We are pleased to announce dates for our 36th annual architecture tour, which will occur Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25, 2012. The tour, Living with Art, will showcase significant houses in Houston that exhibit impressive art collections.

Living with art changes the architectural dynamics of a house. The houses on the tour demonstrate how art can reshape architecture, most intriguingly in houses that were not originally designed with art exhibition in mind. “Houstonians are fortunate to live in a city abundant with uniquely diverse art institutions and museums. Although the majority of our city may not be aware, we are also fortunate to be surrounded by equally significant private collections scattered throughout our neighborhoods—collections that foster a belief in art and deep personal reflection,” says Julie Kinzelman, home tour committee member and owner of Kinzelman Art Consulting.

The tour will feature eight distinctive homes where tour-goers can peruse the art collections, as well as the structures housing the collections. RDA members and their guests are invited to attend the tour.

EVENT INFORMATION

What: Rice Design Alliance Architecture Tour – Living with Art
Dates: March 24-25, 2012, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day

Locations:

1527 Kirby Drive
1937 William G. Farrington Company

1540 Kirby Drive
1937, Joseph W. Northrup, Jr.

3763 Jardin Street
2010, Michael Landrum

1529 Maryland Street
2006, Parra Design Group

528 Buckingham Drive
2000, Kevin Young Designers

2526 Bellmeade Drive
2006, Glassman Shoemake Maldonado

2002 Mason Street
2003, Wittenberg Oberholzer

1528 W. 24th Avenue
2010, John Blackmon and Ian Glennie

Tickets: The tour is open only to RDA members and their guests. RDA memberships begin at $45 and can be purchased during the tour or in advance at the RDA office, and include one complimentary tour ticket at the Student or Individual level or two complimentary tickets at the Household level and above. Ticket prices for members and their guests are $25. To purchase tickets online, please click here.

The Rice Design Alliance has held architecture tours every year since 1975 to acquaint Houstonians with the best examples of architecture, interior design, and landscape design in the city.

The Rice Design Alliance is an AIA/CES Registered Provider of educational programs. For this tour, attendees will earn two Learning Units. Learning Units will be reported to CES Records on the member’s behalf. Registration at one house on the tour is required. Non-AIA members may pick up a Certificate of Completion to fulfill state MCE requirements.

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RDA is pleased to announce its thirteenth annual grants program for students and faculty of the Rice School of Architecture, the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, the College of Architecture at Prairie View, and the Department of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University.

RDA will make separate awards of up to $5,000 each to a student and a faculty winners.

The Initiatives for Houston grants program focuses on Houston’s built environment, its history, present condition, and future development. A variety of regional projects will be considered, including historic research, speculative studies and projects, problem solving and planning projects, and studies that document the conditions of the city and its architecture. Proposals will be evaluated in terms of their potential for making a significant contribution to our understanding of the city and/or the region.

Projects must describe a dissemination component, which may be in the form of a paper or manuscript, exhibit, or a video or other presentation. In addition, the results of the project may be presented by the grantees in a public lecture or published in the Rice Design Alliance journal, Cite. Awards of up to $5,000 are available for projects to be completed in one year. More than one proposal in each category, student or faculty, may be funded. Past award-winning proposals are available for review in the architecture libraries of the participating schools.

The total application must include:
• A completed application
• A written proposal for the project (one to three pages), describing goals, expected outcomes, work plan, and schedule for the project, and a discussion of its significance. Applicants also should describe past work in the area of the proposed research.
• Resume for each participant
• Students will need a faculty advisor and a letter of support.
• A project budget (equipment such as computers, digital cameras, etc. may not be included)

Applications will be due March 26, 2012. Please mail application and supporting materials to:
Rice University
Rice Design Alliance MS-51
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, Texas 77251-1892

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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

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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99K House

Compiling information for the award submission, which resulted in an impressive document detailing nearly 40 years of RDA’s programming and contributions to the Houston region, was itself an act of collaboration among board members and staff. “I am thrilled for RDA to win this National AIA award,” said past RDA President Kimberly Hickson who spearheaded the submission process. “When compiling the entry, I was in awe of the impact this organization has had on Houston and the surrounding community. The past is only a beginning to great things to come!”

