Houston is ranked among the world’s cities with the tallest skylines. Aside from its notable high-rises, the heart of its downtown area is office structures and commercial buildings that make this metropolitan center an attractive place for lovers of urban living. In recent years, new developments put emphasis on building spaces that bring together the best of work, shopping, and entertainment.
The best mixed-use contractors in Houston do just that and their years of construction practice have produced some of the most iconic landmarks in the city. The firms below are award-winning firms that continue to shape and reshape the area’s dynamic landscapes.
Hoar Construction
3700 West Sam Houston Pkwy. South, Suite #220, Houston, TX 77042
Hoar Construction dominates the Texan construction industry with over 80 years of diverse and multi-awarded general contracting practice. Engineering News-Record constantly ranks the firm on its “best of the best contractors” annual lists, especially for its work in the mixed-use sector. The company also takes on high-value projects for other markets, including commercial, government, cultural, recreation, education, healthcare, hospitality, residential, and industrial. The firm operates out of six offices in nearby regions. Its projects can be found in many large metropolitans, including Houston. In recent years, the company partnered with Munoz+Albin and Kirksey Architecture to build the CityCentre Four, a 123,000-square-foot mixed-use structure that was designed to pass US Green Building Council’s LEED-Silver certification for green design, sustainability, and energy-efficiency. Located on a site-congested site, one of the challenges of the project was to fit the building into the property that is just five feet away from an access road and a few feet from nearby establishments. The building accommodates offices, restaurants, and retail spaces.
Burton Construction
10550 Westpark Dr. Houston, TX 77042
From its Houston and Austin offices, Burton Construction delivers modern spaces for the healthcare, corporate, industrial, commercial, multifamily, and hospitality sectors. Established over 15 years ago, the firm easily tops Houston’s list of the most in-demand building companies today. Many of its high-value projects have been featured in industry publications, including the Houston Chronicle, Forbes Magazine, Houston Business Journal, and Chron. The firm works with the largest developers in the field and often works with renowned architectural companies to build landmarks and urban high-rises across the region. In recent years the firm partnered with global design and architectural firm Gensler to complete the CityCenter. The project involved the full construction of the 37-acre mixed-use development found in Houston. The building is home to upscale commercial and entertainment spaces, a fitness facility, as well as condominium units, lofts, apartments, and hotel accommodations. It also accommodates state-of-the-art workspaces designed to support a highly collaborative work environment. Included in the project is a four-level parking space for guests and tenants.
Joeris General Contractors
19350 Tomball Pkwy. Suite #110, Houston, TX 77070
Since Joeris General Contractors launched its services to the Texan industrial, commercial, education, healthcare, religious, civic, and corporate markets in 1967, it has delivered high-value and notable projects throughout the region. In 2020, for instance, one of its builds won the ASA Project of the Year award, under the $5M-$10M category. Another project earned the same organization’s Platinum Award, this time for the $20M-$50M category. Publications such as ENR and San Antonio Business Journal also featured and recognized many of the firm’s mixed-use projects. For one of its highly commended development works, for instance, the firm built a 75,000-square-foot mixed-use facility in San Antonio. The Pearl Lab is a three-story shell building that houses a ground-level retail space. Included in the project scope was a new road to provide easy access to the new commercial space. Housing the building is the office of the project owner and Pearl District developer, Silver Ventures. Adelante Mexican food restaurant and San Antonio Area Foundation are also two of its high-value tenants.
