Anything That Floats challenges participants to build a device to float a short distance along Buffalo Bayou with discarded building materials provided the day-of by RDA.

What: Anything That Floats hosted by rdAGENTS

When: April 28, 2012

7:30-8:00: Teams arrive and unload materials along Preston St. between Smith St. and the bayou.
8:00-11:00: Build
11:30-1:30: Float, followed by Judging and Awards

Breakfast will be provided by RDA.

Where: Sesquicentennial Park along Buffalo Bayou

RDA Member Ticket Prices:

Anything That Floats only: $20
Anything That Floats + Bayou Bash: $35

Non-RDA Member Prices:

Anything That Floats only: $25
Anything That Floats + Bayou Bash: $40

To purchase tickets and register for the event, click here.

Parking:

Teams will be allowed to unload materials at Sesquicentennial Park along Preston Street between 7:30 and 8:00am in between Smith St. and the bayou. Vehicles will be allowed back after 1:00 p.m. to pick up materials.

Parking can be found underground in front of the Wortham Theatre.

More details on rules and judging criteria coming soon!

What makes something float?

Buoyancy, or the force pushing upward on an object in a fluid, is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. The relationship between buoyancy and the weight of the displaced fluid is called Archimedes’ Principle.

Objects submerged in fluid appear to weigh less than they do out of the fluid. This is caused when the force at the bottom of an object in a fluid is greater than the force at the top of the object. The overall force is in the upward direction and acts against the downward weight of the object. The upward force is called the buoyant force.

So why do some objects float and some objects sink? The answer lies in the object’s density. Density is the relationship between an object’s volume and its mass. An object will float in a fluid if the density of that object is less than the density of the fluid.

Air also plays a role in whether some objects sink or float. A heavy steel ship is built of a steel shell with a hollow inside. So the volume of the ship is made up mostly of air. The ship and air together have a density that is less than that of water. They can displace a weight of water equal to or greater than their weight. As the boat displaces the water, the water pushes upward against the boat. These forces together cause the boat to stay afloat.

The cargo on a boat also becomes a factor. If a boat is loaded with too much cargo, it will have a higher density and will ride lower in the water because it has to displace more water to stay afloat.

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Where: Haven
When: Thursday, July 14 from 5:30 to 7:00p

rdAGENTS, please join us for a happy hour with Houston’s Emerging Professionals this Thursday, July 14.

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WHAT: 2011 Rice Design Alliance Design Charrette

WHEN: Saturday, August 6, 2011, 8:00 am- 4:00 pm. Reception** will be held
Monday, August 8, from 6-8 pm.

WHERE: Rice University, School of Architecture, Anderson Hall (Building 4)
6100 Main Street (Off Entrance 1).

Rice Design Alliance’s 2011 design charrette will focus on creating a plan for Workshop Houston’s future—a non-profit organization located in Houston’s Third Ward whose mission is to provide youth with creative, technical, and educational resources. These resources take place through five “shops”—the “Scholar Shop,” the “Beat Shop,” the “Bike Shop,” the “Chopper Shop,” and the “Style Shop”—each focused on nurturing students’ practical and creative skills.

The charrette, named “Charrette Shop,” will seek to maximize the efficiency of Workshop Houston’s current space, and build a plan for expanding the space. More information will be delivered to participants on the day of the charrette.

rdAGENTS, Rice Design Alliance’s young professional’s group, invite interested parties to participate in the juried competition. An entry fee of $20 for RDA members and $30 for non-members will cover breakfast, lunch, and refreshments at day’s end. The competition is open to architects and non-architects, designers, individuals or teams of up to five.

To register online, click here. For more information please call 713.348.4976.

** Jurors for the competition will announce the winning designs at the evening reception, open to the public on Monday, August 8, 2011. **

We would like to thank our contributing firms Colby Design, Houston Trust Company, Gant Architects, Garza+McLain Structural Engineers, Inc., Val Glitsch FAIA, HFP Acoustical Consultants Inc., Knoll, Miller Dahlstrand Architects, Murphy Mears Architects, Oxford Builders, Inc., Rentacrate LLC, Stone Construction, Straus Systems, Transwestern, and Walker Parking Consultants/Engineers, Inc.

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Anything That Floats challenges participants to build a device to float a short distance along Buffalo Bayou with discarded building materials provided the day-of by RDA.

What: Anything That Floats hosted by rdAGENTS, followed Bayou Buddies’ Bayou Bash from 1- 4p.m., where participants can enjoy live music, pontoon boat rides, crawfish, and libations.

When: April 9, 2011

7:30-8:00: Teams arrive and unload materials along Preston St. between Smith St. and the bayou.
8:00-11:00: Build
11:30-1:30: Float, followed by Judging and Awards

Breakfast and lunch will be provided by RDA.

Bayou Bash begins at 1:00 p.m.

