Houston Glassell School of Art MFAH, Houston, TX, USA

Houston Glassell School of Art MFAH

The three-story Glassell School of Art provides state-of-the-art studios and active social spaces, replacing the Glassell School’s 1979 facility. Enrollment of about 7,000 students is expected to grow to 8,500 with the expanded course offerings of the enlarged facility.
Transsolar supported development and performance optimization of the façade concept. Precast concrete panels create a rhythm across the exterior surface as they alternate with glass panes that provide diffuse natural light to all studios and classrooms with tall ceilings.
Transsolar developed a studio comfort concept based on radiant floor cooling combined with neutral-temperature displacement ventilation and opportunities for natural ventilation. This concept minimizes ductwork size and noise, creating a cool, silent studio environment. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) studies were used to verify comfort with this strategy.

2019 Precast/ Prestressed Concrete Institute Design Awards, Government and Public
2019 Texas Society of Architect TXA Design Award