Rogers-O’Brien Construction
11200 Richmond Ave. Suite #110, Houston, TX 77082
Rogers-O’Brien Construction is a general contracting company that has served a wide spectrum of markets throughout Texas since 1969. From its four locations in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, it provides preconstruction, building, and construction management services to the region’s largest brands and organizations. Its diverse client list includes Neiman Marcus, Pizza Hut, WeWork, Cambridge Holdings, and Texas Oncology Cancer Center. The firm’s impressive portfolio caught the attention of the industry. In 2019, for instance, ENR chose the firm among its Regional Texas and Louisiana Top Contractors. Architect Magazine, Houston Chronicle, and Houston Business Journal featured many of its works. One of the firm’s most recent projects is the Hilltop Plaza, located in Texas’s University Park. The 347,000-square-foot mixed-use facility was meant to replace an existing office building that sat on the property for years. The new structure now houses luxury retail spaces, offices, and restaurants. Underground parking that can accommodate 600 cars has been provided for the building’s tenants and customers. Architecture and planning firm, Omniplan Inc. designed the modern and pedestrian-friendly commercial project.
Arch-Con Corporation
1335 West Gray, #210, Houston, TX 77019
Specializing in commercial construction, Arch-Con Corporation is a general contractor that has produced an award-winning portfolio of work that has been commended for its structural and architectural feats. It’s not surprising that the company is a constant title-holder for sought-after industry awards, including the 2020 RED News General Contractor of the Year. It also consistently ranks among the best of ENR’s Top 400 Contractors list from 2016 through 2020. The firm’s award-winning reputation can be attributed to the quality, value, and complexity of its construction projects. One of the firm’s biggest builds for the luxury commercial sector that exemplifies these qualities is Buffalo Heights. Buffalo Heights is located at the heart of downtown Houston. The 742,000-square-foot high-end mixed-use facility redefines urban living through its resort-style and heavily landscaped green spaces for its multifamily tenants that occupy its several floors. A multi-tier pool, several outdoor spaces for socializing, turf areas, and seating areas, are just a few of the outdoor amenities that it provides. Indoor amenities include conference rooms, a clubhouse, indoor seating, and bicycle storage. The building also accommodates office spaces, commercial spaces for retail and groceries, and a parking garage.
VCC
7906 N Sam Houston Pkway W, Suite 201Houston, TX 77064
VCC operates from its nine locations throughout the United States. This impressive geographic scope allows them to serve a wide spectrum of industries, especially the commercial market sector. As a modern company, the firm makes use of the latest in engineering and construction technologies to enhance collaboration among clients, architects, and other project partners. This approach to building is one of the factors that helped it secure its place on the ENR Top 400 Contractors list. The Houston Business Journal and Finance and Commerce magazine regularly highlight the firm’s 30 years of practice. For its mixed-use and commercial works, the firm often partners with the biggest architectural firms in the world. In recent years, it worked with international firm Gensler to complete the construction of the River Oaks District for the client, real estate development firm OliverMcMillan. The project was designed to mirror the elegant and luxurious experience of Beverly Hills’s Rodeo Drive. The building, located in Houston, is built to accommodate high-end commercial spaces for luxury brands and boutique retail stores. Cafes and restaurants complete the complex’s shop-and-dine experience. The building’s multifamily components are housed in its four new towers. Parts of these structures were also allotted to several hotel and office spaces.
Harvey | Harvey-Cleary Builders
3663 Briarpark, Suite #101, Houston, TX 77042
A long list of publications highlights Harvey | Harvey-Cleary Builders’s role in shaping the region’s metropolitan landscapes. Articles from the ENR, ArchDaily, Curbed Austin, Tri-City Herald, and Inhabitat featured many of its projects that represent the company’s devotion to sustainability, technological innovation, and quality construction. The firm was established in 1957 and since then it has established its reputation as a leading commercial and mixed-use development builder in the region. It has four locations in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Washington DC. In recent years, its Houston office completed the CityPlace 2. Measuring 291,000 square feet, the mixed-use building is one of Spring’s most recognizable landmarks. The ten-story facility is composed mainly of office spaces and retail units on the first floor. The firm also built its multi-level, pre-cast parking garage for clients and tenants. Designed by Gensler, the cast-in-place structure is a modern architectural masterpiece that features a storefront, curtain wall, and pre-cast, custom metal panels on its exterior.
