The Rice School of Architecture proudly announces that a team led by Wortham Professor Albert Pope, and including assistant professor Juan José Castellón, associate professor Gökçe Günel, and professor Dominic Boyer, has received a significant grant from the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (GRP) to lead the Gulf Coast Megaregion studio, an interdisciplinary research and design initiative. With an award of $714,630, this grant will enable the studio to to study the possible futures of one of the Gulf of Mexico’s most economically and environmentally significant areas—the Houston Ship Channel—as it transitions to a post-fossil-fuel economy.
The Houston Ship Channel is an inland port established in 1914 that has long served as the economic core of the region’s oil and gas industry. Through the Gulf Coast Megaregion studio, students and faculty will examine the channel to anticipate the Gulf Coast’s energy and economic transformation, engaging local communities to explore and document challenges and opportunities in the transition from fossil fuels. This immersive approach will allow students to develop design proposals that chart a sustainable path forward for the channel and its surrounding neighborhoods.
“This grant is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing the pressing challenges of our time,” said Igor Marjanovic, Dean of the Rice School of Architecture. “The Gulf Coast Megaregion studio will not only reimagine the future of the Houston Ship Channel but also equip our students to lead transformative design practices that advance sustainability and resilience for communities across the Gulf Coast.”
The award is part of a larger GRP initiative that recently allocated nearly $6 million in funding to eight interdisciplinary design studios across the Gulf Coast region, each addressing the complex social, economic, and environmental challenges facing this critical area. Recognizing that the Gulf’s future requires multifaceted solutions, GRP emphasizes projects that foster collaboration among experts in urban design, public health, and environmental science. Rice School of Architecture’s Gulf Coast Megaregion studio exemplifies this interdisciplinary approach, positioning architecture students to create designs with real-world impact.
Funded as part of GRP’s $500 million commitment established in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, this grant supports science-driven solutions that advance energy safety, human health, and environmental sustainability. For Pope and his students, the studio presents a unique opportunity to partner with local stakeholders and develop forward-looking solutions for Houston and the Gulf region as they navigate this historic transition.