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All this is possible because man has turned his back on the waterway he damaged and fo-
cused his attention elsewhere. The same is true for the Longhorn Pecan. It is the descendant of a
great stand of pecan trees between the coastal plain and the Katy Prairie. That same stand of
trees produced the "Peaceful Pecan"- a tree famous because in its shade in 1837 the Cherokee
Indians and President Sam Houston signed a treaty back when Houston was the capital of
Texas. Today the tree stands alone with man having built round, above, and below it.
"Longhorn" isn't a species of pecan tree. The name comes from the Longhorn Café. The tree
is firmly lodged in the restaurant's back patio, its roots covered by bricks, surrounded by the
Lancaster Hotel and the Calpine Center. It was the construction of that tower that gave the tree
its 15 minutes of fame. Previously, it was hemmed in by the Rice Rittenhouse parking garage,
so the only people who knew this historic tree was left in downtown were the people at the
Longhorn.
When the parking garage came down to make way for the Calpine Center, people outside
saw it and started asking questions. They marveled at the way the brave tree seems to defy
the smog, the cramped conditions, and all the other insults thrown at it. It wouldn't be
accurate to say it thrives, but it at least survives. Most of the foliage is gathered at the top as
the tree stretches skyward in search of natural light.
Thanks to Hines, the people who developed the Calpine tower, the tree may finally get a
chance to experience some lateral growth. Construction workers carefully placed scaffolding
and other protections around the tree during construction, and now that the tower is done, the
tree is a little less cramped. The tower also helps with sunlight. The Calpine Center's windows
reflect natural light that was previously absorbed by the concrete parking decks. But at 32-
stories, the Calpine Center is much taller than the former parking garage, and will keep the pre-
cious morning sun to itself. By now the Longhorn Pecan is estimated to be about 60-years-old.
That means it will end its natural life cycle in about a decade. If you have the chance, try to see
this piece of natural history before it dies.
• November 2001 – Longhorn Pecan placed on the Harris County Tree Registry.
HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON SCHOOL
OF NURSING
This structure is an attempt by architects and engineers to produce a building that is both
useful and low-impact. The philosophy is appropriate in two ways. First, it is a college-owned
building, and college students are more likely to be environmentally conscious. And secondly,
because it is part of the Texas Medical Center, an entity that exists to preserve life, not to pave
it over.
The designers of the building are using a number of interesting techniques to limit its im-
pact. Among them: the use of ash waste from a coal-fired electric power plant instead of ce-
ment, the use of recycled aluminum. Instead of cutting down new trees, the wood will come
from trees found at the bottom of the Mississippi River. Bricks – from a demolished building in
San Antonio, Texas.
The building is designed to last at least 100 years and to be adaptable to changing needs.
Taking these extra steps means an extra expense. For this building, it was about two percent, or
$US 1,140,000.00. In time, it is believed this cost will be recouped through lower energy and
maintenance costs. This building could mark the start of an important trend for the area. The
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