Rice Design Alliance Award Submission to the American Institute of Architects for Collaborative Achievement in Research, Dissemination, and Education
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Rice Design Alliance Award Submission to the American Institute of Architects for Collaborative Achievement in Research, Dissemination, and Education 14 October 2011 On October 14, 2011, the Rice Design Alliance submitted an award submission to the American Institute of Architects for “Collaborative Achievement in Research, Dissemination, and Education.” Along with our organization’s “Biography,” a “Statement of Contributions,” and 15-pages of “Exhibits,” the RDA submission was nominated by Raymond Brochstein, FAIA with five support letters from John Kaliski, AIA, Nonya Grenader, FAIA, David Lake, FAIA, Jay Baker, FAIA, and Edward M. Baum, FAIA. Captured on the following page are a few quotes from these AIA colleagues and RDA supporters. SUBMISSION COMMITTEE Barbara Amelio, Kimberly Hickson, Lonnie Hoogeboom, Craig Minor, Suzy Minor, Danny Samuels, Carrie Glassman Shoemake STAFF Kathryn Fosdick, Raj Mankad, Katie Plocheck, Linda Sylvan “The Rice Design Alliance has been at the forefront of thinking about the future of the built environment and how cities and buildings must be sustainable. RDA has a regional reach beyond Houston, including Austin, Corpus Christi, Galveston and my town, San Antonio. RDA’s audience is not limited to design professionals. It is inclusive, open, and inviting. I have friends who are developers, lawyers, teachers, and artists who routinely attend their events because of the inspirational, informative content. RDA’s commitment to excellence and their success in expanding the audience elucidates how good design benefits all of us and the natural realm. “The Rice Design Alliance was conceived by David Crane who was Dean of the Rice University School of Architecture in 1972. Crane was searching RDA has been at this for 39 years. Their longevity is a testament to its for a way to connect with alumnae and non-architects in the community to relevance and exuberance and its broad community support. RDA is the promote the school and more importantly to bring awareness and knowledge MVP of Design Matters in our state! RDA has shaped how we think about of architecture to the broader society. design … how we build a home, a community, a city.” Now nearly forty years later RDA has become the preeminent organization of - David C. Lake, FAIA its type, its format has widely influenced others thoughout the country. “Hermann Park is arguably the most significant civic space in Houston. The RDA has educated Houstonians about architects and architecture collaborative approach taken by RDA to improve Hermann Park is to witness through lectures and tours, instigated and nurtured some landmark urban the spark behind what has become the city’s most successful Public/Private improvement projects and made public and private decision makers aware Partnership devoted to improving our public realm. that good design matters!” RDA initiated a design completion that led to built improvements. The Friends - Raymond D. Brochstein, FAIA of Hermann Park raised the funds necessary to build the winning entry. “Cite Magazine, one of the many programs that RDA was generating in the While today the renovation of Hermann Park enjoys an excellent reputation, 1980s, created a unique opportunity to collaborate with like-minded people that reputation exists because RDA took the first steps with the collabor- and shape matters of design and the city. ative spirit necessary to achieve meaningful and lasting change. This would After three decades of continuous publication, I am now one of hundreds of not have been possible without the open hand routinely extended to the architects, educators, writers, and everyday citizens, who through Cite realize community by RDA to improve our public realm.” an uncanny sense of Houston.” - Jay Baker, FAIA - John Kaliski, AIA “Rice Design Alliance was instrumental in helping us create a similar civic “Since its founding in 1972, the Rice Design Alliance has provided a stimu- group here – the Dallas Architectural Forum. lating flow of information and support between Houston’s architectural community and the larger audience of our diverse city. Recent outreach A word about the Rice Design Alliance and schools. The members of the projects highlight RDA’s continuing commitment to enriching not on the NAAB Accreditation Team, of which I was a member, found RDA to be an Houston community, but also programs that engage participants far beyond immense asset to both the Rice School of Architecture and the College of Texas in broad issues of design. Architecture at the University of Houston, offering so much that neither could offer alone. The lectures, study tours, exhibitions, and competitions open At various scales of outreach, the Rice Design Alliance has enabled doors, bring new people to architecture, and help link the schools to the innovative designs to be realized. Their programs enrich the design discourse community. The excellent journal Cite gives a respected platform for faculty, of students, architects, and