The Houston Design Research Grant (HDRG) aims to promote quality design research for Houston-specific urban conditions that can also inform urban discourses and debates more broadly. The grant is open to U.S. university students and faculty looking to work on research projects that contribute to the improvement of Houston’s urban environments and urban life for all its citizens. Winning proposals in both categories (faculty and student) should demonstrate the potential to catalyze a Houston-based design project that is relevant both locally and globally.
Nathan Friedman is a professor in the practice at Rice Architecture and cofounder of the Mexico City based design office Departamento del Distrito. Friedman’s research and writing, which focuses on the intersection of politics, identity, and the built environment, has been exhibited internationally and published in Art Journal, Log, Scapegoat, and Manifest. His practice was an official contributor to the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial and received the 2022 Architectural League of New York Prize for its diverse body of work that includes residential, public, and curatorial projects.
Alice Bian is a junior at Rice studying Architecture and Studio Arts. Alice will be the Design Director of PLAT 13.0, a student-run architectural journal, and the co-founder of inThread, a fashion runway club in Rice. In the future, she hopes to integrate the two majors into her master's degree. Before coming to Rice, she moved between China and the US annually and has finally settled in Arizona.
Stuti Mehta is a junior studying Architecture and Environmental Studies at Rice University. Her academic and extracurricular pursuits focus on using design to create sustainable solutions for environmental and social impact. Stuti has previously interned with HKS, working on medical planning for healthcare facilities, and currently holds leadership positions within the Rice's Design for America chapter as well as Rice Architecture Society. Before coming to Rice, Stuti moved between India and the United States and she is currently based in Dallas.