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Building Research

William T. Cannady Hall for Architecture positions the Rice School of Architecture as a preeminent institution of learning, research, and public engagement—both with the city of Houston and the world more broadly.

William T. Cannady Hall for Architecture is a 22,000 square foot (2,044 square meters) addition to Rice School of Architecture, designed to foster architectural production, research, and exhibition. It is the first U.S. project by renowned Swiss architects Karamuk Kuo. Named for professor emeritus William T. Cannady, the hall honors his contributions to the school and his lead gift in support of the project.

Cannady Hall is located along Rice University’s historic quadrangle, adjacent to MD Anderson Hall. This architectural context includes James Stirling’s iconic 1980s addition—his first U.S. building—and recent renovations by Kwong Von Glinow. Together, these buildings position the school to lead architectural inquiry and exploration for the next 50 years.

Advancing Architectural Discourse & Research
Cannady Hall enhances the school’s capacity for architectural exploration with spaces dedicated to making, research, and public exhibitions. The upper level houses research spaces and galleries bathed in natural light, while the expansive ground floor fabrication hall offers double-height spaces that encourage visibility and interaction. “From fabrication to gallery spaces, Cannady Hall invites the community to engage with architecture in ways that will shape our collective future,” says Marjanović.

Planetary Impact & Sustainability
The building is a model of sustainable design, incorporating recyclable materials and a flexible structure for future adaptability. Its bolted steel frame allows for disassembly and reuse, contributing to its forward-thinking, sustainable ethos. Cannady Hall’s terracotta façade is both contemporary and historically resonant, respecting Rice University’s material legacy while advancing sustainable architecture. North-facing clerestory windows provide comfortable natural lighting without excessive heat gain.

Respect for Context
One of the design challenges was integrating Cannady Hall into Rice’s landscape of long, narrow brick buildings while preserving an iconic live oak tree on site. Karamuk Kuo embraced this challenge by breaking down the building into linear forms that slip and slide, creating a dynamic relationship between indoors and outdoors. These forms also visually reduce the building’s mass, while the sawtooth roof echoes the industrial vocabulary of fabrication spaces. Cannady Hall completes the school’s new, open courtyard, centered on the live oak, that hosts various student activities such as barbecues and graduation events. 

Adaptability & Flexibility
Designed for longevity, Cannady Hall offers spaces that adapt to evolving architectural pedagogies. The fabrication lab, research ateliers, and gallery spaces are flexible enough to accommodate varying formats—from small, collaborative projects to large-scale exhibitions. Informal learning is encouraged through transparency, with views across the building allowing students to observe, be inspired by, and engage in each other’s work. “We wanted the building to invite different uses over time,” explains Kuo, “letting users appropriate the space based on evolving needs.”

For more information, please contact Consulting Director of Communications, Leah Ray, at leahray@rice.edu.

Press Links

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Exterior view of Cannady Hall, with the Fondren Library at right. Photo: Laurian Ghinitiou.

10 Things to Know about the Rice School of Architecture's Campus-Within-A-Campus

With the dedication of William T. Cannady Hall and the recent renovation of MD Anderson Hall, the Rice School of Architecture has created a vibrant "campus-within-a-campus" that showcases progressive design alongside Rice University's celebrated historic architecture.

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Rendering of Cannady Hall Exterior

Brick meets terra cotta at Rice University’s Cannady Hall

More than three years after it was first announced, Rice Architecture at Rice University in Houston has broken ground on its new William T. Cannady Hall, a 22,000-square-foot building that will rise directly across from—and be connected via an elevated walkway to—the school’s longtime home, MD Anderson Hall.

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Jeannette Kuo poses for a photo in front of the William T. Cannady Hall construction site.

Cannady Hall architects also working to build Rice Architecture students’ skills

Ünal Karamuk and Jeannette Kuo, globally renowned architects and cofounders of Karamuk Kuo Architects based in Zürich, are currently working on the construction of the Rice University School of Architecture’s new William T. Cannady Hall, set to be completed in 2024.


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image of steel structure in process

Rice hosts topping out celebration for Cannady Hall addition

Rice Architecture commemorated the completion of the structural phase of William T. Cannady Hall with a topping out celebration August 21, 2023.

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Looking east, Cannady Hall’s red terracotta facade is pictured Jan. 16

Cannady Hall shapes up for February completion

Over a year since ground was first broken on the new Cannady Hall, the building is still being constructed. According to Dean of Architecture Igor Marjanović, the vision first outlined to the Thresher and the student body is starting to take shape.

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Rice Architecture announces William T. Cannady Hall

With the announcement of a generous lead gift, the school is planning the imminent construction of William T. Cannady Hall, just west of the school’s current home, Anderson Hall.

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