Tag: houston | ArchDaily

From London to Houston: Four Ongoing Pedestrianisation Initiatives Shaping More Walkable Cities

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Across Europe and North America, pedestrianisation is increasingly being deployed as a context-specific urban strategy shaped by distinct economic, social, and spatial pressures. As cities continue to reassess the role of streets in the wake of economic shifts, climate pressures, and changing mobility patterns, pedestrianisation is emerging as a tool in current urban transformation efforts. Across London, New York, Houston, and Stockholm, ongoing pedestrian-first projects are testing different pathways toward more resilient and walkable cities, ranging from statutory planning and capital construction to research-driven visioning. London's Oxford Street is advancing through consultation and governance reform to address retail decline; New York's Paseo Park is moving from a temporary pandemic intervention into permanent infrastructure; Houston is accelerating the pedestrianisation of its downtown core in preparation for a global sporting event; and Stockholm's Superline is using design research to rethink the future of an inner-city motorway. These initiatives reveal how pedestrianisation is being actively negotiated, designed, and built today, adapting to local motivations while converging on a shared objective of streets that perform as resilient public spaces rather than traffic conduits.

The Ismaili Center Houston / Farshid Moussavi Architecture

Pilar Caballero — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 03:00:00 +0000

A Space for Reflection, Dialogue, and Discovery - Ismaili Centers around the world serve as ambassadorial buildings, welcoming people of all backgrounds to explore the intersections of faith, culture, and civic life. Each embodies the Ismaili community's commitment to peaceful pluralism, intellectual engagement, and shared humanity, offering a place for spiritual reflection, cultural exchange, and public dialogue. The Ismaili Center Houston continues this tradition, envisioned as a living home for the mind and spirit – a place where programmes in education, art, music, performance, and conversation come together to foster understanding among people of all backgrounds.

First Ismaili Center in the U.S., Designed by Farshid Moussavi Architecture, Opens in Houston

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The Ismaili Center in Houston, the first of its kind in the United States, was inaugurated on November 6, 2025, by Mayor John Whitmire. Designed by Farshid Moussavi Architecture and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, the 11-acre site overlooking Buffalo Bayou Park establishes a new architectural and cultural landmark within Houston's urban and social landscape. Located at the intersection of Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard, the Center builds upon a vision first outlined by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV in 2006 and later developed under the direction of his successor. Joining six existing Ismaili Centers worldwide, in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto, the Houston Center aims to continue a global tradition of fostering intercultural dialogue and civic engagement.

William T. Cannady Hall / Karamuk Kuo + Kendall/Heaton Associates

Hadir Al Koshta — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 03:00:00 +0000

William T. Cannady Hall for Architecture is a 22,000 square foot (2,044 square meters) addition to Rice School of Architecture, designed to foster architectural production, research, and exhibition. It is the first U.S. project by renowned Swiss architects Karamuk Kuo.

Rice Architecture Anderson Hall Renovation / Kwong Von Glinow

Andreas Luco — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Design through Finding: three new spaces in MD Anderson Hall — Rice University School of Architecture commissioned Kwong Von Glinow to design three new spaces within MD Anderson Hall: a Welcome Center, a Student and Community Forum, and a Faculty & Staff Lounge. These new spaces are located along the school's central axis. Our design process began with a deep dive into the building's history to understand the original 1947 building by Staub and Rather and the subsequent 1981 addition by James Stirling and Michael Wilford. One of the texts mentioned Philip Johnson's observation of the James Stirling addition: "I came to see Jim's building but couldn't find it." (Cite Fall 1992-Winter 1993) This notion of "finding" space became integral to our design approach.

Retail, Auxiliary, and Dining (RAD) Center at the University of Houston / Perkins&Will

Hana Abdel — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Overview: The RAD Center is the first mass timber project at the University of Houston. Envisioned as a "third place" outside of the home or classroom, the building replaces an underground dining facility that was severely damaged during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

The 25 Most Anticipated Projects of 2025

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

As 2024 comes to an end, the architectural world looks ahead to 2025, a year set to unveil transformative projects across the globe. From cultural landmarks in Asia, such as Sou Fujimoto's "Grand Ring" for Expo 2025 Osaka and MAD Architects' Hainan Science Museum in China, to dynamic urban developments like OMA's Harajuku Quest in Tokyo and David Chipperfield's Elbtower in Hamburg, these projects reflect a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and preserving cultural heritage.

