Archinect - News

SOM completes Rice University’s new engineering and science building behind a patterned brick facade

2023-12-08T13:24:00-05:00

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has completed a new engineering and science building for Rice University in Houston, Texas. Named the Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science, the 250,000-square-foot facility seeks to “provide students and researchers with technology-rich facilities that align with the University’s goal to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery.”

Image credit: Dave Burk © SOM

The new building contains laboratories, classrooms, offices, a cafe, and gathering spaces. At the top level, meanwhile, a multi-purpose event space contains an outdoor terrace set against the backdrop of the Houston skyline.

The building is anchored by a five-story central atrium, imagined by the team as “a hub of activity” connecting the wider facilities. A glazed facade at the ground level visually connects the building with the Engineering Quad outside, while a cantilevered sculptural stair is framed by brick walls and a fritted glass wall on the upper levels.

Image cred...

Rice architecture students design and build ADU with a nod to Texas’ architectural past

2022-05-05T08:29:00-04:00

Architecture students from Rice University have unveiled their newly-completed accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Houston, Texas. Designed by Rice alumni Madeleine Pelzel and Kati Gullick during their time at the university, the 640-square-foot ADU was ultimately built in real life over a period of three years.

The solar-powered structure is split by an outside breezeway reminiscent of traditional Texas Dogtrot dwellings, with a living room and kitchen on one side and a bedroom and bathroom on the other. The Dogtrot form dates back to the era before air conditioning, designed to encourage natural ventilation and shading. Separating the living and sleeping elements of the home also allows for more precise energy use, rather than heating or cooling the entire unit simultaneously.

Image via Rice University

To create the scheme’s unique roof structure, the students used a computer-controlled mill to print plywood plates, connecting the roof and walls at precise angles. The roof’s gentle s...

Maria Nicanor has been named the new director of the Cooper Hewitt Museum

2022-02-08T14:37:00-05:00

Change has come to the top of America’s oldest and best-funded arts organizations as Rice University’s Maria Nicanor has been named director of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York. Nicanor will step into a position previously occupied by interim directors John Davis and Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar on March 21st.

As director, she will oversee 86 employees and an annual operating budget of $15 million. Nicanor will also be in charge of overseeing the museum's slate of programming, which includes a newly-launched digital platform, in addition to maintaining its 215,000 object collection, educational initiatives, and annual National Design Awards.

“Maria has an impressive passion for design and a thorough understanding of the impact it has on our shared future,” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch said in a statement. “Her vision and leadership will help Cooper Hewitt reach even more audiences across the nation and around the world.”

Born in Barcelona and raised in Mad...

Diller Scofidio + Renfro unveils designs that will complete an arts trifecta for Rice University

2021-11-22T17:58:00-05:00

An architectural homecoming is in store for Rice University as one of Houston’s native sons has returned to his alma mater with a new arts facility unveiled this past week by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

DS+R Partner and Rice alumnus Charles Renfro will be the lead architect on the new Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall, an updated version of Rice’s now-demolished Art Barn that was originally commissioned by the illustrious de Menil family in 1969.

The Art Barn’s demolition made way for Michael Maltzan’s award-winning Moody Center, which will now be joined by the new prefabricated DS+R structure, which pays homage to the erstwhile metallic barn and Media Center buildings which were themselves mass-produced by the Butler corporation in the years following World War II. Renfro says it will help consolidate interdisciplinary arts education on campus in order to better meet the demands of students and educators in this highly technical age.

Interior view of Sarofim Hall. Courtesy of Diller Sco...

Waste car tires could make concrete stronger, say Rice University researchers

2021-07-27T14:50:00-04:00

Scientists at Rice University have published research which proposes repurposing waste tires in the production of concrete. By converting waste from rubber tires into graphene, the researchers believe the new composite can be used to strengthen concrete, and thus reduce the thickness of concrete needed in the construction of buildings.

“Concrete is the most produced material in the world, and simply making it produces as much as 9% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions,” says Rice University chemist James Tour. “If we can use less concrete in our roads, buildings, and bridges, we can eliminate some of the emissions at the very start.”

Rice scientists optimized a process to turn rubber from discarded tires into turbostratic flash graphene. Courtesy of the Tour Research Group

Of the 800 million tires discarded every year, approximately 16% are discarded in landfills; the remaining majority being burned for fuel. As Tours argues, “reclaiming even a fraction of those as graphene wi...

