FALL 2009 CITINGS >> NEWS FROM RICEDESIGNALLIANCE.ORG

The new Rice Design Alliance website features commentary and podcasts from RDA civic forums and lectures, a calendar of RDA events and events sponsored by other area organizations, travel journals from RDA city tours, and several resources, including a growing archive of past Cite issues and links to O! Cite.org, the Cite blog.

FROM LEFT: Winka Dubbeldam with RDA member Luiza Maal; Marfa, Texas; and “The Rurban Horseshoe” from Cite 73.

! TEN YEARS OF INITIATIVES FOR ! GETTING HIGH OR BAD TRIP ! MARFA REFRIED: ! MEXICO CITY ARCHITECTURE HOUSTON Winka Dubbeldam, with a wink, said TRANS-PECOS X2 LECTURE SERIES The Initiatives for Houston grants she really liked the name of the Rice RDA will lead a second group to The “City of Palaces” is what radio program supports projects that focus Design Alliance Fall lecture series, Marfa, Texas. Trip dates are February announcers used to call Mexico City on Houston’s built environment, its Getting High: Towers in Architecture. 11-14, 2010 and the cost is $1,500 per in their daily broadcasts. As Richard history, present condition, and future “Getting High, this is a really great person. It is an encore of a sold-out trip Neutra pointed out in a 1952 essay, development. Jury members evaluate title for a Dutch person, ” she said to in February 2009. Travelers toured only Peru’s cities can rival its Pre- proposals in terms of their potential for laughter from the roughly 300-member private homes by Houston’s own Colombian and Colonial riches, but no making a signifi cant contribution to audience. She was one of four speakers Carlos Jiménez as well as Lake/Flato other city in the Americas can boast our understanding of the city. An exhi- in the series, including Peter and Cameron Armstrong. of monuments from both eras, as well bition showcasing 10 years of winning Buchanan, Ali Rahim, and Ross Architectural historian Stephen Fox as an extraordinary body of modern proposals is planned for early 2010. Wimer. Each brought stunning led a walking tour of downtown architecture that keeps growing. Dur- Past recipients have created an as- perspectives. Indeed, Buchanan began Marfa. ing 2010, Mexico will celebrate the tonishing range of publications, plans, bicentennial of its independence, as the series by slamming the majority of ! FROM OFFCITE.ORG: and built projects. For example, the towers being built today as “rubbish” CITE 73 NOW AVAILABLE FREE well as the centennial of the Mexican green roof of the Burdette Keeland, and endemic of the fi nal throes of a ONLINE Revolution. The Spring 2010 series will Jr. Design Exploration Center at the dying way of thinking. This issue, published in the winter of mark this celebration with a lecture University of Houston was funded in 2008, looked forward, looked back, series featuring a remarkable group of part by an Initiatives for Houston grant Visit ricedesignalliance.org if you and then forward again. It considered emerging architects who are making from the Rice Design Alliance. missed the series for write-ups and the reshaping of the University of St. an impact on Mexico City. The exhibition will run from video recordings. Thomas and Texas Southern 6 January 7 to February 26, 2010 at the University. The Rurban Horseshoe See the calendar and visit Architecture Center, Houston. The examined historically black ricedesignalliance.org for more details. opening reception will be Thursday, neighborhoods on the periphery of the January 7 from 6 to 10 pm. city. Joel Warren Barna analyzed the