After Closure due to Hurricane Damage, the Rothko Chapel Announces Reopening Date

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The Rothko Chapel, a celebrated structure appreciated for its profound meditative space, has announced its reopening to the public on December 17th. Following the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Beryl last July, the custodians of the structure announced its indefinite closure, as a team of art conservators, engineers, and volunteers began the extensive work to restore both the architecture and the invaluable artworks stored within. The Chapel's reopening marks a significant milestone in the recovery process, making this sanctuary of contemplation accessible once again to the community.

The High Line Effect: Transforming Abandoned Infrastructure in the United States

Ankitha Gattupalli — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 07:30:00 +0000

In the early 2000s, an abandoned rail line in Manhattan sat decaying - a memory from a time when freight trains traveled straight through the city. To most citizens, it was a site destined for demolition. However, a few visionary residents saw an opportunity in this neglected space and advocated to transform it into a public green space for the community. The success of the project seemed to spark a "High Line Effect", inspiring other American cities to pursue civic infrastructure on outdated railways, roadways, and industrial sites.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro Breaks Ground on Rice University's New Arts Building

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) with a team led by Charles Renfro has broken ground on Rice University's New Arts Building named the Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall. The new building envisioned as a gateway to the university's campus will incorporate exhibition areas, labs, studios, shops, faculty offices, and other facilities. To create adaptability over time, the structure uses an expandable prefabricated system, thus incorporating interdisciplinarity and experimentation within the design. The building located in Houston, Texas, is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

Great American Cities That Teach Architecture

Mark Alan Hewitt — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 03:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Houston Endowment Headquarters / Kevin Daly Architects + PRODUCTORA

Clara Ott — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 07:00:00 +0000

The Houston Endowment headquarters has been thoughtfully designed to be the center of a network, equally a meeting place for members of the community and for the distribution of resources and expertise back to the community at large. The headquarters was imagined to have an anchoring quality in a transient city, a measure against the significant urban transformation that has followed the restoration of the Buffalo Bayou and the surrounding neighborhood.

The Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Paula Pintos — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The newest and largest research facility in Rice University’s historic core campus — the Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science is now open. The 250,000-square-foot O’Connor Building provides students and researchers with technology-rich facilities that align with the University’s goal to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery and to recruit the country’s best scientific and engineering minds. Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Texas, Rice is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report and the O’Connor Building will only elevate this standing.

Mass Timber Pavillion / Jesús Vassallo

Benjamin Zapico — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Located within the Rice University campus, the Harris Gully Natural Area is a restored watershed consisting of several microhabitats, from wet savannah to dense forests and shrublands.

What are the Spatial Possibilities for Enclosures Within the Highway Interchange?

Paul Yakubu — Fri, 19 May 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Highway interchanges have evolved from important infrastructures that help distribute traffic to unique landmarks that define cities. As multiple road networks embrace and form distinctive sculptures, these road intersections range from singular bridge connections and roundabouts to numerous, layered and multi-layered interchanges. They twist, turn, loop, and wrap around sparse land, vegetation, or existing structures in a bid to transfer travelers from one roadway to another. However, they also create a moment of enclosure, forming partially bounded areas and a sense of space. These spaces could be viewed as liminal and transitional, with no fixed typology able to be hosted. But that blurring character calls for ideas of urban intervention to disrupt the notion of what these spaces can be. They can be readapted from car-dominant sculptures into more human-friendly places and re-integrated as extended schemes of the city's architecture.

2 Courtyard House / Robertson Design

Martita Vial della Maggiora — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000

A fairly simple building, this house has two distinctive features, the 35-foot cantilever of the 2nd floor and the atypical site plan with dual courtyards substituted for the traditional suburban backyard. Both of these features are a direct result of 3 fairly prosaic goals: the client’s desire for privacy, an efficient use of the pie-shaped lot, and a façade that isn’t dominated by a garage door. Layered over these requests is the architect’s inclination to create a highly controlled and beautiful entry experience. The building itself consists of 2 (roughly) rectangular volumes that are connected by a glazed hallway.

Sid Richardson Residential College / Barkow Leibinger

Paula Pintos — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Supplementing an existing residential/ dormitory tower (from 1971 by Neuhaus and Taylor Architects) for Sid Rich College, the new college sets a milestone for Rice University’s rapidly growing campus in Houston. An incubator for architecture, Rice has a long history of supporting forward-looking architecture from its classical origins (a masterplan of 1910 by Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson, Boston), through modernism in the 50-the 60s to post-modernism in the 80s (Michael Graves, James Sterling, Cesar Pelli) to an array of innovative recent buildings (Michael Malzahn, Thomas Phifer, and artist James Turrell).

It’s Time to Be Honest About the Impending Costs of Climate Change

Martin C. Pedersen, Steven Bingler — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 03:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Common Edge.