Ion

Transform the historic Midtown Sears Building into a landmark innovation hub centered around a dramatic five-story lightwell. The design prioritizes openness, daylight, and visual connectivity to foster collaboration between startups and established companies.

Industrial structural elements are preserved and complemented by high-performance steel fire shutters (McKEON H200), integrating life-safety engineering into the architectural language. The intervention balances historic character with contemporary steel systems that enable transparency and openness.

The challenge was achieving a large open lightwell while complying with Houston’s fire and life safety codes. Through collaboration between architects, fire protection experts, and city officials, bi-parting horizontal steel shutters were implemented. This solution maintained code compliance, eliminated the need for multiple fire barriers, and preserved natural daylight across all five floors.