When it was built in 1962, the old Woodforest National Bank building (originally occupied by the Conroe Federal Savings & Loan Association) was considered ahead of its time. The modernist building had a simple rectangular plan and white façade, punctuated on one side with floor-to-ceiling windows. “It almost felt like somebody picked that thing up out of California and dropped it into Montgomery County,” according to Jay Dreibelbis, Woodforest National Bank President and CEO. And everyone noticed the building because it was prominently located on a main corner two blocks away from the county courthouse and Conroe City Hall. A new and equally attention-grabbing building now sits in its place, another landmark for Woodforest National Bank. PRISM produced the promotional renderings for LA Architects back in 2020. The sleek glass building opened to customers earlier this month, and E.E. Reed Construction, L.P. was the general contractor. LA Architects designed the 3-story building to house the bank and provide leasable Class A office and retail space. The building totals 32,800 s.f.; Woodforest has its full-service branch bank on the first floor. The spacious lobby has warm interior finishes and places for customers to sit and work. The commercial banking team is located on the second floor, where there is additional office space.
Happy Birthday to our "Fire Snake" girl Vivian Peng! Our VP of Project Management and resident yogi brings a refreshing spirit and joy for daily life to our team, like a bright ray of sunshine. You glow girl!
Chinese New Year began on Feb. 1. The celebration traditionally culminates after 15 days with a Lantern Festival. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, indicating good things to come! Expect Tigers to be ambitious, courageous, generous, self-confident, and committed to helping others. Xīnnián hǎo to all our family and friends – New Year Goodness to you!
=ULI, the champion organization for responsible, transformative land development, hosted their 15th Annual Development of Distinction Awards in Houston last night. PRISM was privileged to produce renderings for finalist East End Maker Hub. Congrats to all finalists! We were a proud sponsor of the honorees’ reception.
The regional retail event of the year is a month away – how will you make the most of it? ICSC will be live and in-person in Dallas. Let’s talk now about ways PRISM can make your prospective retail projects jump out and grab attendee attention. Our vibrant and photo-realistic project renderings are the next best thing to touring sites in person. Deborah would love to visit with you at 713-305-1495 or send her an email to
How does PRISM keep a finger on the pulse of Houston development and design? Our resident business development wonder woman, Deborah Gross, attends four to five industry events every month! She joined several other gals at the Commercial Real Estate Millennial Misses (CREMM) Galentine’s Day Speed Networking earlier this month. What a sweet night!
In a segregated Washington, D.C. public school in 1897, teacher Mary Church Terrell took bold action. She persuaded the school board to set aside the afternoon of February 14 so she could honor the birthday of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and teach about his life and work. The event ignited momentum to expand the focus on Black history, and Gerald Ford in 1976 declared February Black History Month. Of the many notable Black architects in history, these achieved significant ‘firsts’: Moses McKissack III (1879-1952) together with his brother Calvin Lunsford McKissack (1890-1968), founded the nation’s first Black-owned architecture firm. McKissack & McKissack today is a continuation of that firm. Paul Revere Williams (1894-1980) was discouraged from studying architecture at Los Angeles' Polytechnic High School due to his race. He went on to graduate from the U. of Southern California School of Architecture. He was licensed as a California architect in 1921. In 1923 he became the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Beverly Lorraine Greene (1915-1957) earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree and Master’s degrees in both Architecture and City Planning. In 1942 she became the first Black woman licensed as an architect in the United States. John S. Chase (1925-2012) was the first Black student to earn a Master of Architecture degree from the U. of Texas and the first Black architect registered in the state of Texas. He was a co-founder of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) in 1971. In 1980, he was the first Black appointee to the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts. Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926-2012) has been called the Rosa Parks of architecture. She was the first Black woman to become a licensed architect in both New York (1954) and California (1962). She was also the first Black woman to become a member of the AIA in 1959, and its first Black female fellow in 1980. Today, only 2% of licensed U.S. architects are Black. NOMA works nationally and in local chapters for the purpose of minimizing the effect of racism in architecture. Learn more about their work here at https://www.noma.net/about-noma
It’s been 15 years in the making and the planning is paying off. The Lower Kirby District continues to bring in new commercial development, snagging another company that opted to relocate their HQ to the growing master-planned district. Medical device manufacturer Millar, Inc. just broke ground on a 56,000 s.f. office and manufacturing facility. Millar is well known in the medical instrumentation industry for their innovative pressure sensor-enabled medical devices; Millar catheters have been hailed as “the gold standard.” PRISM worked directly with Millar to develop several exterior and interior renderings for promoting the project. The Pearland Economic Development (PEDC) extended Kirby Drive from Shadow Creek Ranch to Beltway 8 in 2006. This connection provided direct access to the 1,200-acre Lower Kirby District. It also provided more convenience for the large labor force located in Pearland. It was all part of the PEDC’s strategy to transform the vast tract of undeveloped property into the amenity-rich, multi-use destination that Lower Kirby District has become. Millar viewed the Lower Kirby District as the ideal location to support their long-term growth plans. The company chose Pearland and the Lower Kirby District specifically for their growing roster of life sciences specialty manufacturers located there. The new building is on a 5-acre site Millar purchased from PEDC. Clay Development and Method Architecture are providing architecture and interior design. The new building will house 120 employees and will have space for Millar’s research and development efforts, warehousing, manufacturing, and offices. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2022.
Pompano Beach, nestled on the Atlantic coast between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, might not have the high profile of its neighbors – yet. The city has been attracting a slew of luxury oceanfront developments in the past decade. Developer Grover Corlew hopes to spur even more growth with their new multifamily property under the Mayla Residences’ brand, called Mayla Pompano. The two-building apartment complex will have 355 units, including 53 units dedicated to workforce housing. MSA Architects, Inc. designed the $78.2 million complex and brought in PRISM Renderings to generate several exterior renderings for project approvals and pre-leasing. Mayla Pompano is part of a larger plan by the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency to revitalize the East Atlantic Boulevard corridor. For Mayla Pompano, Grover Corlew is redeveloping a 3-acre site they own that is currently used for surface parking. MSA incorporated 60,000 s.f. of retail space on the ground floor of Mayla Pompano, fronted by wide pedestrian walkways. Residents will have access to a 2-story clubroom, coworking spaces, a dog spa, indoor bike storage and repair space, outdoor kitchens, and pools with cabanas. Apartments will have hurricane impact windows, walk-in closets, private balconies, and bathrooms with soaking tubs, frameless showers, and backlit vanity mirrors. Construction is expected to start in February and be complete in summer 2023.
2021, what a rebound! THANK YOU to our clients for making it a great year. We served 85 clients, 33 of them new! We produced renderings and animations for over 160 projects located in 10 states and 71 cities across the U.S., plus one in the Bahamas. We’re ready to step it up in 2022!
