International Architecture Competition Picks Winner to Design Houston Endowment HQ

HOUSTON – A design team led by Los Angeles-based Kevin Daly Architects has been chosen to design the new Houston Endowment headquarters, to be built on a site overlooking Spotts Park and Buffalo Bayou, just west of downtown Houston.

The Daly-led team, which includes Productora of Mexico City and TLS Landscape Architecture of Berkeley, California, was selected by the judges of an international design competition that drew 121 entries representing 354 firms from 22 countries.

Houston Endowment intends the new headquarters to be an architectural jewel that enhances the city’s beauty.

The winning concept presents an airy superstructure shaded by an expansive canopy within a grove of oak trees. The proposal is closely connected to the site and its history—reflecting the landscape of Spotts Park. Kevin Daly Architects (KDA) says the design, mindful of Houston’s challenging climate and growing green space, aims to be “as welcoming as the shadow beneath a tree.”

The $20 million building is scheduled to open in 2022. The collaborative team also includes engineering, sustainability and local architecture partners such as Arup, Transsolar, and Houston-based Kirksey Architecture. The winning team will now work with Houston Endowment and community stakeholders to refine the initial concept. Over the longer term, KDA and its partners may consult with the local community and city officials on potential improvements to Spotts Park, including adding new trees.

Kevin Daly studied at Rice University in the 1980s. Recent projects by his firm include the UCLA Ostin Music Building, the Backyard BI(h)OME, and the Berkeley Global Campus.

The full selection committee was chaired by Joseph C. Dilg, Board Member, Houston Endowment, and included Jesse H. Jones II, Board Chair, Houston Endowment; Guy Hagstette, Vice President of Parks and Civic Projects, Kinder Foundation; Ann Stern, President and CEO, Houston Endowment; Tom Forney, President and CEO, Forney Construction; Alex Washburn, Principal, DRAW Brooklyn; Meejin Yoon, Principal, Höweler + Yoon Architecture; and Malcolm Reading, Competition Director. Malcolm Reading Consultants assisted in organizing the competition and design team process.

The headquarters will be built on a 1.6-acre site on Willia Street. Spotts Park sits between The Heights and Montrose, just south of Washington Avenue and near Waugh Drive.

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