MRKT

MRKT

The recent resurgence of downtown Houston as a residential area means that there is little infrastructure to support downtown living. The scope of the work was to design a structure which combines a parking garage with a grocery store in order to maximize the use of the site and provide sufficient income to sustain business. For this project I worked with classmate Anna Goodman as a partner.

"People who live, work, and play downtown are more concerned with being able to immediately obtain what they want than with slight price differences between stores. Downtown residents are forced to make automobile pilgramages to Midtown to obtain any kind of grocery items and choices for downtown workers are almost nonexistent during office hours. They are also presented with a lack of middle-of-the-road dining options which forces them to choose between McDonald's-type fast-food and sit-down restaurants. A lack of non-restaurant, non-office casual space means that downtown workers must eat their lunches in their offices or at the point of purchase and also means that there is nowhere for separately purchased food to be taken and enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere. Late-night partygoers have few options for decompressing after partying and nowhere comfortable to wait for a cab or train after the bars and clubs close at 2 AM. Likewise, early commuters have no comfortable places to pass the time or drink an orange juice before starting at the office.

What we hope to offer is an establishment that not only satisfies the demand for good food but also creates an atmosphere of leisure and comfort which urbanites seek in order to counteract the hectic schedules and traffic and everything else associated with downtown city life. The draw of our grocery/ café is not that it is cheap and convenient (Randall's provides for this aspect of grocery demand downtown) but rather that it is a place that is so attractive that people will want to come and shop, sit, eat, and have a break from the feeling that they are rushing through their lives. They shouldn't be rushing in and out, but the structure should serve as a temporary oasis in the midst of an inhospitable urban wasteland." -Alex Higbee and Anna Goodman

MRKT The recent resurgence of downtown Houston as a residential area means that there is little infrastructure to support downtown living. The scope of the work was to design a structure which combines a parking garage with a grocery store in order to maximize the use of the site and provide sufficient income to sustain business. For this project I worked with classmate Anna Goodman as a partner. "People who live, work, and play downtown are more concerned with being able to immediately obtain what they want than with slight price differences between stores. Downtown residents are forced to make automobile pilgramages to Midtown to obtain any kind of grocery items and choices for downtown workers are almost nonexistent during office hours. They are also presented with a lack of middle-of-the-road dining options which forces them to choose between McDonald's-type fast-food and sit-down restaurants. A lack of non-restaurant, non-office casual space means that downtown workers must eat their lunches in their offices or at the point of purchase and also means that there is nowhere for separately purchased food to be taken and enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere. Late-night partygoers have few options for decompressing after partying and nowhere comfortable to wait for a cab or train after the bars and clubs close at 2 AM. Likewise, early commuters have no comfortable places to pass the time or drink an orange juice before starting at the office. What we hope to offer is an establishment that not only satisfies the demand for good food but also creates an atmosphere of leisure and comfort which urbanites seek in order to counteract the hectic schedules and traffic and everything else associated with downtown city life. The draw of our grocery/ café is not that it is cheap and convenient (Randall's provides for this aspect of grocery demand downtown) but rather that it is a place that is so attractive that people will want to come and shop, sit, eat, and have a break from the feeling that they are rushing through their lives. They shouldn't be rushing in and out, but the structure should serve as a temporary oasis in the midst of an inhospitable urban wasteland." -Alex Higbee and Anna Goodman