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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***To purchase tickets online, please click here. Tickets may be purchased during the tour at the following homes: 3763 Jardin Street, 2002 Mason St., 1540 Kirby Drive., 528 Buckingham Drive, and 1528 W. 24th Street.***

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
2010, 2000, 1998, Natalye Appel + Associates
2003, Stephanie Eugster

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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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

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

more >

To purchase tickets online, please click here.

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
2010, 2000, 1998, Natalye Appel + Associates
2003, Stephanie Eugster

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.

more >

RDA is pleased to announce its 2012 Hometown tour destinations:

BRAZIL: The Escola Carioca: Modern Architecture in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, June 12 – 19, 2012.
$3,999 pp dbl; $625 single supplement

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.

Registration is open for Brazil and a completed reservation card, a signed responsibility statement, and the full trip fare is required to confirm your reservation.

For more information, please contact Lynn Kelly, lynnkellyrda@gmail.com.

***********WAITLISTED************
SAN ANTONIO — March 8-11, 2012
$1,275 pp dbl; $200 single supplement; $1,020 tour only (without hotel)

San Antonio, founded in 1731 adjacent to the Mission of San Antonio de Valero, is the oldest city in Texas. It is also the most magical. The enchantment of San Antonio is embedded in its architecture. The Rice Design Alliance will experience the architecture and history of San Antonio as we visit some of the most remarkable buildings, sites, and neighborhoods that give the city its exceptional character.

Our visit will include a walking tour of downtown San Antonio and historical sites such as the River Walk. We will visit eighteenth-century Franciscan missions that preserve the Spanish frontier culture of San Antonio. We will tour the King William neighborhood, the most intact elite Victorian neighborhood in Texas. And we will have opportunities to visit special works by San Antonio’s greatest architects, both historic and contemporary.

Architectural historian Stephen Fox along with local architects and designers will be your tour guides. The Rice Design Alliance will conclude with a survey of historic and modern ranch architecture on the outskirts of San Antonio. Registration is open for San Antonio and a completed reservation card, a signed responsibility statement, and a deposit are required to confirm your reservation.

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RDA Executive Director Linda Sylvan documents her time in Helsinki with fellow tourgoers during RDA’s City Study Tour.

Helsinki Cathedral, Senate Square

Thirty-five RDA members arrived in Helsinki in time for a heat-wave that brought bright blue skies and highs in the mid 80s. Perfect weather for us Houstonians whose friends and families back home were sweltering in temperatures reaching 100 degrees! The group was led by architect Carlos Jimenez, whose Finnish friend and fellow Pritzker Prize juror Juhani Pallasmaa assisted in the planning of the trip, architectural historian Stephen Fox, and intrepid RDA tour director Lynn Kelly.

A welcome dinner was held at the famous Savoy Restaurant, whose interiors were designed by Alvar Aalto. Juhani Pallasmaa gave a brief preview of the walking tour of Helsinki Centre that he would lead the following day. Sights included work by C.L. Engel, Senate Square and University Library; Lars Sonk, Jugend Hall and the Stock Exchange and Telephone Company; Alvar Aalto, Iron House and Academic Book Store; Eliel Saarinen’s Railway Station; and Steven Holl’s Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Late afternoon was spent shopping at stores along Esplanade Park – from Artek to Littala, from Marimekko to Aarikka.

Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum

The following day we visited additional sights in Helsinki, including the National Museum, the Rock Church, and Aalto’s Finlandia Hall and National Pensions Institute. Then we left Helsinki and drove to Turku, the 2011 Cultural Capital of the World. We stopped along the way for lunch at the Hvittrask Museum, the former compound designed by Gesellius, Lindgren, and Saarinen as a summer retreat for the architects and their families. Other sights included Erik Bryggman’s Resurrection Chapel and Pekka Pitkanen’s Chapel of the Holy Cross.

Resurrection Chapel

In Turku we visited the Turku Castle, Turku Cathedral, and the Sibelius Museum. That night several people chose to eat dinner on one of the many boats docked along the river Aru.

