Convened by Dean Igor Marjanović and Rusty Bienvenue, executive director of AIA Houston, in conjunction with the exhibition The Order of Place: A Collaborative Process.
Centered on the work of Taft Architects—the uniquely collaborative practice of John Casbarian, Danny Samuels, and the late Robert Timme—this gallery talk will consider how architectural ideas are formed, tested, refined, and carried forward across time. The conversation will explore the relationship between process and product, timeliness and timelessness, using the lens of Taft Architects to examine design as an act of inquiry, one that is responsive to context, shaped by history, and attentive to both aspiration and constraint. Through an open conversation among faculty, students, practitioners, and members of the public, participants will reflect on how architectural work endures not only through buildings but through the methods, questions, and collaborations that produce it. Looking back at the legacy of Taft Architects, “Reflecting on the Past” invites conversation about the continued relevance of these design approaches and the ways they inform how we understand practice, pedagogy, and the built environment today.
About Rice Design Chats
Rice Design Chats, a public program of the Rice School of Architecture, are dedicated to fostering dialogue around the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping architecture and design today. Targeting the community of architecture and design practitioners while inviting broader participation, Rice Design Chats connect the school’s events, research, and exhibitions to the local Houston community and beyond.
Mobilizing conversation as a form of design research, the series bridges academic inquiry and professional practice—offering a space where architects, designers, scholars, and the public can engage with the issues that define our built environment. Through timely discussions and intimate exchanges, Rice Design Chats advance the school’s mission to cultivate architectural discourse as both a cultural practice and a civic mandate.
All events are free and open to the public and are made possible through the generous support of the Betty R. and George F. Pierce Jr., FAIA, Fund; the William B. Coleman Jr. Colloquium Fund for Architecture; and the Wm. W. Caudill Lecture Series Fund.