“Next Door Creative Studios, the 26,000-square-foot project going up on the north side of East 12th Street between Navasota and San Bernard streets, is, in some subtle and important ways, an exception. It’s designed and developed by locals Pollen Architecture, which operated out of a nifty, minimalist building on the corner of the lot starting in 2002. Pollen principal Elizabeth Alford and team designed the project to be a “good neighbor,” she said, with moderate building heights that are compatible with surrounding houses and entries that mirror front porches of residences on the other side of 12th Street. The building and its interior spaces are also integrated with the outdoors on all sides, with large, operable windows all around and separate entries for workspaces creating a feeling of accessibility and openness.” – Curbed