RDA News & Notes

Category: Galas

2011 Gala: The Woodlands Grows Up

Gala Co-Chair Chuck Gremillion, RDA Executive Director Linda Sylvan, and Honoree Dan Leverett

On Saturday, November 12, over a thousand people gathered at the Bayou City Event Center to celebrate The Woodlands and The Woodlands Development Co.—the company that has continued to honor the vision that founder George Mitchell had for the new town almost 50 years ago.

Guests enjoyed perusing the silent auction that featured over 100 unique designer items and art works. Bidding was hot and heavy over an eclectic gold piggy bank from ph Design and an offer of a dinner for 10 and stories by caterer Frankie B. Mandola of the Mandola, Carrabba, Butera restaurant family. Mandola’s also served a dinner of marinated rib-eye steaks and shrimp Damian that got rave reviews by guests. Following dinner, guests delighted in the live music of Doppelganger.

Dan Leverett, Vice President of The Woodlands Development Co., accepted accolades from RDA President David Harvey on behalf of his company and paid homage to George Mitchell. Leverett also recognized his associates, including Robert Heineman a 38-year veteran of The Woodlands who was part of the original Mitchell team. Gala chairs Chuck and Janna Gremillion thanked Fundraising Chair Sandy Lynch, whose committee raised nearly $462,000; architect and environment chair Dallas Felder, whose creative ceiling installation of large pink parachutes and green loops transformed the ballroom and evoked the Woodland’s own colorful canopy; and auction chair Kristin Skarbovig, who was delighted by the furious bidding going on, and whose committee work raised $50,000 for RDA’s programs and Cite.

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The Woodlands Development Company to be Honored at 2011 Gala

WHAT: 2011 Rice Design Alliance Gala Honoring The Woodlands Development Company

WHEN: Saturday, November 12, 2011, 7p.m. until midnight

WHERE: Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight Road

The Rice Design Alliance 2011 gala will honor and celebrate The Woodlands, a 28,000-acre, master-planned community 27 miles north of downtown Houston, and The Woodlands Development Company, the entity that has continued to honor the vision that founder George Mitchell had for the new town almost 50 years ago.

In 1964, Mr. Mitchell began the acquisition of property in Montgomery County for what is now The Woodlands. Working with the Philadelphia landscape architects and planner Wallace, McHarg, Roberts & Todd, as well as William Periera, Mr. Mitchell and his staff planned The Woodlands as an ecologically responsive, multiple-use suburban town, a model for comprehensively planned suburban growth. In 1972, The Woodlands was one of the 13 new towns across the United States to receive low-interest loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of its Title VII New Community Development Program. It is the only one of these new towns to have succeeded. Today, nearly 37 years after its inauguration, The Woodlands is home to nearly 100,000 people, many of whom live, work, and play there.

Its developers continue to give priority to the maintenance of natural surroundings. Hiding behind tall pines is a highly urban area. The 1,000-acre Town Center, a mixed-use development that includes The Woodlands’ own high-end version of San Antonio’s Riverwalk, serves as the town’s downtown. The district features Class-A office buildings, home to national and international companies; a hotel and convention center; The Woodlands Mall; Market Street; and Waterway Square, which is a civic plaza surrounded by shops, restaurants, residences, entertainment venues, and parks. Close by is The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, a nationally known outdoor amphitheater that was named in honor of Mr. Mitchell’s wife and provides a summer home for the Houston Symphony as well as a venue for rock concerts.

To view the gala invitation, please click here.

Gala Chairs: Janna and Chuck Gremillion

Underwriting Chair: Sandra Lynch

Auction Chair: Kristin Skarbovig

Environment: Dallas Felder, Morris Architects

The dinner dance will include entertainment by Doppelganger, catering by Frankie B. Mandola’s Catering, and a silent auction. Tickets are available from $65 to $1,000; Tables from $3,000 to $10,000.

Since 1989 the Rice Design Alliance gala has recognized individuals and institutions that have made exceptional contributions to architecture and design in Houston and in Texas. These include Gerald D. Hines, George and Cynthia Mitchell, Warren S. Bellows, Jr., Stanley Marcus, Raymond Brochstein, Herbert Wells, Sadie Gwin Blackburn, Bobby and Phoebe Tudor, and Art Storey, Jr. It is anticipated that over 1,000 architects, design professionals, real estate professionals, engineers, contractors, developers and consultants, including RDA members, will attend.