Turku Castle

River boat restaurant, Turku

The next day we left Turku and traveled to Old Rauma Town, a World Heritage Site and then on to Pori for lunch and a visit to the Pori Art Museum (renovation and extension by Kristian Gullichsen). The highlight of the day was a visit to the Villa Mairea, the summer house that Alvar Aalto designed for Maire and Harry Gullichsen and their children in 1937-39, which ranks as one of the greatest houses of the 20th century. Juhani Pallasmaa arranged for us to have complete access to the house, which is furnished with the possessions with which Maire and Harry Gullichsen lived.

Villa Mairea

On our way back to Helsinki, we toured the Tampere Cathedral by Lars Sonck and Kaleva Church and Municipal Library by Reima Pietila as well as the Hattula Medieval Church, the finest medieval church in Finland. We arrived in Helsinki and went straight to the harbour to catch a ferry to the Boathouse Restaurant for lunch on one of the many islands off the coast.

We ended our tour as we had begun, with an homage to Alvar Aalto. After touring Aalto University we ended at the Aalto House and Studio for a private tour and festive dinner.

Alvar Aalto Studio

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Paul Lewis
Optimistic Opportunism
Architect, LTL, NY, Assistant Professor, Princeton
Thursday, November 3, 5:30

All lectures will take place in the Farish Gallery at the Rice School of Architecture.

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Charrette winner Linh Dan Do stands in front of her team's design. Not pictured is team member Sarah Simpson.

Over twenty designers came out on Saturday, August 6, for an intensive eight-hour challenge to propose a new campus for Workshop Houston, a non-profit in Houston’s Third Ward that provides youth with creative, technical, and educational resources. Rice Design Alliance’s young professionals group, rdAGENTS, hosted the event in the space generously provided by the Rice School of Architecture, which asked participants to expand Workshop Houston’s existing campus into a more efficient and user-friendly place for students.

As teams arrived, they were each given a program that outlined the details of the challenge. After learning about Workshop Houston’s own programming, which includes a Scholar Shop, a Style Shop, a Beat Shop, a Bike Shop, and a Chopper Shop, participants drafted innovative designs that considered existing buildings, as well as land that Workshop Houston hopes to expand onto in the near future. Entries showcased ideas for a more expansive campus and for more efficient space for the five shops.

On Monday, August 8, a jury consisting of Nicola Springer, Vice President at Kirksey; Reginald Hatter, Co-Director of Workshop Houston; and Danny Samuels, Rice Architecture Professor and Director of The Rice Building Workshop, blindly judged the entries based on how well the entries complied with the needs of WH, how cost-effective design implementation would be, how efficient the space was, and the clarity of the presentation. Winners were announced Monday night at a festive reception held at The Rice School of Architecture.

Recent Rice School of Architecture graduates Linh Dan Do and Sarah Simpson (Team 3) won “Best Overall” prize for their economically and environmentally sustainable and flexible design that efficiently addressed the campus needs of WH. Team member Sarah Simpson says, “Inspiration was drawn from the buildings already on site and the surrounding neighborhood for the material palette, which consists of simple woods and metals, and additionally, we tried to tie in some exciting sustainable concepts, like rainwater collection, cooling plant screens; and vertical shading that doubles as signage on the sunniest eastern and western facades.” Judges also particularly liked the modularity of the design approach, as each building could be built singularly as funding allowed. Frank Kelly, Luis Ayala, Tracy Eich, Jorge Tiscareño, and Ramy Hana from the SHW Group (Team 1) won an “Honorable Mention” for their visually-detailed, open, connected campus concept that utilized the existing buildings.

Below are galleries of all of the entries:

Team 1
Frank Kelly
Tracy Eich
Luis Ayala
Jorge Tiscareño
Ramy Hanna

[Show as slideshow]

Team 2
Don Hickey
Ali Naghdali
Shane Wilson

[Show as slideshow]

Team 3
Linh Dan Do
Sarah Simpson

[Show as slideshow]

Team 4
Adam Adams
Jennifer Traina-Dorge
Amy Sullivan

[Show as slideshow]

Team 5
Peter Mussig

[Show as slideshow]

Team 6
Sarah Kariv

[Show as slideshow]

Team 7
Arnika Shroff
Marquez Colby
Anthony Vu
Robert Morris

[Show as slideshow]

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