The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and MIT’s Center for Advanced Urbanism has produced a new report examining urban health in eight of the USA’s largest cities, which has been translated into a collection of meaningful findings for architects, designers, and urban planners. With more than half of the world’s population living in urban areas - a statistic which is projected to grow to 70% by 2050 - the report hinges around the theory that “massive urbanization can negatively affect human and environmental health in unique ways” and that, in many cases, these affects can be addressed by architects and designers by the way we create within and build upon our cities.
Houston: The Latest Architecture and News
Design: A Long Term Preventative Medicine
BBVA Compass Stadium / Populous
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Architects: Populous
- Area: 340000 m²
- Year: 2012
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Manufacturers: Duo-Gard
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Professionals: WGA, Clark Condon, Manhattan Construction Company, Walter P. Moore & Associates
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) Chosen as Landscape Architect for Menil Collection Master Plan
In another pleasing step forward in its ultimate execution of David Chipperfield‘s master plan for the museum campus, the Menil Collection has hired Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates to design a new landscape for the 30-acre neighborhood that connects more than a half-dozen museum buildings.
2013 Sally Walsh Lecture: Moving House / Jeanne Gang
On March 26th, architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects will discuss how housing can evolve in multiple ways to address contemporary challenges in "Moving House," delivered as the Rice Design Alliance's 2013 Sally Walsh Lecture at the The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Dedicated to "honoring Walsh’s groundbreaking foray into modern design by bringing cutting edge designers to Houston," the lecture is sponsored in collaboration with the Rice School of Architecture, the AIA Houston Chapter, and the Architecture Center Houston Foundation.
Blaffer Museum / WORKac
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Architects: WORKac
- Year: 2012
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Professionals: Matrix Structural Engineers
Spotlight Award: Pezo Von Ellrichshausen Architects
The bold, yet seemingly simplistic geometric structures designed by architects Mauricio Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen of Pezo von Ellrichshausen are turning heads internationally, as the Chilean firm has been announced as the recipient of the fourth annual Spotlight Award. Presented by the Houston-based non-profit Rice Design Alliance (RDA), the international award spotlights “exceptionally gifted” architects during the early phase of their professional careers.
Asia Society Texas Center / Yoshio Taniguchi
Architect: Taniguchi and Associates Location: Houston, Texas, United States Architect of Record: Kendall/Heaton Associates Project Manager: Project Control Contractor: W. S. Bellows Construction Corp. Consultants: GBA Architecture, Ingenium Inc., CHPA Consulting Engineers, Walter P. Moore, Office of James Burnett, Fisher Marantz Stone, Minor Design Group, Theater Projects Consultants, Inc., Waterscape Consultants, Inc., Shen Milsom Wilke, CDC Curtain Wall Design and Consulting, Persohn/Hahn Associates, Ulrich Engineers, Inc. Project Area: 3,716 sqm Project Year: 2011 Photographs: Hester & Hardaway
James Turrell's "Twilight Epiphany" Skyspace opens today at Rice University
The highly anticipated “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace, designed by American artist James Turrell, will open to the public today with a sunset light show. The abstract pyramidal structure complements the natural light present at sunrise and sunset, creating a mesmerizing light show that connects the beauty of the natural world with the surrounding campus. This experience is enhanced by an LED light performance that projects onto the 72-by-72-foot thin white roof, which offers views to the sky through a 14-by-14-foot opening. Additionally, the Turrell Skyspace is acoustically engineered for musical performances and serves as a laboratory for music school students, as it stands adjacent to the Shepher School of Music on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas.
David Leebron, Rice University President: “The campus has to play its role in inspiring our students.”
Continue after the break to watch a sneak preview of the Turrell Skyspace light show.
'Reverse of Volume RG' Installation / Onishi Yasuaki
Yasuaki Onishi, who is known for his art throughout Japan and internationally, currently has an installation on exhibit in the Rice Gallery in Houston titled, ‘Reverse of Volume RG’. On display until June 24, he uses plastic sheeting and black hot glue to create a monumental, mountainous form that appears to float in space. In using these simple materials, he is able to successfully meditate on the nature of the negative space, or void, left behind. More images and project description after the break.
Downtown Houston Central Station Design Competition Shortlist /
Holl to design MFAH
Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the leading cultural institution of the region, has recently selected Steven Holl Architects to design a new museum building to support its collections, exhibitions, and various educational programs. After a comprehensive international competition, MFAH asked Steven Holl, Snøhetta, and Morphosis to develop site-specific concepts for the planned expansion. The jury unanimously chose Holl as his strong portfolio of built museums, such as the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the recently finished Cité de l’Océan et du Surf, display a sense of elegance and clarity much desired by the MFAH.
More about the museum after the break.
AD Classics: Menil Collection / Renzo Piano
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Architects: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
- Year: 1986
AD Classics: Rothko Chapel / Philip Johnson, Howard Barnstone, Eugene Aubry
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Architects: Philip Johnson, Howard Barnstone, Eugene Aubry
- Year: 1971
Helena House / StudioMET
- Year: 2010
AD Classics: The Museum of Fine Arts Houston / Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
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Architects: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
- Area: 10000 m²
- Year: 1974
Oak Forest Library / Natalye Appel + Architect Works, Inc., + James Ray Architects
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Architects: Architect Works, Inc.,, James Ray Architects, Natalye Appel
- Area: 1115 m²
- Year: 2011
St. Emanuel House / Ronnie Self
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Architects: Ronnie Self
- Area: 150 m²
- Year: 2009