The Ion, Rice University

Hines served as Development Manager for The Ion, a 26,660-square-meter Innovation Hub. The campus includes 4,600 square meter of public and shared spaces for events and programming in addition to office, academic and restaurant space. The Ion opened in 2021 and is certified Wired Platinum with LEED and WELL certifications in progress.

Rice began working on The Ion’s programming by partnering with six major Houston-area universities and Station Houston, a local “tech accelerator” dedicated to helping Houston entrepreneurs build better tech startups. The Ion seeks to inspire innovation and collaboration amongst universities, global corporations, entrepreneurs and investors. After initial plans for the new innovation district formed, Rice approached Hines to serve as development partner, rather than putting the project out for proposal. Hines’ strong history of successful third-party engagements was a key element in the university’s strategy and decision.