Technology finally has an answer for the afternoon sun that bathes North Texas buildings in heat and, appropriately, the West End will be the first in the region to showcase it.

On Wednesday, Crescent Real Estate broke ground on The Luminary, a 100,000-square-foot office building planned on Houston Street and Ross Avenue in Dallas. 

The building will feature SageGlass, an auto-tinting window containing chemicals that react to low voltage electric current. The tint level can be adjusted using an app or automatically as the sun progresses throughout the day.

When completed in early 2019, the seven-story tower will be the tallest building in the West End.

“It’s a collaborative group of businesses, office owners, and retailers looking to rebrand this as the innovation district.” 

Stephen Luik

“This will be the first multi-tenant office building built in downtown outside of the Arts District in 30 years,” said John Zogg, managing director for Crescent Real Estate. “Our hope is that The Luminary will serve as a catalyst for future development just as The Crescent did 33 years ago launching Uptown as its iconic anchor.”

Sophisticated lighting systems will give the building a warm glow in the evening that will live up to the building’s name and become a landmark for vehicles passing by on Interstate 35E and Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

The building will be designed to compliment what’s already in the West End, with a modern touch.

The first three floors will be a 462-space parking garage with a parking ratio of three spaces for every 1,000 square feet of office space. The remaining four floors will each have about 81,711 square feet of lease space. The fifth level will have a rooftop observation platform with views of downtown and Uptown Dallas.

The area on the western edge of downtown has become an innovation district for North Texas in recent years. Companies such as Uber, SnapChat, Blue Cross Blue Shield have all established presence in the area while The Dallas Entrepreneur Center houses a multitude of startups.

“Those are the types of tenants that we’re trying to attract,” said Stephen Luik, vice president of Crescent. “It’s a collaborative group of businesses, office owners, and retailers looking to rebrand this as the innovation district.”

The Luminary will be the first building in the region to use the SageGlass technology. [Rendering courtesy of Crescent Real Estate]

SAGEGLASS BRINGS ITS AUTO TINT GLASS TO DFW

SageGlass has been perfecting the technology to auto tint glass for 15 years and just recently got it to this point. Each 10-foot by 5-foot panel will have two zones that can be independently controlled.

“You can have the effects of blinds and shades without those traditional solutions,” said Tyler Hall, regional sales manager for SageGlass.

The Luminary will be the first building in the region to use the SageGlass technology.

Blinds get dusty and they block the stunning views of downtown.

The Luminary will be the first building in the region to use the SageGlass technology.

It gives office workers a view of downtown, Uptown Dallas, and beyond without worrying about the sun’s glare or heat.  

CORGAN’S NEW HOME

Crescent bought the land for The Luminary and purchased the headquarters of architecture firm Corgan next door. Now, Corgan will lease back its current building and an additional 23,268 square feet in The Luminary.

That leaves 81,711-square feet that’s available for other tenants.

“A building just like this one draws the best out of creative and innovative spirits.”

Bob Morris

In addition, Corgan will completely remodel its existing space using what its learned designing offices for Charles Schwab, Toyota, Southwest Airlines, and others. The goal is to make it more collaborative and attractive for young professionals.

“A building just like this one draws the best out of creative and innovative spirits,” said Bob Morris, president and CEO of Corgan.

Corgan, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year, employs more than 400 people in the West End. The company has been in that area for decades, but it did look elsewhere for future expansion, Morris said.  

Ultimately, Corgan decided to stay put and partner with Crescent to expand.

The Luminary will be the latest addition to an area that has attracted companies such as Uber, SnapChat, and Blue Cross Blue Shield in recent years. [Rendering courtesy of Crescent Real Estate]

AN INNOVATION HUB

Adam Medrano, deputy mayor pro tem on the Dallas City Council, said the city is working to create walkable streetscapes in the West End and he’s excited about what The Luminary will add.

“The building will be filled with young, smart, creative game changers and it’s a wonderful boost for our entire city,” Medrano said.

“The building will be filled with young, smart, creative game changers and it’s a wonderful boost for our entire city.”

Adam Medrano

The Dallas Innovation Alliance has worked to make the West End a smart city prototype and the Crescent building furthers that goal.

The Luminary will seek LEED certification and will be one of the first in the U.S. to pursue WELL Building Standard certification, said Jennifer Sanders, executive director at the Dallas Innovation Alliance. 

“Recent years have seen a resurgence in real estate activity, and the continued growth and expansion of local businesses and restaurants, as creative talent and heavy residential growth has increased in the West End.” Sanders said. 

The 100,000-square-foot office building will house Corgan leaving about 81,711-square feet of leasable space available for other tenants. [Rendering courtesy of Crescent Real Estate]

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