The five-member jury included Kevin J. Flynn, FAIA, Chair Kiku Obata & Company, Saint Louis; James Logan Abell, FAIA, Abell & Associates Architects, Ltd., Tempe, Arizona; David Burney, FAIA, NYC Department of Design & Construction, Long Island City; Vergel Lee Gay Jr., AIA, Texas A & M, College Station, Texas; and Curtis J. Moody, FAIA, Moody Nolan, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. One member commented that RDA was “an excellent program that raises consciousness about architecture and urban design. It is certainly worthy of recognition and has won many awards since its inception in 1972.”

In addition to praise bestowed by the jury, Raymond Brochstein, former president of the custom millwork company Brochsteins noted “RDA has educated Houstonians about architects and architecture through lectures and tours, instigated and nurtured some landmark urban improvement projects, and made public and private decision makers aware that good design matters!”As RDA moves into its 40th year as an organization, it is now more than ever ready to embrace its values of educating, engaging, and impacting the Houston community around issues concerning the built environment—which the AIA award well recognizes.

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Click here to purchase tickets. For more information, please call the Rice Design Alliance, (713) 348-4876.

FURNISH Space / Context / Object, RDA’s inaugural 2012 lecture series, will explore progressive ideas, technologies, and cultural forces affecting furniture design as interpreted by a variety of innovative designers from around the world. Specifically, this exploration examines the impact on the overall creative design process by looking at factors such as advancements in materials, overarching cultural shifts, and the intricacies of the manufacturing process itself.

The public and RDA members are invited to hear the following speakers during the series:

Wednesday, January 18
Mike Simonian of Mike & Maaike, San Francisco

Wednesday, January 25
Kenneth Cobonpue, The Philippines

Wednesday, February 1
Jurgen Bey, Rotterdam

All lectures will be held at 7:00 p.m. in Brown Auditorium in The Museum of Fine Arts Caroline Wiess Law Building, each with a pre-lecture reception at 6:00 p.m. in the museum lobby. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is located at 1001 Bissonnet (enter via the Main Street door.) No guaranteed seating for ticket holders after 7:00 p.m. Additional parking is available until 7:00 p.m. for $6 in the museum garage located at the corner of Binz and Fannin Streets.

RDA will gladly make special accommodations for anyone needing assistance to attend a lecture. Please contact RDA directly, 713.348.4876. A minimum of two week’s notice is appreciated.

TICKET INFORMATION
Series Tickets:
$20 – RDA, MFAH members
$15 – Senior citizens 65 and older
$10 – Students with identification
$35 – Others

Single Tickets (upon availability):
$7 – RDA, MFAH members; Senior citizens 65 and older; Students with identification
$15 – Others

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RDA President 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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BRAZIL: The Escola Carioca: Modern Architecture in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, June 12 – 19, 2012
Price to be announced soon.

Modern Architecture in Brazil made a first timid appearance in the city of São Paulo, yet it was in the city of Rio de Janeiro that a particular, and internationally recognized, brand of architecture was forged. The brand consisted of a Brazilian twist on modern architecture, which had been theorized by such architects as Lucio Costa, and prolifically practiced by Oscar Niemeyer, Affonso Reidy, and the Roberto Brothers. Unlike its counterparts in Europe and North America, early 20th-century architecture in Brazil sought no rupture with tradition even if it paradoxically resisted four centuries of colonial influence. This subsequently required the construction of an identity that was able to connect the virtues of Brazil’s perceived primitivism with the promise of a technically advanced future. The state was finally convinced to construct an image for the nation that would heavily rely on modern architecture, beginning with the 1936 projects for a Federal University (unbuilt) and the Ministry of Education Building (built), both having had Le Corbusier act as a consultant. At the apex of this architectural movement is, of course, Brasilia designed by Lucio Costa within the very architectural culture of Rio de Janeiro to the sound of Bossa Nova music.

Rice University Professor Farès el-Dahdah, who grew up in Brasilia, and architecture historian Stephen Fox will be our guides. Price to be announced shortly.

