Forecast: Hurricanes in a redesigned CITE

Forecast: Hurricanes in a redesigned CITE

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News staff

In a special issue about hurricanes, the Rice Design Alliance debuts a new design for its magazine Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston. The issue hit stands June 27.

“With hurricane season in effect, we wanted to put out an issue that gets people thinking about the many aspects of designing for and surviving severe storms,” said Julie Sinclair Eakin, executive editor of Cite. “If they begin thinking about those things now, they can better prepare and equip themselves to deal with an eventual hurricane.”

The robust issue provides more insight than a typical to-do list, tackling topics like post-Katrina responses by architecture schools, the status of building codes, the government’s evacuation plans and flood insurance information. A table of contents of the issue is available online in PDF format.

National Public Radio’s Andrei Codrescu contributed to the issue with an essay about his “lost” New Orleans. He fears the prospect of a rebuilding effort resulting in the “Disneyfication” of his beloved home.

“We aimed to share with our readers the knowledge and experience from people in the trenches,” Eakin said. “We didn’t want it to be just hard-core data and facts. We wanted this issue to be filled with information people can understand and use.”

Editorial consultants for this issue are Thomas Colbert, a professor of architecture at the University of Houston, and Jim Blackburn, an environmental attorney and lecturer on civil and environmental engineering at Rice. Blackburn’s keynote article details the likely ramifications for Houston if a severe storm hits Galveston.

The redesigned Cite is smaller in size than its former version, making it more user-friendly and accessible. No longer a monochromatic publication, Cite now incorporates a second color in its text and graphics. The issue was designed by ph Design Shop.

Cite may be purchased for $7 at the Rice Design Alliance in Anderson Hall, room 149, Brazo’s Bookstore or the Barnes and Noble at Rice Memorial Center. Select bookstores throughout the country also carry Cite.

The Rice Design Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of architecture, urban design and the built environment in the Houston region through educational programs, the publication of Cite and active programs to initiate physical improvements.