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Houston House Apartments

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Houston House Apartments is a 31-story apartment complex in the Skyline District of Downtown Houston , Texas , United States.

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53-527: The building, located in the southern portion of Downtown, has 396 apartments. Charles M. Goodman designed the building, which opened in 1966. Since 1983 Larry Hill of Sumar Realty Corp. and a group of investors have owned the building as part of a partnership. As of 2007 the building had a 90% occupancy rate, and it was one of the few residential buildings in Downtown Houston that had been in operation for around 40 years. Several years prior to 2010,

106-457: A "free form and no stained glass, [resulting in] a building to represent our cleavage with the past." The congregation wanted the building to "reflect their liberal, progressive beliefs and that would signify the UUCA's leadership position within the denomination." According to one UUCA minister, "Charles Goodman spent a lot of time with the congregation and incorporating the values and theology of

159-511: A Unitarian Church affiliated with the American Unitarian Association ." As membership continued to grow, the congregation needed to find a permanent meeting place. The church purchased a 1.07 acre (0.43 ha) lot at the intersection of present-day Arlington Boulevard and South George Mason Drive. In November 1948, ground was broken on the church's first building, located at 4451 1st Place South, with assistance from

212-590: A chapel, and meetings rooms. The design of the new wing was praised by architectural critics and Kerns Group Architects received an Excellence in Architecture award from the American Institute of Architects 's Virginia chapter. An additional expansion, designed by Intec Group of Fairfax , Virginia, and built by Sully Construction of Sterling , Virginia, was added in 2013 and includes a hall space and multipurpose activity room. UUCA's 1964 sanctuary

265-573: A pool, and an outdoor dining area. The deal with the Chicago firm failed. By 2010 Hill and his business partners began a planned over $ 10 million renovation of the building. In 2007 a vehicle driving in the apartment complex's garage punched through the wall of the garage and landed wheels up on another downtown building. The driver died in the crash. The average size of the units is 650 square feet (60 m). Most units range in size from 500 square feet (46 m) to 840 square feet (78 m). In 2007

318-425: A random-coursed stone facing on its east side. Similar to the sanctuary, it features an overhanging roof and wrapping clerestory windows. The sanctuary's meeting space measures 62 feet (19 m) by 62 feet and features a polished reinforced concrete floor set in a large grid pattern. The north, east, and west walls are faced with beige brick while the ceiling is exposed concrete. The sanctuary's design allows for

371-636: A regional feel, he ignored the colonial revival look so popular in Virginia . Goodman was quoted in the 1968 survey book Architecture in Virginia as saying that he aimed to "get away from straight historical reproduction." Goodman, who developed preliminary designs for Washington National Airport and served as main architect of the Hollin Hills neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia , attended

424-456: A religious education wing, also designed by Bailey, was added to the church building, increasing the size of the auditorium and adding classrooms and offices. By the following year the church building had already reached its capacity and the congregation began holding two services on Sundays. The church school, with an enrollment of over 500, also began holding two services on Sundays. The church purchased adjoining property and in 1958 constructed

477-430: A result for grades 6-8 the building was rezoned from Smith to Gregory Lincoln. 29°45′05″N 95°22′04″W  /  29.7515°N 95.3677°W  / 29.7515; -95.3677 Charles M. Goodman Charles M. Goodman FAIA (November 26, 1906 – October 29, 1992) was an American architect who made a name for his modern designs in suburban Washington, D.C., after World War II . While his work has

530-510: A social hall, classrooms, and office space. Like the sanctuary, the 1994 addition features a flat roof and concrete foundation. The concrete walls are a lighter color than the sanctuary and are also smoother. A one-story terrace was originally on the southeast corner of the 1994 addition, but this was replaced by the 2013 addition, named the Celebration Center. The Celebration Center is also faced with light-colored concrete and has

583-669: A time when most local organizations were segregated , the church operated a children's summer camp open to all races. During the 1950s, the church was one of the few places in Northern Virginia where black and white individuals met to discuss race relations and ways to improve society. In 1951, UUCA minister Ross Allen Weston founded the Community Council for Social Progress, an interracial, interfaith group that promoted "full development of democratic principles in human relationship". UUCA's members were active during

