New Big Brothers Big Sisters HQ got big lift from Rice

Big Brothers Big Sisters HQ. Photo © Michael Vahrenwald

Pierce Bush and Tei Carpenter. Photo © Michael Vahrenwald

With a helping hand from Rice Architecture and the Rice Design Alliance (RDA), and having survived Hurricane Harvey without damage, the new Greater Houston headquarters of Big Brothers Big Sisters is up and running. Located at 1003 Washington Ave., Houston, and designed by Tei Carpenter, a former Wortham Visiting Lecturer at Rice Architecture and principal of architecture firm Agency-Agency, the building features public, office and event spaces on three floors, all with views of downtown Houston.

Rice News featured the project in 2014. It was not yet pencil on paper when the school donated seed money and space for Carpenter, with help from students (and now alumni) Adeline Koleva and Elizabeth Stanfel, to develop the project that replaced the organization’s former space west of the 610 Loop.

“It was a substantial contribution of summer funding, which went into the initial research for the design of the project,” Carpenter said while showing the new building. “Through Rice Architecture, we were able to kick-start the project, start to present ideas and really get the conversation rolling. It wouldn’t have really been possible without support from Dean (Sarah) Whiting.”

Carpenter, left, with Adeline Koleva, center, and Elizabeth Stanfel. Photo by Cecilia K Scott-Stanfel

RDA’s contribution was the design of an outdoor patio conceptualized via the organization’s 2015 charrette.

Pierce Bush, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, said he hopes Rice will find ways to take advantage of the high-profile facility as well as contribute to its continuing mission to pair children with adult mentors.

“When we were thinking of the community element, with all these players joining our mission to build this building, the fact that we could point to Rice University and say that they, through Rice Architecture, helped design it, has been helpful every step of the way,” Bush said. “I hope that Rice is proud of that fact that it made this possible for our mission and our kids and our city.”

The project exemplifies the goal the university has set for community engagement with Houston through its Vision for the Second Century, Second Decade (V2C2).

Big Brothers Big Sisters HQ. Photo © Michael Vahrenwald