Rice Architecture selects Igor Marjanović as its new dean

2021-05-18T20:11:00-04:00

Rice University School of Architecture announces Igor Marjanović as the new William Ward Watkin Dean. Beginning his position starting July 1, Marjanović is an experienced architect, educator, and curator. Before his move to Rice, Marjanović is currently the JoAnne Stolaroff Cotsen Professor and chair of undergraduate architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

After receiving his architecture education from the University of Belgrade and the Moscow Architectural Institute, Marjanović received a Master's degree in Architecture from the Unversity of Illinois at Chicago and a Ph.D. at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Prior to starting his practice, ReadyMade Studio, alongside Katerina Rüedi Ray, Marjanović has worked with Osnova Projekt in Belgrade, Denise Pontes Arquitetura Interiores in Fortaleza, Brazil, and OWP/P Architects (now CannonDesign) in Chicago.

Anderson Hall at Rice University. Image cou...

Rice University selects Adjaye Associates' design for new student center

2020-11-03T16:53:00-05:00

Rice University plans to build a new student center, which will largely replace the current Rice Memorial Center. [...] Rice plans to retain a few elements of the Rice Memorial Center, such as the chapel and the cloisters, but most of the RMC will be demolished.

The new student center building for Rice University designed by Adjaye Associates will be a three-story, 80,000-square-foot structure that mostly replaces the current Rice Memorial Center, according to the school's announcement.

Get Lectured: Rice University, Fall' 20

2020-10-19T19:31:00-04:00

For the Fall term, universities are using their lecture series as opportunities to discuss the ongoing issues of racial inequality, climate, change, and politics within the field of architecture. Join Rice University for its Fall 2020 virtual lectures focusing on race, social justice, and allyship.

Archinect's ongoing Get Lectured series features each school's lecture series and their graphic design prowess with eye-catching lecture posters.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Rice start off the months of August and September with lectures from Mikki Hebl, Anzilla Glimore, Ilze and Heinrich Wolff, Jesús Vassallo, Ana María León, Stephen Fox, Kadambari Baxi, and Nonya Grenader. Leading into the week of October 21st the school welcomes a lecture from Michael Stone-Richards Professor and Director of Critical Theory at the College for Creative Studies as he discusses "Negation and Disavowal in Spatial Pol...

Houston, Texas releases comprehensive plan to create a more resilient city

2020-02-20T11:29:00-05:00

On Wednesday, the city released its “Resilient Houston” strategy, a robust plan to invest in and strengthen the capabilities of neighborhoods, communities and the entire region to address, withstand and quickly recover from physical, social and economic shocks and stresses. Mayor Sylvester Turner unveiled the strategy alongside Chief Resilience Officer Marissa Aho and signed an executive order requiring all city departments to make resilience part of all strategic planning.

The new plan comes in relation to the six floods that have occurred in the region: the Memorial Day Flood in 2015, the 2016 Tax Day Flood and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. According to the Kinder Institute, the Resilient Houston plan focuses on 5 core visions:

A Healthy Place to Live
An Equitable, Inclusive and Affordable City
A Leader in Climate Adaptation
A City That Grows Up, Not Out
A Transformative Economy

These goals will be achieved through "collaborative action" and the collective efforts of groups, organization and initiatives at the neighborhood, city, and regional levels, the Kinder Institute reports. 'We are faced with a choice. Either we commit now to making the investments in our workforce and infrastructure that can prevent huge losses, or we become short-sighted and think we have plenty of time," said Mayor Turner in an address. “By choosing the latter, we will be too late.”

2017 Rice Design Alliance Spotlight Prize goes to OOPEAA

2017-05-31T14:12:00-04:00

The ninth annual Spotlight Prize has been awarded to the Finnish firm OOPEAA. The award, given by the Rice Design Alliance—a non-profit program connected to Rice's School of Architecture—celebrates the work of emerging architects from the U.S. and abroad. Eligible candidates must be within the first 15 years of professional practice as the prize intends to highlight the work of exceptionally gifted architects at an early stage in their architectural careers. Previous winners have included Sou Fujimoto, Anton Garcia Abril, and LA Dallman among others.

Periscope Tower. Image Courtesy of Rice Design Alliance.

This year's recipient, Anssi Lassila, founded OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture in 2004, and gained international recognition for his Kärsämäki Shingle Church. He is known for combining sculptural forms with traditional materials and innovative techniques, which in Finland, often means working with wood, a material Lassila has extensive knowledge of. He has won numerous aw...

