In collaboration with the Rice Management Company, SHoP has designed a masterplan and flagship building for a new center of technology and business in the Midtown District of Houston. The Midtown Innovation Hub, to be housed in the old Sears building, capitalizes on the buildings historical significance while connecting technology, business, and communities through design.

Upon completion, this building (phase one of a larger master plan) will be 270,000 square feet with a supporting 21,000 square foot landscaped plaza between the building and parking garage. Focusing on the surrounding neighborhoods, the building reflects a human scale of design through physical transparency and openness as well as collaboration with the community. 

A lightwell stretching from the top floor down to the basement level, will serve not only to bring natural light into the building, but create a iconic, central feature that fosters community and collaboration within the building for some of the brightest minds and innovative companies in technology. This light is a driving force in the project and aims to be a catalyst of transformation for the entire district.