McCord Development Launches Smart City Initiative With Hiring of Nick Cardwell, PhD

McCord’s Smart City Initiatives Set to Transform the Future of Commercial Development and it Starts at Generation Park

McCord, owner and developer of Houston’s Generation Park, a 4,200 acre master-planned development that is larger in scale than Google’s Sidewalk Labs project in Canada and Toyota’s Woven City in Japan, announces the hiring of Nick Cardwell, PhD as Vice President of Digital Innovation. In the newly created role, Cardwell will bring a data driven, digital transformation and twinning approach to smart city innovation at Generation Park.

“Sensor technology, machine learning, and big data capabilities have exploded in the last decade and are rapidly outpacing the built world. Bolting this digital future onto aging cities is no easy task. With Generation Park, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start from the beginning and rapidly prove up hardware and software technology solutions, at a massive scale,” said Ryan McCord, President of McCord. “Generation Park, while being physically many times larger than most smart city projects, also benefits from being located in a more physically, socially, and economically diverse test bed of a notoriously low-regulation part of the United States—Houston, Texas.”

McCord’s current focus is on utilizing data to drive project and design decisions, ultimately leading to an improved human experience at Generation Park, and wherever McCord develops, bringing a new meaning to “Smart Cities.”

“McCord’s vision for Generation Park is the future of commercial development, pushing digital innovation into the forefront and leveraging cutting-edge technologies throughout their portfolio. I am beyond thrilled to join the McCord team and help make that vision a reality,” said Cardwell. “Through the use of experiences, data, and collaborations, we will accelerate learnings and, in turn, advance resources that will truly improve people’s lives.”

Cardwell brings over a decade of expertise in a variety of high-tech areas including data science, engineering, technology, and product development. Prior to joining McCord, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Operations at Austin-based Bractlet, a leading simulation software created to change the way buildings are designed, operated, and maintained. During his time at Bractlet, Cardwell pioneered digital twin software technologies which combined data collection with a predictive understanding of commercial building operations.
“We’re continuing to cultivate an innovative ecosystem at Generation Park that will benefit future projects, current tenants, and society as a whole,” said McCord. “Nick brings an exhaustive range of experience within the technology space that will propel McCord to the forefront of not only building ‘smart cities’ but building cities smarter through the understanding utilization.”

McCord is using data from the present to influence and improve the future of design and development which will ultimately transform the way real estate is approached, whether building from the ground up or reimagining what exists today.
The addition of Nick Cardwell as Vice President of Digital Innovation follows McCord’s most recent announcement of the appointment of former Texas Medical Center Chief Operating Officer, Shawn Cloonan as General Counsel to McCord. With its two newest additions, McCord is confidently expanding its leadership team while planning for the future of Generation Park and the city of Houston.

To learn more or join us at Generation Park visit generationpark.com.

About Generation Park
Generation Park, one of the world’s largest privately held commercial developments, is a master-planned business and lifestyle destination in Houston, Texas. Over a quarter the size of Manhattan and with convenient access to all major land, air and sea transportation corridors in Houston, Generation Park is driving the expansion of one of Houston fastest growing economic and residential centers, Lake Houston. Generation Park’s flagship entertainment and lifestyle destination, Redemption Square, is home to a growing collection of curated retailers, restaurants, and many future developments. For more information, please visit generationpark.com.

About McCord
McCord is a Houston-based opportunistic real estate company with a longstanding track record of creating substantial value through the acquisition, development, and management of office, industrial, land, single family, and multifamily assets. Since 1973, McCord has acquired or developed over $3 billion in successful projects across the United States. To learn more, visit mccord.com.