New titles in the Architecture at Rice series

Rice Architecture is pleased to announce the two newest releases in its long-standing book series, Architecture at Rice. “Since 1961, the imprint has invited architects such as Louis Kahn and Shadrach Woods to reflect on the changing world and to spark the conversations—and ultimately the new forms of practice—needed to affect such change and the lives of people worldwide,” said Igor Marjanović, the William Ward Watkin Dean of Rice Architecture. “The imprint’s two new books,” he continued, “Nueva Vivienda and System of Novelties, extend this trajectory, establishing a web of local-global dialogues about design research today—from the Houston-based projects of Interloop—Architecture to ongoing housing innovations in Mexico—providing a unique forum for engaging and celebrating our interconnected, multicultural world.”

System of Novelties Dawn Finley and Mark Wamble, Interloop—Architecture, Architecture at Rice 56
With its unique combination of diversity, culture, and industry, Houston is a unique setting for architectural practice. Combining elements of both a monograph and a field guide, System of Novelties reflects on this context, offering insights into the creative work of Interloop—Architecture, a Houston-based firm founded in 2001 by Rice Architecture professors Dawn Finley and Mark Wamble. The book focuses on innovative building technologies, inventive forms, and precise material finishes. Interloop—Architecture’s wide-ranging projects include the design of custom furniture and fixtures, private residences, research complexes, and cultural institutions. The book situates the firm’s novel architectural designs within their broader technical, theoretical, and regulatory contexts, with special attention to how influences, procedures, and techniques have been threaded from project to project over two decades. A diverse collection of built and speculative designs are framed by three pairs of research topics: Information–Shape, Procedure–Assembly, and Material–Detail. Graphic notes trace and synthetically connect the systems—some unique, some recurring—used in and between projects, telling a larger story about the interconnectedness of design exploration and material manufacturing and delivery.

Nueva Vivienda: New Housing Paradigms in Mexico, edited by Jesús Vassallo and Sebastián López Cardozo, Architecture at Rice 57
In the period following World War II, eminent Mexican architects such as Juan O’Gorman and Luis Barragán pioneered the adaptation of an international narrative in housing design to their local cultural environment. Seven decades on, Mexican architecture—and housing design in particular—is experiencing unparalleled international attention, contributing to a global discourse grounded in local economic and cultural issues, as well as environmental concerns. Extending the conversations held at an eponymous symposium at Rice University, Nueva Vivienda presents some of the most innovative housing projects built in Mexico during the last ten years, including those by Anonimous, Ambrosi Etchergaray, Luis Aldrete, Taller Héctor Barroso, El Cielo, CPDA Arquitectos, Frida Escobedo, G3 Arquitectos, HGR Arquitectos, Estudio Macías Peredo, Estudio MMX, Productora, and Reurbano. In addition to numerous images and drawings, the accompanying scholarly essays offer historical and theoretical background, and a series of conversations among architects, developers, and scholars illuminates the complexities of the local context, the emergence of novel housing typologies, and their global impact beyond Mexico.

Rice Architecture recently hosted book launch events for both releases, which can also be viewed on the school’s YouTube channel. Both books are available to order from the University of Chicago Press, Park Books, and independent booksellers nationwide. 

For inquiries or to request a press copy, please contact Nancy O’Connor, Managing Editor, Rice Architecture, at nancyo@rice.edu. 

To learn more about Architecture at Rice publications, please visit here.