Where: Sesquicentennial Park along Buffalo Bayou

RDA Member Ticket Prices:

Anything That Floats only: $20
Anything That Floats + Bayou Bash: $35

Non-RDA Member Prices:

Anything That Floats only: $25
Anything That Floats + Bayou Bash: $40

To purchase tickets and register for the event, click here.

Parking:

Teams will be allowed to unload materials at Sesquicentennial Park along Preston Street between 7:30 and 8:00am in between Smith St. and the bayou. Vehicles will be allowed back after 1:00 p.m. to pick up materials.

Parking can be found underground in front of the Wortham Theatre.

Float Course:
Course will run downstream on Buffalo Bayou for approx. 100 feet

Team members may bring:

Non-power tools, such as saws, hammers or battery-operated tools (there will no electricity at the site).
Tape
Rubber bands
Nails or other

Judging Criteria:

Float must carry two people the entire distance. Any float considered for an award must complete the course with at least ½ of the float above water. If no float completes the course, judging will be based on longest distance traveled. Other criteria that will be considered for judging are:
• Innovation
• Creativity
• Floating solution that requires the least amount of materials

Rules:

• Maximum of ten teams allowed for competition
• Maximum of 5 team members per team.
• No building will be allowed prior to event start time.
• Teams are only allowed to use materials provided by competition.
• Teams may use connection materials and tools in provided list.
• No power will be provided.
• Minimum of 2 people on the float
• Water aids will be in the bayou along course to help
• Team members on float are allowed paddles provided by RDA only.
• Team members may not use banks of bayou for propulsion.
• Team members outside of float may not propel float in any way.
• Water will be provided for teams.
• No alcoholic beverages allowed during competition
• Life preservers provided by RDA must be worn at all times in the water

RDA would like to thank Gowan, Inc., Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing, and J.E. Dunn for donating materials.

What makes something float?

Buoyancy, or the force pushing upward on an object in a fluid, is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. The relationship between buoyancy and the weight of the displaced fluid is called Archimedes’ Principle.

Objects submerged in fluid appear to weigh less than they do out of the fluid. This is caused when the force at the bottom of an object in a fluid is greater than the force at the top of the object. The overall force is in the upward direction and acts against the downward weight of the object. The upward force is called the buoyant force.

So why do some objects float and some objects sink? The answer lies in the object’s density. Density is the relationship between an object’s volume and its mass. An object will float in a fluid if the density of that object is less than the density of the fluid.

Air also plays a role in whether some objects sink or float. A heavy steel ship is built of a steel shell with a hollow inside. So the volume of the ship is made up mostly of air. The ship and air together have a density that is less than that of water. They can displace a weight of water equal to or greater than their weight. As the boat displaces the water, the water pushes upward against the boat. These forces together cause the boat to stay afloat.

The cargo on a boat also becomes a factor. If a boat is loaded with too much cargo, it will have a higher density and will ride lower in the water because it has to displace more water to stay afloat.

more >

Dozens of designers came out on Saturday for an intensive, all-day challenge to revitalize Willow Waterhole Park in Southwest Houston. RDA’s young professionals group, rdAgents, hosted the competition that sought to maximize the 279-acre greenspace of Willow Waterhole, making the park a more sophisticated nature preserve.

Like last year’s charrette that focused on Galveston’s Seawall, the day’s program was divided into three tracks. The 12 participating teams of architects, graphic designers, and those passionate about the park chose between a Master Plan Track, which considered the park as a whole, an Architecture Track, and a Graphic Design Track. Participants were charged with taking the mostly vacant greenspace and designing measures to promote nature, unify the six detention sites of the park, increase public outreach and awareness, create opportunity for revenue, and showcase creativity and ingenuity.

The entries were blindly judged Monday afternoon by Art Storey, Executive Director of the Harris County Public Infrastructure Department; Ben Crawford, Senior Associate, Senior Project Designer HOK; Howard Sacks, President of Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy; Matt Baumgarten, Associate with SWA; and Roksan Okan-Vick, Executive Director of the Houston Parks Board. Winners were announced Monday night at a festive reception at Rice School of Architecture.

The team from TBG Partners (Team 11) won “Best Overall” prize for their strong representation of park connectivity. Team member Pete Simpson says, “Our main goal for the project was to make connections. We wanted to connect the park through contiguous greenspace for park users and wildlife internally, as well as connect to the community externally.” The team accomplished this by considering the ecosystems in the broader Houston region, with an iconic nature center, amphitheater, and viewing tower for the park.

Clark Condon Associates (Team 4) won “Best Master Plan” for their well-rounded, straightforward, nature-first vision. The team’s ability to unify the six disparate parts of the park were striking to the judges. The “Best Architecture” award went to Team 6 (Genevieve Buentello, Antonio Flamenco, Mike Garcia, Camilo Parra, and David Robinson). The team’s visual articulation of innovative elements like the multi-level viewing tower partly submerged in water were architecturally appealing. SHW Group’s team (Team 1) took home the prize for “Best Graphic Design Solution.” Judges responded to the team’s elegant response to the existing park plans, and their nod to the natural surrounding environments.

