HRDD Receives AIA Houston Design Awards

HR Design Department was awarded two AIA Houston Design Awards on August 15! The AIA Houston Design Awards recognizes design excellence in architecture, residential architecture, interior architecture, restoration/renovation, and urban design. Projects are evaluated based on quality of design, resolution of the program idea, sustainable responsibility, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique. This year’s jury included Lori Ryker, Ph.D. (Studio Ryker), Jack Murphy (Architects Newspaper), and Jesus Robles, Assoc. AIA (DUST).

HRDD’s Joyce Residence was awarded in the Renovation category:

“The project is at a wonderful scale and has an overall coherency. We liked this idea of the connecting the new with a mirroring of the previous. It’s such a lovely space that gets carved into the roofline.” - Lori Ryker

The Menil Bungalows and Accessory Dwelling Units received recognition in the Residential category:

“We appreciated the architectural diagram of the intervention of the light well through the spaces, as well as the ADUs nod to the bungalow typology but with a subtle restraint and twist into a new form. We appreciated all that it was proposing for the neighborhood - aesthetically, formally, spatially.” - Jesus Robles

Here’s a link to all the night’s award winners!

Heather Rowell Receives Ben Brewer Young Architect Award

On Saturday at the 2024 Houston Design Gala, AIA Houston awarded HR Design Dept’s Heather Rowell the Ben Brewer Young Architect Award. Named in honor of Ben Brewer, FAIA, the award recognizes excellence in ability, exceptional work, and significant contributions in the practice of architecture by architects who are in their first 10 years of practice.

The jury, made up of members of AIA Louisiana, made the following comments on their 2024 award decision:

“The resumes and portfolios reviewed showed a bright future for AIA Houston’s future leaders. Heather Rowell stands as a clear example of the type of dedicated individual who is the future of the Architecture profession. Her ability to overcome challenges through her professional career, some of which would have pushed many others out of the profession, shows a perseverance that stands out. Her portfolio presents a diversity of aesthetic expression that leads to a fully developed design direction for both herself and her firm as a whole.

Lastly, her engagement with professional, educational institutions and larger community demonstrates that she sees herself as serving the profession as a whole. Her focus of fostering the future of her students, building opportunity for women architects through her work establishing the WIA for AIA Houston reinforces her focused approach to the betterment of the whole.”

In late 2023, Heather spearheaded the creation of the Women in Architecture Professional Development Fund at Architecture Center Houston. Today, the Fund finances two new, annual scholarship opportunities for WiA Houston. In Saturday’s program, Heather encouraged others to contribute to the tax-deductible Fund to ensure a successful inaugural year.

HR Design Dept at the AIA Houston Gala: Feyza Mutlu, David Schneider, Eric Hughes, and Heather Rowell.

Preservation Houston: Good Brick Award

Preservation Houston has presented the Good Brick Awards since 1979 to recognize outstanding contributions to the preservation, restoration and enhancement of Houston's architectural and cultural heritage. Nomination categories include the renovation, restoration, or adaptive reuse of a building; new buildings or sympathetic additions that enhance the existing historic fabric of Houston; recognition for the craftspeople who continually maintain, build, and restore our important buildings and cultural fabric; preservation-related programs or activities; project planning; publications; and outstanding service or leadership in preservation.

We’re thrilled to announce that Divya Pande and Nakul Gupta were presented with a Good Brick Award for their Avondale Residence at Preservation Houston’s annual Cornerstone Dinner.

You can see the full list of this year’s recipients here.