Landmark 150,000-sq-ft build with custom concrete and flood-resilient design to open this fall
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The first Ismaili Center in the U.S. is nearing completion in Houston, marking a milestone for the global Shia Ismaili Muslim community and a transformative addition to the city’s cultural landscape.
The building, designed to attain LEED Gold certification, has reached substantial completion. McCarthy Building Cos., the general contractor, has handed over the facility to its owner, with staff training and furniture installation currently in progress.
A grand opening is scheduled for fall 2025, likely in November, McCarthy said, contingent on coordination with His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V and political leaders.
Digging Deeper:
ENR | First Ismaili Center in U.S. Is Site to Behold in Texas
Designed by London-based architect Farshid Moussavi, the 150,000-sq-ft Ismaili Center Houston occupies an 11-acre site along Allen Parkway, across from Buffalo Bayou Park.
The five-story structure rises 72 ft above grade, with broad verandas and elevated terraces overlooking nine acres of landscaped gardens.
Building for a Century
From the outset, McCarthy was tasked with constructing a 100-year building that would endure as a civic and cultural landmark. “This building is a 100-year structure, designed to be a landmark for generations of community members,” said Winston Hesch, senior superintendent at McCarthy.
To achieve that durability, McCarthy developed a bespoke architectural concrete mix. Forgoing Texas’s standard fly ash, the team imported slag cement from Florida and blended it with titanium dioxide pigment to achieve a lighter limestone-gray finish and greater workability.
The result was concrete reaching strengths of 16,000–18,000 psi—nearly triple the project’s requirement.
“They went with heavy concrete, and they went with the Turkish stone grain, because they wanted to be similar to Texas limestone,” Hesch said. “And also, everything’s bigger in Texas. That’s why they built this giant, big, grand building. They wanted to make sure it fit the area.”
The scale of the work was matched by its precision. More than 90 architectural concrete walls were poured, with only two requiring rework—a point of pride for Hesch and Project Director Randi Fronczek.
Before field production began, McCarthy spent eight months on mix development, completing 20 to 30 small mock-ups and two large-scale mock-ups. The first major wall pour—a 115-ft-long, 25-ft-high element requiring more than 200 cu yd of concrete—set the project’s tone.
It took two pump trucks running for nearly seven hours. “That was an intense day,” recalled Fronczek. “Seeing that wall stripped and flawless was a milestone moment for the team.”
Because the project’s exposed concrete doubled as its finish, tolerances were effectively zero. Saw-cut joints in topping slabs had to align with wall joints, glazing panels, and even custom gypsum ceilings, as specified in the schedule years later.
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“It’s just an extreme focus,” Hesch said. “If you hadn’t done it before, it could be a big challenge.” Ultra-high-performance concrete panels were used not only in soffits but also in atrium walls, adding both durability and a refined architectural finish.
The site features a 600-car, two-level underground parking garage, which involved excavating 200,000 cu yd of soil. Located next to Buffalo Bayou, the property spans two elevation levels: the lower level sits in the 100-year floodplain, while the building platform is within the 500-year floodplain.
“The site is designed for the bayou to swell up and fill the site and then drain back down,” Fronczek said. The system was tested during Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, when floodwaters rose for 24 hours, filled the grounds and receded with minimal damage. Fronczek said only one tree was lost.
Choreography for High-End Deliverable
As explained during an interview with ENR, delivering the Center required a management structure as intricate as the design. McCarthy staffed the job more heavily than usual, with up to seven superintendents at peak handling concrete, MEP and enclosure packages. At peak activity, the workforce reached 250–275 craft workers.
Leadership was split among three principals: Fronczek, who managed design coordination and finishes; Hesch, who oversaw field operations; and Chris Flasik, who managed budget and schedule. The team also had to reset expectations with subcontractors and McCarthy’s own craft crews.
“We had to retrain our concrete crews to slow down and get it right, or we’d be tearing it down and putting it back again,” Fronczek said.
Technology proved essential. McCarthy conducted laser scans at four stages—from structural frame through final finishes—to ensure alignment. Weekly 360-degree photo documentation, drone flights and robotic total stations reinforced quality control.
Subcontractors used the scans to develop shop drawings for custom-fabricated finishes shipped from overseas.
Learn More:
Who Are the Ismaili? | About the Ismaili Centres
For the Ismaili community, the Houston project represents more than an engineering accomplishment. “They are looking for a building that’s going to be a place of community for Houston for generations to come,” Fronczek said. “It’s a reward for a community that is built on service and giving back … and a welcoming place for everybody.”
The Center will join six others worldwide—in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe and Toronto—as civic and spiritual hubs for dialogue and cultural exchange. Houston, home to the largest Ismaili population in the U.S., was selected by the late Aga Khan IV in 2006 for the first American facility.
His son and successor, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, is overseeing its completion. Moussavi’s design reflects both Islamic architectural traditions and Houston’s subtropical climate, combining shaded open-air gathering areas with light-filled interiors.
“We’re very proud and honored to be a part of this project,” Fronczek said. “It’s an architectural gem for Houston and will be a landmark for generations.”