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636-406: Is a liberal church that has been active in social justice causes and interfaith dialogue throughout its history. When UUCA was founded, church leaders wrote "Our Church like all Unitarian Churches, is dedicated to the progressive transformation and ennoblement of individual and social life through religion, in accordance with the advancing knowledge and the growing vision of mankind." In 1949,

689-525: The 1964 Unitarian Church in Arlington, Virginia , at 4444 Arlington Blvd. His residence, Goodman House , was built in 1954 at 514 Quaker Lane in Alexandria . In Reston , he designed a "cluster" of townhouses in the woods above Lake Anne known as Hickory Cluster. His 1949-51 development at Silver Spring, Maryland , was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2004 as

742-472: The Arlington Forest neighborhood. The property extends south to First Place South, a residential street where the church parsonage is located. A large parking lot, where Reeb Hall once stood, is on the south and west sides of the property. Church attendees access the building's 1994 wing from the parking lot via concrete walkways and a concrete pedestrian bridge beneath a steel canopy. South of

795-1284: The Hammond Wood Historic District . His 1951 development at Takoma Park, Maryland , was listed on the NRHP in 2004 as the Takoma Avenue Historic District . His 1958–1961 development at Silver Spring, Maryland , was listed on NRHP, and is known as the Rock Creek Woods Historic District . He also designed 21 twin dwellings in the High Point section of the Virginia Heights Historic District . In 1957, Alcoa approached Goodman to design and build 50 Alcoa Care-free Homes ; one in each state. Due to project difficulties, only 24 were built in 16 states including NRHP-designated properties of Alcoa Care-free Home (Brighton, New York) and one within Hollin Hills Historic District. In 1962, Reynolds Aluminum approached

848-662: The Houston House Apartments , a 31-story apartment complex in downtown Houston, Texas. Locations receiving National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) designation and time of significance include: Upon graduation, Goodman worked as an architect within the Public Buildings Administration (the precursor to today's Public Buildings Service of the U.S. General Services Administration, often with Louis A. Simon and Howard Lovewell Cheney , designing federal buildings, including: Beyond

901-744: The Illinois Institute of Technology . He came to D.C. in 1934 to work as the designing architect in the Public Buildings Administration. He later served as head architect at the United States Treasury Department and the Air Transport Command. After World War II he worked closely with Robert C. Davenport designing and site planning most of the Hollin Hills, where his firm, Charles M. Goodman Associates, designed over 14 models of house. During

954-673: The Unitarian Church of Arlington , is a Unitarian Universalist church located at 4444 Arlington Boulevard ( U.S. 50 ) in Arlington County , Virginia . Founded in 1948, UUCA was the first Unitarian church in Washington, D.C. 's suburbs. Throughout its history, UUCA has taken part in progressive causes from the Civil Rights Movement to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Virginia . During

1007-530: The parsonage , a 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story brick Colonial Revival building. By 1959, there were eight Unitarian congregations in Washington, D.C.'s suburbs, with the Arlington church being the largest. The congregation began planning for a new facility and chose Charles M. Goodman, a prominent local architect known for his modernist work, to design the church building. A church committee wrote that it

1060-778: The 1950s and 1960s, Goodman designed prefabricated homes for the National Homes Corporation of Lafayette, Indiana. It is estimated more than 325,000 homes throughout the United States were built using his National Homes’ designs. Such as “The Ranger”, “The Main Line”, “The Custom Line”, and “The Cadet”. Goodman was born as Charles Morton Goldman in New York City. Historian Elizabeth Jo Lampl identifies his parents as "Polish immigrants Harris Goldman and Jennie Blomsten," and notes that "Goodman's transcript from