If you are interested in receiving additional information when it becomes available, please contact Lynn Kelly, lynnkellyrda@gmail.com.

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This year’s Rice Design Alliance tour, Living with Art, will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. each day. “From 1950 to 1975, Houston underwent explosive change, growing from an incubator of yet-to-be-realized dreams into a renowned metropolis—a center not only of commerce and political power but also of the arts,” begins Sarah Reynolds in her book Houston Reflections: Art in the City, 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Houston is now recognized as one of the centers for the arts, and of renowned collections. The Art Houses Tour will look at significant houses in Houston that were designed or retrofitted around art collections.

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Mike and Maaike’s Windowseat Lounge Chair

Click here to purchase tickets. For more information, please call the Rice Design Alliance, (713) 348-4876.

FURNISH Space / Context / Object, RDA’s inaugural 2012 lecture series, will explore progressive ideas, technologies, and cultural forces affecting furniture design as interpreted by a variety of innovative designers from around the world. Specifically, this exploration examines the impact on the overall creative design process by looking at factors such as advancements in materials, overarching cultural shifts, and the intricacies of the manufacturing process itself.

The public and RDA members are invited to hear the following speakers during the series:

Wednesday, January 18
Mike Simonian of Mike & Maaike, San Francisco

Wednesday, January 25
Kenneth Cobonpue, The Philippines

Wednesday, February 1
Jurgen Bey, Rotterdam

All lectures will be held at 7:00 p.m. in Brown Auditorium in The Museum of Fine Arts Caroline Wiess Law Building, each with a pre-lecture reception at 6:00 p.m. in the museum lobby. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is located at 1001 Bissonnet (enter via the Main Street door.) No guaranteed seating for ticket holders after 7:00 p.m. Additional parking is available until 7:00 p.m. for $6 in the museum garage located at the corner of Binz and Fannin Streets.

RDA will gladly make special accommodations for anyone needing assistance to attend a lecture. Please contact RDA directly, 713.348.4876. A minimum of two week’s notice is appreciated.

TICKET INFORMATION
Series Tickets:
$20 – RDA, MFAH members
$15 – Senior citizens 65 and older
$10 – Students with identification
$35 – Others

Single Tickets (upon availability):
$7 – RDA, MFAH members; Senior citizens 65 and older; Students with identification
$15 – Others

more >

Mike and Maaike’s Windowseat Lounge Chair

Click here to purchase tickets. For more information, please call the Rice Design Alliance, (713) 348-4876.

FURNISH Space / Context / Object, RDA’s inaugural 2012 lecture series, will explore progressive ideas, technologies, and cultural forces affecting furniture design as interpreted by a variety of innovative designers from around the world. Specifically, this exploration examines the impact on the overall creative design process by looking at factors such as advancements in materials, overarching cultural shifts, and the intricacies of the manufacturing process itself.

The public and RDA members are invited to hear the following speakers during the series:

Wednesday, January 18
Mike Simonian of Mike and Maaike, San Francisco

Wednesday, January 25
Kenneth Cobonpue, The Philippines

Wednesday, February 1
Jurgen Bey, Rotterdam

All lectures will be held at 7:00 p.m. in Brown Auditorium in The Museum of Fine Arts Caroline Wiess Law Building, each with a pre-lecture reception at 6:00 p.m. in the museum lobby. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is located at 1001 Bissonnet (enter via the Main Street door.) No guaranteed seating for ticket holders after 7:00 p.m. Additional parking is available until 7:00 p.m. for $6 in the museum garage located at the corner of Binz and Fannin Streets.

RDA will gladly make special accommodations for anyone needing assistance to attend a lecture. Please contact RDA directly, 713.348.4876. A minimum of two week’s notice is appreciated.

TICKET INFORMATION
Series Tickets:
$20 – RDA, MFAH members
$15 – Senior citizens 65 and older
$10 – Students with identification
$35 – Others

Single Tickets (upon availability):
$7 – RDA, MFAH members; Senior citizens 65 and older; Students with identification
$15 – Others

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