Humanities Building, Rice University, Houston, Texas

Gross SF
45,000 s.f., new construction

Construction Cost
$11,000,000

Construction Dates
December 1998 to August 2000

Key Personnel
Allan Greenberg, Design Architect and Architect-of-Record
Suzanne Klein, Project Manager
Thomas Noble, Project Designer
William Bourque, Architect

The three-story Humanities Building at Rice University is the first new structure in decades to be built as an integral part of the historic academic quadrangle. It was carefully located to preserve a double row of mature live oaks lining the adjacent street and two large oaks near the arcade. Because of the importance of exterior spaces at Rice, the design exploits existing buildings and arcades to create a new courtyard, to extend axes and pathways, and to enhance views.

Allan Greenberg’s design expands upon the Byzantine-Romanesque language established by original campus architect Ralph Adams Cram of Cram, Ferguson, and Goodhue in the 1910s. While making its own memorable statement, the building pays respect to the university’s unique style by using exterior materials and details in the Rice architectural vocabulary. The primary materials include a lively mix of brick, limestone, cast stone, glazed brick, and clay roof tile. The 90-foot-high Pitman Tower houses the main stair and continues the Rice tradition of using campaniles to punctuate the campus skyline.

The facility contains seven classrooms, a video-conferencing classroom, conference rooms, the Dean’s Suite, department, faculty, and student offices, lounges, an entrance lobby, and a grand staircase. It integrates technologically advanced teaching facilities and was coordinated to implement audio-visual, data, and telecommunications systems.

Allan Greenberg, Architect, LLC, allangreenberg.com

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