Pier & Beam invites Preservation Houston members behind the scenes at William T. Cannady Hall for Architecture, the newest addition to the Rice School of Architecture. Join us at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 17, for a guided look at a building designed for making, experimenting and rethinking how architecture is taught and built.
William T. Cannady Hall for Architecture (2024, Karamuk Kuo) / photo by Laurian Ghinitiou
Cannady Hall adds 22,000 square feet of fabrication, research and exhibition space along Rice’s historic academic quadrangle, completing a long-evolving architecture school complex anchored by Anderson Hall (1947, Staub & Rather with William Ward Watkin) and James Stirling and Michael Wilford’s 1981 addition. Designed by Swiss firm Karamuk Kuo and completed in 2024, Cannady Hall is both contextual and forward-looking. Its terracotta façade draws on the campus’s historic brick, while inside, exposed steel framing, sawtooth skylights and flexible, open work areas support changing pedagogies and hands-on learning. The bolted steel structure is designed for future disassembly, reinforcing the hall’s emphasis on adaptability and long-term sustainability.
A highlight of this special tour will be a visit to the fabrication lab, the double-height heart of the building where students move from digital ideas to physical form. We’ll be joined by Eric Hester, co-director of fabrication, who will share how the lab supports hands-on learning and evolving design practices.
This event is hosted by Pier & Beam, Preservation Houston’s next-generation member group, but all PH members are welcome. The tour is free with advance registration. Space is limited and registration will be first come, first served.
Not a PH member? Please join before registering.