1113-539: The 1990s until it was demolished in 2011, Reeb Hall was rented out to nonprofit groups including the Northern Virginia chapter of Habitat for Humanity and Arlington Street People's Assistance Network. Since the 1990s, Kol Ami, a Reconstructionist Jewish community, has met at UUCA in the library and fellowship rooms. The church is located on a 3.97 acre (1.61 ha) lot on the southwest corner of Arlington Boulevard ( U.S. 50 ) and South George Mason Drive near

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1166-615: The AIA Virginia Society's "Outstanding Recognition Award" went to Charles M. Goodman, FAIA. He was cited for the consistent excellence and enduring quality of his design work. Of special note was Goodman's design for Hollin Hills, 450 contemporary single-family homes set in a wooded environment south of Alexandria. Begun in 1946, Hollin Hills received the inaugural award of the Virginia Society, AlA's Test-of Time Award

1219-601: The American Unitarian Association which gave the congregation a $ 15,000 loan. The original building was designed by architect and church member Earl B. Bailey. It was a brick Colonial Revival building containing an auditorium, a kitchen, an office for the minister, and a few meeting rooms. The first service in the new building was held in June 1949 and it was dedicated on October 2. By 1950, church membership had reached almost 250. The success of

1272-534: The Arlington church convinced All Souls minister Arthur Powell Davies to establish the Greater Washington Association for Unitarian Advance (later renamed the Greater Washington Association for Unitarian Universalist Churches) in 1950. The organization was founded to assist with establishing additional Unitarian congregations in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and All Souls and the Arlington church were its first members. In 1953

1325-600: The Arlington church's minister in 1946. Membership of the Arlington congregation reached 117 by 1948 while the church school had an enrollment of 103. That same year members voted to establish their own independent church. Their approved resolution stated: "Be it therefore resolved that the Board of Trustees be petitioned to terminate the Fellowship as an instrumentality of All Souls Church as of March 31, 1948, and be it further resolved that this Fellowship then be organized as

1378-1192: The Armour Institute of Technology records that he entered that program as Charles M. Goldman, but changed his name in 1934 to Charles M. Goodman." He attended the University of Illinois from 1925 to 1928. At the Armour Institute, he was awarded the Dankmar Adler Prize as an outstanding freshman, and the Hutchinson medal as the leading senior in architecture, and a fellowship at Lake Forest foundation. (The Lake Forest Foundation award listed him as "Charles M. Goldman.") He graduated in 1934 from Amour Institute’s School of Architecture. In June 1934, he married Charlotte Kathleen Dodge and they had one daughter together. After her passing and 45 years of marriage in 1979, he then married Dorothy Mae Sopchick on October 30, 1980, in Alexandria, Virginia. Beyond his most known works at Hollin Hills and National Airport, his other notable projects included

1431-706: The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, protesting against segregation and other unfair treatments of minorities. In June 1956, UUCA minister Weston, who was also president of the Unitarian Fellowship for Social Justice, received a letter of gratitude from Martin Luther King Jr. Following the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision, Bolling v. Sharpe , which made segregation in Washington, D.C.'s public schools illegal, Virginia Governor Thomas B. Stanley sought input from

1484-400: The Civil Rights Movement, UUCA was the only Virginia church to speak out in favor of racial integration . UUCA's sanctuary building, designed by local architect Charles M. Goodman in 1964, is a concrete Brutalist structure that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia Landmarks Register in 2014. It is one of only three church buildings designed by Goodman and

1537-466: The church is the Memorial Wall and Garden, dedicated in 1996. The landscaped garden includes concrete walls, paths, and benches. Concrete blocks inscribed with the names of church members are also found throughout the garden. South of the garden is a playground, built in 2007, that is enclosed by a wooden fence. The 1964 sanctuary, which faces the road intersection, is on the northeast corner of

1590-489: The congregation into the design of the building." Goodman finished his design in late 1961 and the church began seeking financing shortly thereafter. His design included plans for a main sanctuary and adjoining wing, the latter which was not built at the time due to budget concerns. Construction of the sanctuary was carried out by the Martin Brothers contracting firm. The total cost was approximately $ 300,000, and