To pledge online, click here.
To pay online, click here.

To see who is coming, please click here.

To see who is donating to the auction, please click here.

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RDA Gala Honoring The Woodlands Development Company

WHAT: 2011 Rice Design Alliance Gala Honoring The Woodlands Development Company

WHEN: Saturday, November 12, 2011, 7p.m. until midnight

WHERE: Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight Road

The Rice Design Alliance 2011 gala will honor and celebrate The Woodlands, a 28,000-acre, master-planned community 27 miles north of downtown Houston, and The Woodlands Development Company, the entity that has continued to honor the vision that founder George Mitchell had for the new town almost 50 years ago.

In 1964, Mr. Mitchell began the acquisition of property in Montgomery County for what is now The Woodlands. Working with the Philadelphia landscape architects and planner Wallace, McHarg, Roberts & Todd, as well as William Periera, Mr. Mitchell and his staff planned The Woodlands as an ecologically responsive, multiple-use suburban town, a model for comprehensively planned suburban growth. In 1972, The Woodlands was one of the 13 new towns across the United States to receive low-interest loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of its Title VII New Community Development Program. It is the only one of these new towns to have succeeded. Today, nearly 37 years after its inauguration, The Woodlands is home to nearly 100,000 people, many of whom live, work, and play there.

Its developers continue to give priority to the maintenance of natural surroundings. Hiding behind tall pines is a highly urban area. The 1,000-acre Town Center, a mixed-use development that includes The Woodlands’ own high-end version of San Antonio’s Riverwalk, serves as the town’s downtown. The district features Class-A office buildings, home to national and international companies; a hotel and convention center; The Woodlands Mall; Market Street; and Waterway Square, which is a civic plaza surrounded by shops, restaurants, residences, entertainment venues, and parks. Close by is The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, a nationally known outdoor amphitheater that was named in honor of Mr. Mitchell’s wife and provides a summer home for the Houston Symphony as well as a venue for rock concerts.

Gala Chairs: Janna and Chuck Gremillion

Underwriting Chair: Sandra Lynch

Auction Chair: Kristin Skarbovig

Environment: Dallas Felder, Morris Architects

The dinner dance will include entertainment by Doppelganger, catering by Frankie B. Mandola’s Catering, and a silent auction. Tickets are available from $65 to $1,000; Tables from $3,000 to $10,000.

Since 1989 the Rice Design Alliance gala has recognized individuals and institutions that have made exceptional contributions to architecture and design in Houston and in Texas. These include Gerald D. Hines, George and Cynthia Mitchell, Warren S. Bellows, Jr., Stanley Marcus, Raymond Brochstein, Herbert Wells, Sadie Gwin Blackburn, Bobby and Phoebe Tudor, and Art Storey, Jr. It is anticipated that over 1,000 architects, design professionals, real estate professionals, engineers, contractors, developers and consultants, including RDA members, will attend.

To pledge online, click here.
To pay online, click here.

To see who is coming, please click here.

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2010 Gala: Progressive Art

Gala Chairs Norma and David George, Jo Storey and Honoree Art Storey, RDA President Kimberly Hickson, and Greg Cunningham.

Gala Chairs Norma and David George, Jo Storey and Honoree Art Storey, RDA President Kimberly Hickson, and Greg Cunningham

Over 1,000 Rice Design Alliance members from Houston’s art, architecture, engineering, and construction industries gathered on November 13th for the organization’s gala, Progressive Art: Infrastructure, Greenspaces, and Waterways. The event, which occurred at the Hilton-Americas downtown, honored Art Storey, Executive Director of the Harris County Public Infrastructure Department. Storey is credited with not only making Houston’s bayous more efficient and beautiful community spaces, but also with transforming the county’s governmental infrastructure, making his work a benchmark model for future flood damage reduction projects on local, regional, and national levels.

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Art Storey To Be Honored at 2010 Gala

The Rice Design Alliance 2010 gala will honor and celebrate Houston engineer and Executive Director of the Harris County Public Infrastructure Department, Arthur L. Storey, Jr. Art Storey has played an integral role in Houston’s built environment, leading projects that have changed the landscape of the county and opened vast stretches of green space to its residents. Some of Storey’s most significant contributions have involved transforming the county’s bayou systems from “mere drainage ways maintained with mowing machines and heavy equipment, to waterways that play multiple roles in Houston’s urban fabric,” according to Kevin Shanley, president of the SWA group and a partner with the flood control district on several bayou improvement projects.

