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In Houston, Texas, you’ll find countless trees interspersed with buildings — a phenomenon that Rice University professor Lars Lerup calls “the zoohemic canopy.” With the Houston Endowment Headquarters, a suite of offices for one of the state’s largest private foundations, architect Kevin Daly sought to honour this distinctive geographic feature. The complex is sustainably built atop a hybrid steel–CLT frame; it’s energy-neutral thanks to geothermal wells and a solar array that harnesses natural light. The best feature is the louvred canopy suspended above the building, which filters sun, much like trees in a dappled forest.

Team: Kevin Daly with Luke Smith, Gretchen Stoecker, Phineas Taylor-Webb, Ryan Conroy and Casey Worrell (Kevin Daly Architects); Wonne Ickx and Nicolás Fueyo (Productora)

Award of Merit: Buildings Over 1,000SqM
Houston Endowment Headquarters

Architect Kevin Daly sought to honour the city’s distinctive “zoohemic canopy.”

Explore more Award Winners

2015
WinnerBuildings Over 1,000SqM
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Firm
ohn Wardle Architects with NADAAA of Boston
2013
Winner + People’s ChoiceBuildings Over 1,000SqM
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Firm
Daoust Lestage, Montreal
Team
Renée Daoust and Réal Lestage with Caroline Beaulieu, Jean-François Bilodeau, Marc Duchesne, Marie-Josée Gagnon, François Ménard, Stéphane Savoie, Catherine St-Marseille and Nathalie Trudel
2014
Award of MeritBuildings Over 1,000SqM
Location
Mexico City, Mexico
Firm
Fernanda Canales and Arquitectura 911sc, Mexico City
Team
Fernanda Canales, Jose Castillo and Saidee Springall