REAL ESTATE / HIGH-RISES

Get an Interactive Virtual Tour of the $500 Million Wonderland

It is one of the most anticipated developments in recent Houston history — for good reason. The Allen is a $500 million-plus, six-acre, mixed-use project going up near Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston. It comes from Houston-based DC Partners, known for their luxury highrise buildings, such as the award-winning Arabella in the River Oaks District, Astoria in the Galleria and Marlowe in downtown.

Now welcome the most innovative hotel-condo project yet, The Residences at The Allen — right in the heart of the most exciting new development in the Bayou City.

The Allen will include five towers, including an awe-inspiring, 99-unit condominium building atop the Thompson Houston luxury hotel, a state-of-the-art office building, a lifestyle pavilion featuring the nation’s leading fitness club, roof top dining, top restaurants and high-end, luxury retail stores. DC Partners is developing the project in partnership with Tianqing Real Estate Development and Westmont Hospitality Group.

Situated directly overlooking Buffalo Bayou Park, the Lifestyle Pavilion will be the first of the five towers to open in The Allen, with it slated to debut in 2021. Not far behind will be the second tower ― a 35 story Hotel Condo Tower, with its upper floor condominium Residences at The Allen (with commanding views on floors 16 to 35). The condos will be open by the end of 2022, and the lower section (floors 8 to 15) will debut as the Thompson Hotel by 2023.

High-Tech Tours

Residences at The Allen opened its 3,000-square-foot Sales Gallery on site last June, but with that fully equipped space temporarily taking into consideration social distancing practices, private appointments and unique interactive virtual tours are taking center stage.

These tours are unlike any most have experienced. The Allen’s virtual tours don’t just put you inside the Residences. They allow you to go as far as customizing your home virtually, to see different views and finishes, providing a complete picture of how your actual home would look.

“Because we embraced technology early on in the development of The Allen, we are able to seamlessly transition our sales experiences into homes around the world — and now, locally,” sales director Samuel Katz says. “Matter of fact, it has been so well received we have sold two penthouses using this enhanced technology in the last month.”

Knowing that their potential buyers are not just confined to the Houston area, The Allen recognized the need to incorporate a state-of-the-art tool catered to its international clients. “We wanted to be able to show clients the space, even if they were in Dubai or London,” Katz says. “Being able to give them an immersive experience without a face to face tour is so important ― especially now.”

When faced with the new coronavirus realities, The Allen sales team quickly pivoted to using the same platform that helped buyers across the world to living rooms in River Oaks. This virtual reality technology is a dynamic platform that allows you to walk every inch of the space, and Katz has been busy guiding tours like this for weeks with no one having to leave their home.

“The ability to bring a buyer into the exact space they are considering is a huge help to us,” Katz says. “Even as we start to return to life outside of quarantine, I think many people have embraced new technology methods and will continue to want this virtual option because of its unique features and on-demand customization abilities.”

Imagine the technology of a video game that allows you to move through your future home, taking in the view from your plunge pool or balcony. Then add the ability to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows and see exactly the view you would have from your chosen condominium.

“We created this to include the actual views of the city from every angle,” Katz says. He can even program in a specific time of day or season of the year, to provide the most accurate scene possible.

Walk around your kitchen, and see all the different finish options come to life, from cabinet style and color to flooring. You can choose different finishes and change out the materials in your kitchen and baths — in real time.

“We’ve given our software development team the architectural files, from HOK Architecture, and have incorporated actual drone footage to produce this realistic experience,” Katz says.

There is a lot to take in with this luxury high rise. The Residences at The Allen were designed from the inside out, with livable features like thoughtful display walls for showcasing art collections, and even the convenience of a helistop on the roof.  These homes were designed around how people actually live, rather than how many condos fit into the exterior design and structure of  the building.

The Allen’s Houston Power

The Allen is located just across the street from Houston’s largest greenspace ― Buffalo Bayou Park, and with Houston’s Federal Reserve branch to your west, your unsurpassed views are protected from future development. In some ways, downtown is your front door and only minutes away, while River Oaks is your backdoor with all that the fashionable 77019 zip code has to offer.

While Buffalo Bayou is home to Houston’s largest dog park, The Allen has incorporated an innovative system to provide live grass on each home’s terrace. Its unique drainage system even washes your pet’s waste away, making high-rise living even more appealing. The grass is refreshed bi-weekly.

If you prefer, the space can also be turned into an irrigated sky garden instead.

All homes with a balcony have a fully equipped gas outdoor kitchen. And, of the 99 residences, a whopping 17 are considered penthouse units. Of those, 10 can even be outfitted with a plunge pool on the balcony that was engineered to be flush with the ground to provide unobstructed views from inside and out.

There is a private entrance and lobby for residents only, complete with private concierge services. These are just a few of the amenities Residences at The Allen include. Residents also get all the perks that come with the connected Thompson Hotel —pools, restaurants, event space, even room service. You compromise nothing with hotel accommodations and amenities as an extension of your home. All this with the security of a maintenance free, lock and go lifestyle.

The most anticipated new development in Houston is coming into view. What would be better than living there, in the heart of the city’s new showcase?

For more information on Residences at The Allen or to book a tour, click here.