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GALA 2009

HUE

Thanks to more than 1,100 people  who accepted our invitation to join us at the 23rd annual Rice Design Alliance Gala at the Hilton Americas Hotel. This year RDA honored Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and celebrated philanthropy on Saturday, November 14, at 7 pm.

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Auction Items

Transcendent Travel

1. Mexico Excursion: Casa Calderoni + Airline Tickets
2. Explore Marfa: 2 Nights Hotel, Museums + Tour
3. Jackson Hole, Art + Architecture: Hotel, Tours + Much More
4. Houston Weekender: Hilton Americas-Houston Weekend Stay + Dinner
5. Rediscover New Orleans: Hotel Monteleone, Arnaud’s Restaurant, City Tour
6. Hill Country Package: 3 Nights/Comal River +Wine Tasting/Tour
7. Galveston Weekend: Tiki Island Bayhouse Vacation
8. San Miguel’s La Puertecita Boutique Hotel: 3 Nights
9. Austin Lakehouse Package: 3 Nights + Wine Tasting/Tour
10. Peckerwood Garden: Mexican Folkart Tour
11. Spaw Farm: 5 Nights, New Ulm

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Supporters of 2010 Gala

(as of November 22, 2010)
$10,000 Underwriters
D. E. Harvey Builders
Haynes Whaley Associates
Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.
TDIndustries
Tellepsen
Walter P Moore

$5,000 Benefactors
A & E – The Graphics Complex
AGC Houston
Anslow Bryant Construction Ltd.
Austin Commercial
W. S. Bellows Construction Corporation
Brochsteins
Brookstone, L.P.
Burton Construction
CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
Cokinos, Bosien & Young
Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation
Debner+Company
JE Dunn Construction
E3 Electric, Ltd.
FKP Architects
Fretz Construction Company
Gensler
Gilbane
HOK
Haworth, Inc. and FMG
Hoar Construction, LLC
Kendall/Heaton Associates
Kirksey
Marek Family of Companies
Matrix Structural Engineers
McCoy Workplace Solutions
Morris Architects
The OFIS
Office Pavilion
PGAL
Perkins+Will
Planning Design Research Corporation
Putterman, Scharck & Associates, Inc.
E. E. Reed Construction, L.P.
Ridgway’s
Rosenberger Construction LP
SpawGlass Construction Corp.
SpawMaxwell Company
Steelcase
Trammell Crow Company
Transwestern
Phoebe & Bobby Tudor
Vanguard Environments
Wylie Consulting Engineers

$3,000 Patrons
ACS Flooring Group, Inc.
Allsteel/CRG
The Office of James Burnett
ccrd partners
Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing
Lorraine & Ed Wulfe / Susie & Sanford Criner
The Douglas|Group Inc.
Fisk Electric
Friends of Art Storey
Fugro Consultants, Inc.
Halliburton
HarrisonKornberg Architects / Hardin Construction
D. E. Harvey Builders
Herman Miller Inc.
Huitt-Zollars, Inc.
Humanscale Corporation
Jackson and Company
Klotz Associates, Inc. / Clark Condon Associates
Dillon Kyle Architecture
MLN Company
Milam & Co. Painting, Inc.
O’Donnell/Snider Construction
PBS&J
PageSoutherlandPage
Perkins+Will
The Port of Houston Authority
Project Control Houston
Raba-Kistner Consultants, Inc.
Rice & Gardner Consultants, Inc.
Rogers Moore Engineers, LLC
Skanska USA Building / Skanska Commercial Development
Tribble & Stephens Constructors, Ltd. / English + Associates Architects, Inc.
Trio Electric
Turner Construction Company
The Woodlands Development Co.
Ziegler Cooper Architects

$1,000 Ticket-Underwriters
Cobb, Fendley & Associates
HDR|Claunch & Miller
HNTB
Pioneer Contract Services, Inc. / Allsteel, Inc.
Zarinkelk Engineering

$500 Ticket-Benefactors
Shirin and Saied Alavi
Arch-Con Corporation
Berger Iron Works, Inc.
Russ & Michelle Fabiani
Gerry Fehn
Helen Fosdick
Graves Mechanical, Inc.
Nonya & Jonathan Grenader
HBL Architects
Wendy Heger
Betsy Strauch & Lonnie Hoogeboom
Humphries Construction Corp.
Lynn & Ty Kelly
Bill MaGuire
Diane Miner
Craig & Suzy Minor
Moss Landscaping, Inc.
Next Generation Advisors, LLC
PSTC, Inc.
SWA Group
Structure Tone Southwest, Inc.
Linda and Dick Sylvan
Alexander Webb

