Olson Kundig with Surfacedesign has been selected as one of four shortlisted teams in the Houston Endowment headquarters international design competition, organized by Malcolm Reading Consultants. The first stage of this two-stage competition attracted 354 firms comprising 121 teams from around the world. Olson Kundig’s team is led by Design Principals Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA and Kirsten Ring Murray, FAIA.

Houston Endowment (HE) is one of the largest private foundations in the State of Texas. In 2018, HE provided $75 million in funding for education, healthcare, immigration, the arts and the environment to more than 200 organizations across the greater Houston area. The new headquarters building will allow the foundation to create a dedicated and accessible central office, increasing its engagement with the local community.

Additional shortlisted teams include Deborah Berke Partners with DAVID RUBIN Land Collective and Atelier Ten; Kevin Daly Architects with TLS Landscape Architecture, Productora and Transsolar; and Schaum/Shieh Architects with HKS and Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture. In the second stage of the competition, teams will assemble a multidisciplinary project team and develop design concepts for the new 40,000 square foot headquarters building. Teams will be reviewed and interviewed by a selection committee, with final selection and winner announcement anticipated in November 2019.

For more information, please visit the Houston Endowment design competition website at https://competitions.malcolmreading.com/houstonendowment.