Below are galleries of all of the entries:

Team 1
Luis Ayala
Eddie Blanco
Ramy Hanna
Frank Kelly
Jorge Tiscareño

[Show as slideshow]

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Team 2
Marcos Cabrera
Marquez Colby
John Luna
Robert Morris
Arnika Shroff

[Show as slideshow]

Team 3
Linh Dan Do
Megan Schneider
Sarah Simpson

[Show as slideshow]

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Team 4
Riley Anderson
Jamie Hendrixson
Mary Keilers
Lindsay Landers
Paul Weathers

[Show as slideshow]

Team 5
Scott Dooley
Brad Ewing
Angel Rivera
Will Wilkinson
Shane Wilson

[Show as slideshow]

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Team 6
Genevieve Buentello
Antonio Flamenco
Mike Garcia
Camilo Parra
David Robinson

[Show as slideshow]

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Team 7
Ernesto Maldonado
Kristin Schuster

[Show as slideshow]

Team 8
Matthew Easterly
Katy Emde
Flo Hannah
Andi Ritchie
Don Verser

[Show as slideshow]

Team 9
Terrence Newton
Roselynn Newton

[Show as slideshow]

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Team 10
Yogesh Arote
Theodora Batchvarova
Brian Janhsen
Chris McBride
Daniel Ortiz

[Show as slideshow]

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Team 11
Kyle Grist
Meade Mitchell
Kinoto Miyakoda
Pete Simpson

[Show as slideshow]

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Team 12
Aaron Beasley
Kenneth Beasley
Ray Mora
Evan Vargas

[Show as slideshow]

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Special thanks to Karen Rose for spending the day helping all the teams with Civil Engineering questions, and for Lonnie Hoogeboom, who provided all the beverages throughout the day.

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Please join rdAgents, RDA’s new young professionals group, for a night of fun and networking with “Cultured Cocktails” at Boheme on August 12, where a portion of the proceeds will benefit rdAgents. Cultured Cocktails, hosted by Spacetaker and Boheme, hosts a different local arts group each week for a special happy hour. Please come to continue celebrating the launch of rdAgents, meet new people interested in art, architecture and Houston’s built environment and learn more about RDA’s young professionals group.

Where: Boheme located at 301 Fairview
When: August 12 from 5-10 PM.

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Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Location: Domy Books | 1709 Westheimer Rd, Houston TX (Near Brazil Coffee House)

Pronounced “peh-cha-cu-cha”, a mix of show-and-tell, open-mike night and happy hour, Pecha Kucha has become the forum for ideas on design, culture and a lot else that has swept the world in just four years now having taken place in over 200 cities globally.

Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes, 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to present.

RDA has been instrumental in helping organize and support Houston’s inaugural Pecha Kucha presentation, so we hope you will come out in support of this fun event. RDA Board Member and Cite Editorial Chair, Christof Spieler will be one of the main presenters!

Doors open at 6pm for drinks and chit chat. Talks start at 7pm. The event is free and open to the public. Cash bar. Space is limited so get there early.

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Join Rice Design Alliance and Citizens’ Transportation Coalition
for a three-hour bus tour of Houston’s crucial but often unnoticed freight rail network with
RDA Board Member and Cite writer, Christof Spieler.

Saturday, September 12, 9 am – 12 pm*

Cite 79 focuses on the hidden infrastructure that keeps Houston working. This tour will reveal one of those networks: rail junctions, yards, bridges, and industrial sidings that carry coal, chemicals, new cars, and consumer goods, supporting our industrial economy and supplying our daily lives. We’ll also see how these networks coexist and clash with the neighborhoods around them.

*The tour will begin at the Ninfa’s on Navigation parking lot at 9 am and will conclude by 12:30 pm (to allow for unforeseen possible traffic issues). We will spend most of the trip on the bus but we’ll also get out once or twice. Tour goers will be supplied with light snacks and water for the tour.

Payment of $25 from interested RDA members is required to secure your place by Friday, September 4th. There are only a limited number of seats, so spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

We hope you will join us for this unique tour, highlighting the incredible industrial infrastructure of our city!

For questions and payment, please call 713-348-4876.

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State, national, and international dignitaries will speak at this educational summit hosted by the City of Irving, TX and the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce.

“The purpose of the Summit is to educate policy makers from all levels of government about current transportation issues throughout the world. The goal is to learn, share dialogue, advocate and network with the nation’s transportation and public policy leaders, private sector leaders and trade associations and groups.”

Registration costs vary for government and non-government employees. For full summit information and to register online, see the summit website. Early bird registration available until May 1.

August 11-14
Irving, TX

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In its second year as a collaboration between RDA Partners, Young Architects Forum and ArchiTypes, Fresh Perspectives was an informal presentation that allowed architects, artists, and other designers to show off their work in a lively and spirited context.

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