$1,500 Sponsors
Berger Iron Works, Inc.
Brave / Architecture
Barbara & Jeff Bryson
Cushman & Wakefield
Geotest Engineering, Inc.
Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects
HVJ Associates, Inc.
Hayes Carpentry
Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
OTHON, INC., Consulting Engineers
Parra Design Group Ltd.
Pate Engineers, Inc.
Redding Linden Burr
Schenck and Company
Seeberger Architecture
Sigma Marble Granite and Tile- Houston, Inc.
Louis H. Skidmore Jr.
TechKnowledge Consulting Corp.
Trademark Construction
Vaughn Construction Community Foundation
WHR Architects, Inc.
Walker Engineering, Inc.
Westheimer Plumbing & Hardware

Donors
Charter Title Company
Tom Colbert
Katherine & George Howe
National Terrazzo, Tile & Marble, Inc.
Susan K. Rogers
Louisa Sarofim
Shah Smith & Associates, Inc.
Straus Systems / Rick Beeler
Mary & Hill Swift
Taft Architects
Texas Pools
Wade Architectural Systems
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace S. Wilson

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Auction Supporters: Gala 2009

A & E – The Graphics Complex
à bientôt
agile_ofis, OFISNow
Julie Brook Alexander
Stuart Allen
Alley Theatre
Contract Resource Group
Allsteel
Ara 13
Arden’s Fine Art Framing
AREA
Arnaud’s Restaurant
Art Association of Jackson Hole
Artemide/Putterman, Scharck & Associates
BC Woodwork
Backstreet Cafe, Hugo’s and Prego
Mark Bagge
Sarah Balinskas Fine Framing
Mr. Joe Baraban
Jan & John Bebout
Becks Prime Restaurants
Bell Mountain Vineyards
benjy’s Restaurant
Bobbye Bennett
Bevin Bering + Bering and James Gallery
Blakely Bering + Bering and James
Johanna Boyles
The Brass Maiden
Michael Brichford
Bright Sky Press
Brochsteins Inc.
Bryn + McKenna Jewelry
Buffalo Bayou Partnership
The Office of James Burnett
Shelly Calton + Bering and James
William Cannings + Anya Tish Gallery
John Carney: Carney Architects
Carolyn Rose Design
Carriage Glass & Detail
Casa Calderoni
R.J. Cassidy Opticians, Inc.
Catalan
Katherine Center
Central Market
Cheeky Vintage
The Children’s Museum of Houston
Chinati Foundation
The Chocolate Bar
The Clear Creek Group- Jackson Hole
Clown Alley Orchids
Community Bar
The Container Store
Contemporary Arts Museum
Continental Airlines, Inc.
Crave Cupcakes
Cunningham Framing
Da Camera of Houston
Luis A. De Santos/LADS Photography
Debner + Company
Design Corps
Designer’s Furniture Mfg./David Longwood
Dessert Gallery
DiverseWorks Artspace
Divisi Strings, LLC
Anita K. Dover
Dry Comal Creek Vineyards
Elizabeth Anthony/Esther Wolf
Etui
Daniel Fabian + Sarah Balinskas Framing
J. Antonio Farfan + Bering and James
Joey Fauerson
Gary Faye + Harris Gallery
Leon Ferrari + Sicardi Gallery
Garland Fielder + Anya Tish Gallery
Flatbed Press + Sarah Balinskas Fine Framing
Wyatt Frantom
French Cuff Boutique
Fretz Construction Company
ASI Global Security, The Sparta Group- HB Norris, HCC Northwest College, Kimberly Hickson + Greg Cunningham
Glassell School of Art
Courtesy of Don Glentzer & Design Works Gallery + Sarah Balinskas Fine Framing
Global Views
Global Industries – The Total Office
Kenny Gordon
Sue Gorman Associates: Keil Hauer
Jason Hackenwerth
Kathy Hall
Joseph Hammer + Bering and James
Ron Hartgrove Designs
Dan & Adele Hedges
Herman Miller, Inc.
Laura & Bob Higley Foundation
Hana Hillerova
Hilton Americas-Houston
.H.O. (Sarah Holbrook Originals)
Paul & Shelley Homeyer
Hotel Limpia, Hotel Paisano
Hotel Monteleone
Hotel Terra
House of Blues Houston
Houston Ballet Foundation
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Dairymaids
Houston Dynamo
