Global engineering firm Gulf Companies has signed a 52,148-square-foot lease at the 14-story Eldridge Oaks office building in Houston, which will host its new headquarters. 

Gulf plans to move into the Class A building in April 2024. The move marks a footprint downsize for Gulf. The firm occupies 115,000 square feet at 16010 Barkers Point Lane, a Class B office building owned by Silver Star Properties.

Planned and ongoing improvements at Eldridge Oaks include the addition of outdoor amenities, a conference center and on-site food services, as well as a complete update to the first- and second-floor lobbies. Renovations are expected to wrap up this fall. Stream Realty Partners assisted the landlord in the negotiations.

In recent months, Houston’s office market has begun to show signs of increased leasing activity. The metro’s vacancy rate, at 23.2 percent as of May, was 150 basis points lower on a year-over-year basis, according to a recent Commercial Edge report but still remained one of the highest in the U.S.