1643-523: The dedication was held on March 22, 1964, with a sermon by Dana McLean Greeley entitled "Building a Faith for the Future." UUCA's sanctuary is one of only three churches designed by Goodman and his only church building in Virginia. His other two church designs are Bethesda United Church of Christ in Bethesda , Maryland, and Christ Church of Washington (now called Embassy Church) in Washington, D.C. In

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1696-482: The meeting space to have natural lighting which is complemented by patterned rows of light fixtures along the ceiling. The fixtures are the original black-painted, metal cylinders designed by Goodman. A 2.5 foot (0.76 m) high concrete platform stage, now covered with wood, is on the north wall. It features a wheelchair ramp obscured by a decorative wood screen. Seating in the meeting space is composed of padded, moveable pews and chairs. There are two staircase lobbies on

1749-424: The mid-to-late 1960s, attendance at church services and enrollment at the church school experienced dramatic decreases. The congregation replaced their minister and began a campaign to attract new members. Attendance gradually increased over the next several years and by 1974, membership had reached 724. The church continued to thrive throughout the next decade and by the late 1980s, church members decided more space

1802-412: The north, east, and west sides of the building's top level and narrow fixed-light windows are on the first floor. The east and west sides of the sanctuary are five bays wide while the north and south sides feature three bays, a large central bay with a smaller bay on each side. The bays are defined by tall concrete columns, spaced 16 feet (4.9 m) apart, that stand from the ground to the underside of

1855-528: The noted architect to develop River Park townhomes along the Southwest Waterfront community of Washington, D.C., and just north of Fort McNair between N and O Streets and Delaware Avenue and 4th Street, SW. Goodman designed the glass and aluminum clad River Park Mutual Homes, which consists of two conjoined high-rise buildings and several clusters of flat and barrel-roof top townhouses. In the mid-1960s, Goodman created one of his largest projects,

1908-533: The numerous awards and recognition of his residential neighborhoods reaching National Register of Historic Places status, Goodman has been recognized as one of the most significant architects of the 20th century. In 1951, he was awarded Architect of the Year from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) for Hollin Hills, one of many awards the community and his home designs would garner over

1961-474: The only one in Virginia. In the early 1940s, leaders from All Souls Church , established in 1821 as the first Unitarian church in Washington, D.C., encouraged its suburban members to start new Unitarian communities in their respective areas. The first one established in the suburbs was the Unitarian Church of Arlington with support and funds from the "mother church," All Souls. The first meeting

2014-521: The original building in their scale, style, material, and fenestration pattern, and fulfill Goodman’s original plans to expand the church with additional space for educational, administrative, and social functions." They are set back and at a lower height in deference to the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a precast concrete building designed in the brutalist style. It features an overhanging concrete flat roof, concrete block foundation, and corrugated concrete wall panels. Square clerestory windows are on

2067-463: The owners tried to sell the building to a Chicago company, NVG Residential. NVG planned to close on the property in January 2008. After the planned acquisition NVG planned to install new windows, re-paint the exterior, improve the lobby and the 9th and 10th floor amenity areas. In the amenity areas the company planned to install a business and fitness center, and updated club house, a basketball court,

2120-561: The per-period rent was between $ 800 and $ 1,300. Houston House is within the Houston Independent School District . It is zoned to Gregory Lincoln Education Center for elementary school (K-5) and middle school (6-8), and Northside High School (formerly Davis High). By Spring 2011 Atherton Elementary School and E.O. Smith Education Center were consolidated with a new K-5 campus in the Atherton site. As

2173-735: The previous year in 1981. Other Goodman buildings lauded at the presentation were Reston's Hickory Cluster Town Houses, the Unitarian Church of Arlington and numerous buildings in the Westgate Research Park, near Tysons Corner, for which he provided the original land planning. In 1986, he received the Professional Achievement Award of the IIT Alumni Association. Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (UUCA), historically known as

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2226-437: The property on a wooded knoll. UUCA is composed of three sections: the 1964 sanctuary is a rectangular-shaped, two-story reinforced concrete building; the 1994 addition is a two-story rectangular-shaped concrete structure on the south side of the sanctuary; the 2013 addition is a two-story square-shaped concrete structure on the east side of the 1994 addition and southeast corner of the sanctuary. The two additions "complement

