THROUGH THE
Rice Design Alliance When David Crane became the dean of architecture at Rice University in 1972, he saw a problem. Houston was fixated on expansion, but hardly anyone discussed publicly what was being built, what ought to be built or what the city as a whole should be. There should be a way, he thought, to encourage that discussion. Crane’s idea turned into the Rice Design Alliance (RDA), one of Rice’s first community outreach organizations. RDA, which turns 40 next year, began as a group of academics and architects that sponsored public forums and lectures and addressed significant yet underdiscussed questions: Could the bayous be recovered as ecosystems and public amenities? Could the city’s neglected parks become more vibrant? What mass transit strategies make the most sense? Since RDA’s inception, its overarching goal has been to empower individuals and communities to shape an even better city. The most visible of RDA’s successes have come from design competitions. The first, in 1985, attracted 119 entries from across the country and resulted in a design for the birthplace of Houston — Sesquicentennial Park — on Buffalo Bayou. Now, along banks that once were ignored and disconnected from the city, joggers and paddlers are a common sight. In 1992, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Hermann Park joined RDA to sponsor Heart of the Park, a competition in memory of longtime Rice Architecture Dean O. Jack Mitchell. The competition led to a master plan and major improvements to the park. The vibrant conviviality now on display at Hermann Park is a far cry from the dilapidation of yesteryear. In 2007, participants in RDA’s annual design charette were challenged to design a bridge for Memorial Park. The winning
Sallyport
tours of houses in Houston, engaging large numbers of visitors, many of whom have had little to no exposure to architect-designed houses. Likewise, RDA tours to other cities and even other countries led by faculty, such as architectural historian and lecturer Stephen Fox and architects and professors John Casbarian and Carlos Jimenez, have inspired Houstonians to bring the best of what they’ve seen back home. In 1982, RDA created Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston. Eighty-five issues later, the mix of high design and down and dirty civic engagement remains vital. Cite now has an online blog, http://offcite.org, and made its archive freely available at http://citemag.org. OffCite hosts a new initiative called Unexpected City that asks Houstonians to submit descriptions of favorite locations, thereby drawing from the knowledge of people outside Rice’s hedges. Houston, of course, remains elusive. Although RDA has contributed to an improved quality of life in Houston, the chase is far from over. The city still defies description, much less planning, and the discussions that David Crane imagined nearly 40 years ago have only just begun.
The Living Bridge
99K House
design — the Living Bridge, dedicated in 2009 — provides safer pedestrian movement through the park. In 2008, the 99K House Competition drew 182 entries for the design of an energy-efficient 1,400-square-foot house in Houston’s historic Fifth Ward. The home, completed in 2009, serves as a prototype of quality-designed, affordable and sustainable housing. RDA’s efforts extend to other areas as well. Since 1977, RDA has featured lectures by some of the world’s brightest — and often most controversial — architects and critics. The lectures, presented in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Brown Auditorium, often draw overflow audiences of students, faculty and local practitioners, as well as architecture buffs from around Houston. In 1978, RDA began offering architectural
As RDA begins a new decade and the School of Architecture approaches its second century, the two are entering a new era of collaboration with the hopes of having a concrete effect on the city. “I came to architecture because I first wanted to be an architecture critic for a newspaper,” said architecture Dean Sarah Whiting. “For me, architecture is the most public of the arts, and fostering a public discussion about it is essential. RDA has an established and respected place in the community, and it’s my hope that the school further expands that outreach in order to help Houston envision new urban futures.” —Linda Sylvan
For membership and program information, visit: › › › www.ricedesignalliance.org
Rice Magazine
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No. 9
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2011
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