Partnership Tower, a class A office building, was developed with the purpose to house Houston-focused organizations. The lead tenant is the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), for which the tower is named. The GHP is an economic development organization focused on the positive growth of Houston as a great place to live, work, and do business. Additional tenants include the Center for Houston’s Future, Houston First Corporation, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Houston Hotel and Lodging Association, and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.

The 10-level, 127,000 sf building is situated in the heart of downtown, across from the George R. Brown Convention Center and next to Discovery Green, a 12-acre urban park. Three levels of office sit atop 7 levels of parking for 2,000 vehicles and integrated partial office floors. The structure and foundation was also designed to accommodate a future 17-story hotel above the existing office. A sky-bridge over Rusk Street connects the building directly to the George R. Brown Convention Center.  A second sky-bridge connects the George R. Brown to the new Marriott Marquis Hotel and Convention Center.

The building’s structure is a hybrid system of precast and cast-in-place concrete. The precast concrete is used for most of the 670,000-sf parking garage. Cast-in-place concrete was used within the office building and the areas of the parking garage within the office footprint to respond to a higher level of structural performance required to accommodate the occupancy and the future hotel expansion. Special detailing facilitated a smooth interface between the disparate structural systems.

The precast parking garage design was further complicated by the existing light rail running through the site. An increased level one floor height and atypical precast column grids allowed the precast to be erected over the rail with minimal interruption.