2279-415: The roof. Pale blue wooden doors flanked by black wooden frames provide access to the sanctuary while there are two narrow doors on the north side. The main entrance to the sanctuary is on the south side where the 1994 addition is sited. The 1994 addition runs along the entire south side of the sanctuary and extends west past the building. It is a 26,000 sq ft (2,400 m ) building that includes

2332-418: The south side of the meeting space that lead to the first floor. The east staircase provides access to the choir balcony via concrete dogleg stairs and an elevator installed in 1974. Goodman chose to place the choir on the south side of the space because he considered it "the most desirable location for a choir." The balcony features stepped stairs for choir members and a large pipe organ . The ground floor

2385-493: The state's citizens. UUCA was the only Virginia church that spoke out in favor of integration. In October 1958, the church received a bomb threat the morning of a sermon by Rabbi Emmet A. Frank of Temple Beth-El. This was part of a larger effort by the American Nazi Party , headquartered in Arlington, to intimidate synagogues and other institutions affiliated with or friendly towards Judaism . The bomb threat

2438-427: The world." The 900-member congregation is currently led by Senior Minister Rev. Amanda Poppei and Rev. Carol Thomas Cissel, Minister of Social Justice and Community Development. Prominent members, past and present, at UUCA include Representative William R. Ratchford of Connecticut and Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette , Virginia's first openly gay elected official. Like other Unitarian congregations, UUCA

2491-642: The years. In 1959, he was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). One year later, Goodman was awarded the 1960 Gold Medal from the Art Directors Club of Washington. Goodman was one of eight architects honored as ‘’The People’s Architect’’ by Rice University to commemorate its semi-centennial, 1912–1962. Other awardees include: John Lyon Reid , O'Neil Ford , Victor Gruen , I. M. Pei , Vernon DeMars , Pietro Belluschi , and Marshall Shaffer . In July–August 1982,

2544-433: Was "confident that Mr. Goodman’s concept of design, his wide experience, and his original and creative genius promise for us a distinctive building which will portray in structural form the spirit and aspiration of this congregation." Church leaders invited the congregation to give suggestions for Goodman's design which included "an architectural style which would express the inspiring tradition of Unitarianism in Virginia" and

2597-549: Was held in George A. Collier's home, located at 832 South Courthouse Road, on September 16, 1943. The following services were held in various spaces on Sunday afternoons so members could still attend the morning services at All Souls. Meeting spaces included the Buckingham Community Room, Ashton Heights Women's Club, and Kate Waller Barrett School. Gilbert A. Phillips, an associate pastor at All Souls, became

2650-606: Was killed by segregationists while protesting in Selma , Alabama. Since the 1970s, church members have continued to advocate social justice causes including, but not limited to, environmentalism , women's rights , LGBT rights , and affordable housing . One of UUCA's most prominent projects was the Culpepper Garden Senior Center, a nonprofit retirement housing community for low-income senior citizens, which opened in 1975 and has expanded since then. From

2703-545: Was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in September 2014 and the National Register of Historic Places on November 19, 2014, following a two-year effort for the building to be named a historic landmark. One of the church's leaders said "We're hoping by it being put on the national registry, people will realize that the physical presence of a group in a community matters. It says something to

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2756-481: Was needed. The congregation held meetings regarding the church expansion throughout the next several years. Finally, in 1993, members approved the construction of an addition to the sanctuary. The new wing, designed by Kerns Group Architects of Washington, D.C., and built by Dustin Construction, Inc. of Gaithersburg , Maryland, was dedicated on October 2, 1994. The addition included classrooms and office space,

2809-413: Was widely condemned by area churches and the Arlington congregation released a statement saying it would not be intimidated, harassed, or coerced to change the way it practiced religion. The church continued to support civil rights causes in the 1960s, registering black voters from Arlington County, and renaming its 1949 building (now demolished) Reeb Hall in honor of James Reeb , an All Souls minister who

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