Houston Grand Opera- Anthony Freud, General Director
Houston. It’s Worth It.
Houston Mod
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston Symphony
Houston Wine Merchant
Houston Zoo
IPD Management / 13 Celsius
Andrew Icken
JCS
Jackson and Company
Jackson Hole Land Trust
Austin James + Bering and James
John Jenkins + Bering and James
Jenni’s Noodle House
KSM Associates
Katz Coffee
Mr. Jason Kishell
Stephen Klineberg
Knoll Studio/ KNOLL
Knoll Textiles
Kuhl-Linscomb
La Puertecita Boutique Hotel
La Villette Catering and Special Events
Joyce Lander
Laurenzo’s El Tiempo Cantina
Jonathan Roesch + Gallery Sonja Roesch
Sydney Lenoir
Helen Lessick + Barbara Davis + Sarah Balinskas Fine Framing
Lighting Unlimited
The Linen House
Lee Littlefield + Poissant Gallery
G. Lyon Photography
MDI Resources
Maida’s Belts & Buckles
Main Street Theater
Wayne and Judy Marchand
Mark’s American Cuisine
Masterson Design
McDonald Observatory
Mark McKinnon, Landscape Architect
The Menil Collection
Mercury Baroque
Craig and Suzy Minor
Modern Worth
Steve Murphy + Wade Wilson Art
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Film Department
My Table Magazine
Nigro Dermatology Group
Ninfa’s on Navigation
Nova Beads and Creations
The OFIS
Office Pavilion
Opera in the Heights
Ouisie’s Table
PH Design Shop
Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation
Cesar Pelli/Pelli Clarke Architects
Francisco Studios
Project Row Houses
Anonymous- Mark’s American Cuisine
Ragin Cajun
Britt Ragsdale
Rice Athletics
Rice Design Alliance
Rice Design Alliance
Rice University – School of Continuing Studies
Rienzi, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Clay Robinson
Roly Poly Sandwiches
Rothko Chapel
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Kent Schaffer
SchoolHouse Partners
Shade Restaurant
Anthony Thompson Shumate + Barbara Davis Gallery
Simply Organized
Artaissance, artthatfits.com + Skyline Art Services
Skyline Art Services
Honeysett + Art Services
Artaissance, artthatfits.com + Skyline Art Services
Royce Ann Sline
Sloan/Hall
Paul Smead
Society for the Performing Arts
Julie Soefer Photography
SoVino Bistro & Wine Bar
Tom Flaherty
SpawMaxwell Company
Christof Spieler and the Citizens’ Transportation Coalition
Star Pizza Inc.
Marissa Starr + Laura Rathe Fine Art
Ann Stautberg
Stetzel & Associates
Stone Lore Designs
Fat Cat Studio
Strip House
Sunset Settings / Carolyn Brewer
Surroundings
Suzanne Longley Landscapes, Inc.
Lin Swanner + Bering and James
Teknion LLC
Ten Thousand Villages
Theater Under the Stars
Thompson + Hanson Nursery
Thorntree Slate and Marble
Thyme Well Spent Inc.
Tony’s Mexican Restaurant
Treebeards
trutimber
Patrick Turk
Elaine Turner
Uptown Houston
Victoria’s Fine Linens
Village Greenery & Flowers
VIP City Tours
Vision Optique
Massimo Vitali + McClain Gallery
Fotofest
Westheimer Plumbing

Katherine Whaley of Channel11
WHR Architects
Wildcat Golf Club
Angilee Wilkerson + Bering and James
Jill Moser + Wade Wilson Art
William Winkler Photographer
Geoff Winningham + Sarah Balinskas Fine Framing
Mary Beth Woiccak
The Women’s Institute of Houston
Troy Woods + McMurtrey Gallery
Yapa Kitchen Fresh Take Away
Kate Zimmerman
Zoe’s Kitchen

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Supporters of Gala ’09

RDA 2009 GALA (as of October 23)
Underwriters
D. E. Harvey Builders
Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc.
Linbeck Group
Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.
SpawMaxwell Company
TDIndustries
Tellepsen
Phoebe & Bobby Tudor

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