FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION CENTER

Location: Houston, Texas     Status: Conceptual

Houston is a city which currently lacks proper infrastructure for transportation means other than the personal automobile. This project serves as a research center meant to explore alternative means of transportation as well as a place to educate visitors about the future of transportation. The goal for this project is to remind people that transportation and movement can be fast, economic, environmentally friendly, and even fun. Two vertically stacked volumes hold the main program of the building, and by manipulating the shape and height of these volumes, 3 main exterior spaces are created. Each of these exterior spaces focuses on a method of transportation: ground level for present day automobiles, the middle level for test driving small scale vehicles of tomorrow, and the third becomes a pedestrian promenade green roof. As visitors ascend from the ground level, up and through the building, they experience different methods of transportation and leave behind the need for an automobile at the very top.