University of Houston RAD Center

The Retail, Auxiliary, and Dining (RAD) Center at the University of Houston is the campus’s first mass timber construction, replacing a flood-prone below-grade dining facility severely damaged during Hurricane Harvey. Nestled in the campus’s “woodlands” area, the building blends food and art within a natural setting, standing apart from its blank-facade neighbors through activated edges and ground-level transparency. The material palette follows the campus standard but flips the proportions, achieving a lighter presence while creating a cohesive student experience that feels inherently part of the university.  Connection with nature is reinforced through vertical facade rhythms and upper-story glass that reflects the surrounding tree canopy while flooding the interior with light. The RAD supports students’ physical well-being, giving them opportunities to nurture mind, body, and spirit through nutritious food, social gatherings, and inspiring art.

“I was impressed by the strategic use of mass timber, the reuse of the existing foundations, and the opportunity to use this smaller, more pedestrian-scaled, open building to respond to some of the closed, taller buildings around it and really make an impact on the campus.” —Ashley Rao, AIA

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