

The TDIndustries' office building was driven by one force - an investment in employees to inspire career longevity. The TDIndustries culture of teamwork is reflected in every aspect of the design. TD previously leased a building, and the company's growth required expanding into adjacent tenant spaces as leases expired. Plans for company-owned property gave TD the chance to build a space that reflects the value of its employees. Tilt-up construction was selected by the design/build team early on for economy, ease and speed of construction.

The Houston complex includes a 38,000 SF two-story office building, a 14,400 SF materials storage warehouse and a 6,000 SF shop. The tilt-up construction incorporates variations in color and touch along expanses of concrete. The form and textural patterns leverage scale, proportion, and light to provide an uplifting and inspiring workplace.

Grounded in TD's culture of partnership, the interior features variations of tailored open work areas. Ample glazing, narrow floor plates, and the open areas allow natural light deep into all productive zones. Enclosed meeting rooms are denoted by material transitions and graphics representing rivers across Texas. They serve as reference points to one another and mimic geographic adjacencies (Rio Grande is west, Sabine is east). Unified by reclaimed oak, their presence conveys sustainability, warmth, and nature.

The chromatic interiors follow patterns of air flow, magnetism, and heat loss. The gradient from red north to blue south appears in carpet, paint, and furniture. As a wayfinding device, this scheme represents fluidity between departments, people, and ideas. The user and the space are dynamic and shifting, the points of formal convergence (wood), solid and steady. The intersection between (collaboration) is the meeting of these forces, inspiring production and innovation.

The undeveloped 10-acre site necessitated the campus operating almost entirely off the grid. With limited infrastructure on the rural site located, most utilities were non-existent. With no domestic water or sanitary sewer, a domestic water well and on-site sewage treatment system were installed. A fire pond takes advantage of a naturally occurring wooded wetland area, surrounded by an employee walking path.

Innovative solutions were needed due to the lack of access to utilities. The only available utility was electricity, forcing TDIndustries to move toward a self-sufficient campus. Infrastructure is in place for water harvesting and wastewater filtration. A well and back-up well service water needs, and two ponds detain water from storms and retain water for fire-prevention.

From the beginning of spatial programming, a goal was set to create an area suited for Houston AEC training with rooms available at no cost, allowing TD to give back through education. The new building also provides better ways to continue TD's legacy of community service. At the grand-opening ceremony, instead of providing giveaways, the company decided to donate $3,000 to Camp Hope, a neighboring interim housing facility for those suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. From that day forward, the new Houston office has continued its legacy of supporting its community.