the larger community.” alumni, and friends of the universities.” - Nonya Grenader, FAIA - Edward M. Baum, FAIA tecture and evolving Houston neigh- Spotlight: The Rice Design Alliance borhoods. The tours are themed Prize was instituted in 2009 with the around a particular architect, a style, purpose of recognizing emerging an emerging trend, or specific neigh- architects early in their professional borhoods. careers. The prize carries a $1,500 cash award and the opportunity to Guests on RDA City Study Tours lecture at The Museum of Fine Arts, travel throughout the United States Houston. and the world to experience archi- BIOGRAPHY OF THE In fall 1972 the Rice Design Alliance EDUCATION is the cornerstone tecture through local guides, private RICE DESIGN ALLIANCE (RDA) was organized by a small upon which RDA was forged. RDA receptions, and behind-the-scene group of academicians, Rice School holds two lecture series annually. tours. RDA members have visited of Architecture alumni, and civic- RDA civic forums are a vehicle for Paris, Buenos Aires, Helsinki, San minded citizens under the leadership examining issues that affect Housto- Francisco, Chicago, and Marfa, of the Dean of the Rice School of nians and the city. These discussions Texas, to name a few destinations. Architecture, David Crane, FAIA. allow the public to gather information Since its founding nearly 40 years about current issues and to join the ago, RDA has grown to 2,000 dialogue with experts. members, which include those in IMPACT is demonstrated by the the A/E/C communities as well as RDA’s quarterly magazine, Cite: far-reaching commitment of RDA to those who have a personal interest The Architecture + Design Review of implement physical improvements in in architecture and urban planning. Houston, started publication in 1982 Houston and the surrounding region. As a non-profit organization driven and is the only consistent voice of RDA’s first national design compe- The mission of the Rice by volunteers, RDA has emerged architectural criticism in Houston. A tition was held in 1985 for a master Design Alliance is the as the preeminent public forum in related blog, offcite.org, addresses plan for downtown’s Sesquicentennial advancement of archi- Houston for critique, discourse, and current issues with more editorial The Annual RDA Gala and Award for Park, now completed. Until then, a tecture, urban design, and programming of design and the built voices. Ephemeral City: Cite Looks at Design Excellence was launched competition for a major civic project the built environment in environment. Since 1973, RDA has Houston (2003, University of Texas in 1987 to raise funds to support was unprecedented in Houston. The the Houston region through sponsored over 327 lectures, 74 Press) is a collection of 25 critical RDA programs and to recognize 99K House Competition in 2008 drew educational programs, panel discussions and symposiums, essays on the late modern city that individuals and institutions that have 182 entries from around the world the publication of Cite: 47 architecture tours, 21 exhibi- originally appeared in Cite. made exceptional contributions to for the design of an economical and The Architecture + Design tions, 12 grant competitions, 9 film architecture and design in Houston. energy-efficient 1,400 SF single- Review of Houston, and series, four national design competi- This popular event draws more than family house in Houston’s historic active programs to initiate tions and has published 86 issues of 1,000 guests each year. Fifth Ward. The winning design was ENGAGEMENT with design profes- physical improvements. a quarterly design review, 65 guide built and then sold to a qualifying sionals and civic-minded citizens rdAGENTS, RDA’s young professional low-income family. pamphlets, 12 catalogs, and one leads to the ability to affect change group, is a network of individuals monograph. by mobilizing people toward a invested in the future of Houston. The Initiatives for Houston grants program is designed for students Our activities fall within three areas: common goal. RDA brings people Each August the rdAGENTS host an all-day design charrette where and faculty of the regional schools of Education, Engagement, and Impact. together for idea exchange, social- izing, and hands-on involvement. architects and designers propose architecture and urban planning. To solutions to community issues such date, RDA has awarded more than Conducted annually since 1975, RDA as activating the bayous or recycling $112,000 in grants to support faculty architecture tours present local archi- and waste disposal. and student research. BIOGRAPHY RDA is managed by its Board 2011-2012 RDA Officers 1997 of Directors, which consists of Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards, Cite 36, Cite 34. 50 elected members from the President, David E. Harvey, Jr. President and CEO of Harvey Builders community as well as student and 1995 faculty representatives from Rice President-Elect, Lonnie Hoogeboom, AIA Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design, Nomination, Cite magazine. and University of Houston schools of Director of Planning & Design, Central Houston Inc.