“The most exciting element of this project for me is the space between the edge of the canopy and the beginning of the building. It’s an incredibly dynamic exterior space, which is the heart of the expression of the architecture.”
— Thomas Robinson, AIA
Location Houston
Client Houston Endowment
Architects Kevin Daly Architects and PRODUCTORA
Design Team kdA: Kevin Daly, FAIA, Luke Smith, Gretchen Stoecker, Phineas Taylor-Webb, Ryan Conroy, Casey Worrell, Kevin Ulmer, Evan Hursley, Robert Becker; PRODUCTORA: Wonne Ickx, Nicolás Fueyo
Contractor Bellows
Local Representative Kirksey Architecture
MEP Engineer CMTA
Structural Engineer Arup
Civil Engineer BGE
Sustainability Consultant Transsolar
Construction Manager Forney Construction
Lighting Designer George Sexton Associates
AV/IT 4B Technology
Acoustics Newson Brown
Waterproofing Curtainwall Design Consulting
Environmental Graphics MG&Co.
Landscape Architect TLS
The Houston Endowment Headquarters provides a highly visible home for the organization within a park-like setting while interweaving imperatives of public and private space. Inspired by what Lars Lerup called Houston’s “zoohemic” canopy, the design features an energy-generating canopy structure evoking the surrounding foliage and an intricate louvered lattice that encourages the use of outdoor terraces, maximizes daylight within the building, and minimizes solar gain. A geothermal well system, high-efficiency rainscreen facade, and photovoltaic system work together with the lattice to create a net-zero project. On the interior, a hybrid structural system composed of steel and CLT provides a flexible and efficient framework for organizing public and private zones linked to the park through a series of shaded exterior terraces.