Get Lectured: Rice University, Fall '16

2016-09-23T14:06:00-04:00

Gearing up for another eventful school year this fall? Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss. Mark those calendars!

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Have a look at some of the upcoming lectures in Rice School of Architecture's current lecture series, “Time”.

Sept 28
Yasmin Vobis & Aaron Forrest / Principals at Ultramoderne, Providence
7pm at MATCH (6pm Reception)

Oct 5
Benton Johnson / Associate at SOM, Chicago
7pm at MATCH (6pm Reception)

Oct 17
Neil Denari / Founding Principal at NMDA; Professor and Interim Chair, UCLA Monday, 5:30pm at Anderson Hall
“Tomorrow Never Knows”

Oct 26
Andrew Waugh / Co-founder and Director at Waugh Thisleton, London
7pm at MATCH (6pm Reception)

Oct 31
Andrew Leach /...

Get Lectured: Rice University, Spring '15

2015-01-13T14:59:00-05:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter-Spring 2015

Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session! Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Our next poster features the Rice University School of Architecture's "Contemporary" Lecture Series for Spring '15.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Note each event's time and location. Lectures are free and open to the public.

Jan 15-16
Thesis Final Reviews

Jan 21
7:00pm at MFAH (6:00 Reception)
RSA/RDA LECTURE SERIES: PLUG-INS
Markus Bader / Co-founder, raumlabor - Berlin, Germany

Jan 28
7:00pm at MFAH (6:00 Reception)
RSA/RDA LECTURE SERIES: PLUG-INS
James Casebere / Artist - New York

Feb 2
5:30pm at Anderson Hall
Elia Zenghelis / Architect & Educator, Athens, Greece; Cullinan Workshop V...

Get Lectured: Rice University, Fall '14

2014-10-14T14:10:00-04:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2014

Say hello to another edition of Archinect's Get Lectured! As a refresher, we'll be featuring a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. If you're not doing so already, be sure to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Our next poster features the Rice University School of Architecture's "Choice" Lecture Series for the Fall '14 semester.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Below are upcoming lectures only. All lectures take place at Farish Gallery, Anderson Hall, Rice University. Free and open to the public.

Oct. 15
6 p.m - reception; 7 p.m. - lecture
LIAM YOUNG and AGNIESZKA KURANT / Architect and Curator, London; and Sculptor, lodz and New York
MFAH RSA/RDA LECTURE SERIES: Near Future

Nov. 5
5:30 p.m.
"Designs of Destruction"
LUCIA ALLAIS / Assistant Professor of Architecture - Princeton Universi...

Rice Design Alliance’s "Additionally" tour highlights modern updates of 8 historic houses in Houston

2014-01-08T12:46:00-05:00

If you're in the Houston, Texas area and want to "add in" some well-in-advance weekend plans, Rice Design Alliance from Rice University will be hosting their 38th Annual Architectural Tour "Additionally" on March 29-30, 2014.

RDA is inviting its members and their guests for a weekend to visit eight historic houses originally built between 1885 to 1964 throughout Houston. Within the past 12 years, local architecture firms individually crafted modernized additions that complement each house's historic nature.

Check out some of the tour's destinations:

216 Avondale (1906); Addition: 2012, m+a architecture

707 Sabine (1885); Additions: 2000, Gary Eades; 2009, Janusz Design

3503 Audobon (1920); Addition: 2011, Interloop–Architecture

5503 Sturbridge; Additions: 1960, Marshall S. MacDougal; 2008, Dillon Kyle Architecture

For more info on the tour, head over to Bustler.

Images courtesy of Rice Design Alliance.

"Wheel of Everyday Life" installed at Rice Gallery

2013-02-13T18:41:00-05:00

In her work, Swedish artist Gunilla Klingberg explores her interests in everyday consumerism and forms of Eastern spirituality. To do this she covers architectural spaces with ornate, repetitive patterns that she creates by transforming supermarket, fast food, big box store, and common household product logos. She incorporates these into large-scale, circular patterns that resemble sacred mandalas. Mandalas are cosmological diagrams that symbolically represent the universe and its cycles of life, death, and rebirth. As with a mandala, Klingberg's Wheel of Everyday Life begins at a central point and expands outward as if it could continue to infinity.

The Turrell skyspace at Rice University

2012-06-13T20:54:00-04:00

The highly anticipated skyspace by famed American artist James Turrell does not open to the public until June 14, but Rice students, faculty and staff got a sneak preview May 5 during an exclusive Cinco de Mayo celebration for the Rice community.