After a three-year search that included more than 30 potential sites, the American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter selected the 1906 Riesner Building, to be the home of Architecture Center Houston, which is expected to open in mid-September.
Originally, the three-story Riesner Building was a typical commercial building for its time, complete with double French doors facing the street.
— Houston Chronicle
The winning entry for the 'Re-Imagine Architecture Center Houston' competition, designed by Murphy Mears Architects, proposed to devote the first floor of ReACH to flexible office and meeting space, restore the original brick and openings in the West façade, and re-purpose the Boiler Room for... View full entry
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... View full entry
What's more relaxing than a glass-bottomed sky pool 42 stories above Houston? Well, pretty much every other thing in the known universe, which makes the existence of this Jackson + Ryan Architects-designed pool not only an eye-catching publicity stunt for the residential tower's developer, but a... View full entry
Harris County commissioners have chosen Houston-based Kirksey Architecture to design a project to retrofit the Astrodome by raising its floor and installing parking spaces underneath.
The $105 million project -- unveiled by county officials in September -- is the most recent attempt to secure the building's future. [...]
Many feared then that the world's first multi-purpose domed stadium for sporting events would face the wrecking ball.
— Houston Chronicle
Houston "Eighth Wonder of the World" previously in the Archinect news:ULI report says Houston Astrodome “can and should live on”Urban Land Institute issues recommendations for Houston's AstrodomeThe Astrodome: The World's Largest Indoor Garden?Can buildings be too young to save?Winners of the... View full entry
The Rothko Chapel in Houston, a masterpiece of midcentury architecture, houses 14 panels by the revered artist Mark Rothko. But the Chapel is in need of some TLC, from fixing the HVAC system to improving the lighting. The New York-based office Architecture Research Office (ARO) has been selected... View full entry
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... View full entry
By the year 2020, however, America’s fourth largest city will be able to claim a “premier” botanic garden all its own in the form of Houston Botanic Garden (HBG). [...]
And, as it turns out, some folks living in the neighborhoods abutting the golf course would rather not see a stunning botanic garden designed by the same Dutch landscape architecture firm behind the redevelopment of New York City's Governors Island take its place. And it’s not because they're necessarily gaga over golf.
— mnn.com
To learn more about the Houston Botanic Garden master plan, which recently won mayoral approval, click here.Related stories in the Archinect news:Does Houston's architecture lack poetry?The Astrodome: The World's Largest Indoor Garden?The Bayou Greenways Plan: A Game-Changer for Houston? View full entry
Houston's architects obviously do not read poetry.
None of the corporate buildings, apartments and hotels being built now seems like something we'll be proud of 20 years from now. Of course, that's assuming that those buildings even survive 20 years in a city that is characterized by destroying its architectural past. [...]
But maybe we citizens can influence the builders. We can tell them how ugly their buildings are. We can refuse to rent space in them.
— houstonchronicle.com
Related stories in the Archinect news:Museum of Fine Arts Houston unveils its Steven Holl-designed $450M expansion planThe Astrodome: The World's Largest Indoor Garden?Looking to Houston — Yes, Houston — as a Model for Better Street DesignThe Bayou Greenways Plan: A Game-Changer for Houston? View full entry
Nick Cecchi penned a review of ‘Lina Bo Bardi: Together’ on view at the Graham Foundation through July 25th. He found the"narrow focus wisely limits Together to investigating the conditions and experiences that helped shape Bo Bardi’s mature approach to architecture...Bo Bardi’s work and... View full entry
Houston’s iconic NRG Astrodome “can and should live on” as a multi-use park that will enhance the quality of life for residents of the city, serve as a popular tourist destination, and catalyze economic development that enhances the greater NRG Park and benefits the region as a whole, according to a report released today from the Urban Land Institute (ULI). — uli.org
Read the full ULI report, The Astrodome, Harris County Texas: A Vision for a Repurposed Icon, here. View full entry
Earlier this week, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston revealed the design of its upcoming $450 million Fayez S. Sarofim Campus. As a milestone in the institution's 90-year history, the 14-acre redevelopment will transform the MFAH and its surrounding neighborhood the city's effort to improve the... View full entry
Buoyed by some of the largest donations in the city's history, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will unveil a $450 million project today that envisions its campus as the cultural heart of the city. [...]
The project, by Steven Holl Architects, is the most exciting in the institution's 90-year history, board chairman Richard Kinder said. The plan, named the Fayez S. Sarofim Campus, is so transformational that in five years Houstonians might not recognize the 1000 block of Bissonnet.
— chron.com
Previously: MFAH hires Steven Holl Architects to design expansion View full entry
Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter-Spring 2015Archinect'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... View full entry
"The latest proposal for the aging Astrodome calls for converting the structure into an indoor park and civic space, including an indoor grassy lawn and an outdoor promenade lined with oak trees. An Urban Land Institute panel, comprised of urban planners, economists and designers from around the country, released its preliminary recommendations Friday at the NRG Center." — Houston Chronicle
TEX-FAB's Plasticity is the fourth annual competition that focuses on connecting experimental design practices with industry leaders, while also promoting innovative research in the architectural applications of digital fabrication and parametric design. Out of four finalists, "Plastic Stereotomy" by Knowlton School of Architecture assistant professor Justin Diles was announced as the winner during the ACADIA 2014 conference at the USC School of Architecture in Los Angeles late last week. — bustler.net
Further details on Bustler. View full entry