FALL2009.cite debate over the Ashby Highrise. !"#$%&'()*+,('(!-"+,*."',-/)*0(&123.4*+,('(*(0*'(5-*!%(-!%*0#5.%4*3,"--%''%*-"6*7")."1 LETTER his deep gratitude to the eight $10,000 Underwriters: D. E. Harvey Builders, Haynes Whaley IN RESPONSE TO CITE 73, WINTER 2009 Associates, Inc., Linbeck Group, In rereading the Hindsight on the Ashby SpawMaxwell Company, Highrise, the author [Joel Warren Barna] made Satterfi eld & Pontikes an assumption and revealed his slanted opinion in Construction, Inc., TDIndustries, the matter while feigning neutrality throughout Tellepsen, and Phoebe and Bobby the entire article till the very end. First Tudor. “neighborhood cohesion as a Gala Chairs Mikki and David positive force” is a wildly Harvey, Jr. recognized their gala subjective litmus test for co-chairs, David Andrews, any city’s growth. I may Underwriting; Shelby Holman ask, who decides the and Kim Kasse, Auction; and criteria for what that Bob Inaba and Randall Walker, cohesion is and how is it Environment. Harvey introduced positive? Or better the Tudors, recognizing their what are the positive leadership on a number of attributes for any Houston’s educational and neighborhood in the vast long term? All too cultural boards as well as raising subjective for a single property to be determined NEWS and donating money for the by people in the adjacency. The author also Ideson project and for buildings at clearly ends with emotional hyperbole on Rice University, where Bobby is “Bissonnet Canyon.” Landowners could only UNDERWRITING PARTY co-chair of its Centennial dream to be so lucky. As a student of architecture, Campaign. Mikki Hebl noted it is obvious that the local institutions are only DESPITE THREATENING SKIES, TORNADO Phoebe’s successful efforts interested in keeping our profession as the warnings, and competing events, Gala to save the historic Wiess “house-pets for the rich.” I am for progress, not contributors and their guests turned out to House, now home to Rice perfection. honor philanthropists Phoebe and Bobby President David Leebron Sincerely, Tudor at the annual RDA Gala and his family. Anonymous Underwriting Party held on October 29 The Tudors were Student of architecture at the Julia Ideson building. The historic presented the Rice Design 1926 building was designed by Boston Alliance Award for Design LET US HEAR FROM YOU architect Ralph Adams Cram, architect of Excellence, a Lalique China Cite welcomes and encourages readers to send Rice University’s original campus, and it is Mood bowl donated by letters, including critical ones, to undergoing a renovation and expansion. Gala Neiman Marcus. Phoebe [email protected]. honoree Phoebe Tudor, chair of the Julia spoke of the Julia Ideson Ideson Preservation Partners, is heading up Preservation Partners’ efforts to the effort to raise $32 million for the project. restore the building and provide Gensler is the architect, SpawMaxwell is the state-of-the-art archival storage contractor, and Haynes Whaley is the and work areas for the structural engineer for the project. collection. Noting the high Guests gathered in the soon-to-be- humidity inside that evening, renovated, second-story Tudor Gallery Phoebe pointed out how where they enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and wine much the building needed provided by Jackson and Company. Library the renovation. RDA LECTURES docents were on hand in the venerable Texas Room where historical documents were on view, and MEXICO CITY ARCHITECTURE Brown Auditorium architectural historian Stephen Fox answered The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston questions about the historic building that was home 1001 Bissonnet to Houston’s fi rst city library. Mark Crippin with (Enter via the Main Street door) 7p.m. SpawMaxwell arranged for views into the new wing, 713.348.4876 which is due to open in early 2010. The collection ricedesignalliance.org then will be moved from the old building into the JOSE CASTILLO new wing, and renovation of the historic building will CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, ARQUITECTURA 911SC

begin. CALENDAR Wednesday, February 3 Rice Design Alliance President David Spaw thanked contributors for their support of the gala, DEREK DELLEKAMP FOUNDER, DELLEKAMP ARQITECTOS, Hue: Celebrating a Vibrant Community, and expressed Tuesday, February 9

JAVIER SANCHEZ PRINCIPAL, JSA 7 ABOVE LEFT: David Harvey, Phoebe Tudor, Mikki Wednesday, February 17 Hebl, and Bobby Tudor; CENTER: Rice School of FRIDA ESCOBEDO LOPEZ Architecture Dean John Casbarian and Charles PRINCIPAL, ESCOBEDO LOPEZ, Maynard; BELOW RIGHT: Kimberly Hickson, David ARCHITECT

and Joni Calkins, and David and Joan Spaw. Wednesday, February 24 FALL2009.cite %-23*,%&'%-