7155 Old Katy Rd.
Houston, Texas
The project consists of a warehouse and showroom facility for Walker/Zanger, one of the nation's largest natural stone and tile suppliers. The warehouse serves as a storage and display area for the stone slabs; the showroom exhibits stone and ceramic tiles. The main objective was to create a unique building that projects the identity and nature of the company
The warehouse layout was predetermined by the needs of Walker/Zanger and by
its function. The main concept was to project the office/showroom area as closely
as possible to the street and position it in such a way that would diminish the long, flat,
conventional appearance of a tilt-up warehouse. Also, to diminish the perception
of the building "as a box", the facility was designed as a series of panels articulated
to achieve specific purposes:
- To create space: such as showroom alcoves, main entrance, and employee
entrance.
- To provide natural lighting: The east panels of the showroom were oriented
north-south allowing large areas of north light to come in. West panels were staggered
to capture indirect natural light as needed while maintaining the maximum amount
of wall display.
- To give depth and life to the building: letting shadows play, whether on the
main building or on a simple screen wall.
The tower serves as a pivot point between the east and west panels. It encloses
a special exhibit and induces the idea of solidity and strength comparable to stone
blocks from which the stone tiles and slabs originate.
An abstract pattern on the exterior walls, generated from tile layouts, unifies
showroom and warehouse, concrete and glass. It creates a sense of movement,
and therefore fights the static feeling conveyed by the tilt-up warehouse and each
individual panel. Moreover, it is deeply imprinted in the concrete panels giving
them character.
The use of granite on selected elements emphasizes their importance:
- The panels at the main entrance help direct the public and avoid confusion in such a large facility.
- The insets of granite in the glass walls and in the five west windows suggest creative uses of stone.
- The tower is a main transitional element, a place for special exhibits, and a reminder of the origin.
Return to Completed Projects Page
Concrete Tilt-Wall with Granite Cladding
Carole Zehri: Project Designer
Dienna / Simpkins Company - Al Augustine: Project Manager
Workman Construction: Contractor
Walker Zanger - Kim Bernard: Showroom Design
Michael J. Smith: Lighting Design
Tim Bailey: Architectural Metalwork