Rice University O’Connor Engineering and Science Building / Houston, Texas

Behind the Scenes of Inspiring Innovation

Introduction

Transforming what began as a digital sketch into realizing a tangible, successful reality, the following is a look into the process that developed the design in less than one year.

Inspirations

The Rice campus itself was a primary source of inspiration.

The existing network of covered arcades provided a great framework to build upon in the design.
Dappled light filtered through the extensive oak tree canopies informed ways of softening the strong Texas sun.
The rich modernist history of campus buildings offered cues for integrating with the campus context without resorting to mimicry.

Finding the Best Fit

On a campus known for its human-scaled architecture, accommodating a large program required strategic foresight, sensitivity to context and constant refinement.

From the outset, the project prioritized a sensitive approach to massing.
An iterative process using both digital tools and manual sketching were used to shape the architecture.
Scale was examined throughout the design phase, crafted to refine all systems.
It’s always rewarding when the built space exceeds the expectations set during design.

Shaping the Central Space

Unifying the primary shared interior spaces was a fundamental objective of the design.

Multiple discussions online began to shape the central space.
A rigorous, efficient process evaluated multiple viable options to identify the solution that best met key criteria while also resonating intuitively.
The constructed reality carry the core ideas developed through the process.

Materiality and Light

For physical buildings, selecting materials and determining the characteristics of light for them requires in-person evaluation.

IMG_1984
Despite all the digital tools, exterior and interior materials needed to be evaluated in-person, in natural daylight.
Veil Wood Mockup and Material
Building physical mock-ups is usually the best way to understand the phenomenology of light.
I'm still in awe that the bricks that were built for a building in Houston were evaluated at one point in my home in California during the pandemic.

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