Houston 2020 Visions Lecture Series: Prairie-To-Bay Ecology

Houston 2020 Visions Lecture Series: Prairie-To-Bay Ecology
with Rob Rogers, FAIA, Charlie Penland, PE, Mary Anne Piacentini and moderated by Katherine Ruiz, AIA
Wednesday, January 27, 6pm
Join us online

Greater Houston finds itself positioned between two natural systems: the Katy Prairie on its West, and Galveston Bay to the East. These two systems have remarkable abilities to protect the city from catastrophic storms, the former through the retention of rainwater in the prairie, and the latter by draining rainfall through the city and into the bay while protecting the city from storm surge. By reconnecting with these natural systems and being open to innovative ideas, an integrated infrastructure can be built to protect the metropolis.

The Prairie-to-Bay Ecology panel, Wednesday, January 27 at 6pm, features Rob Rogers, FAIA, Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designer and Charlie Penland, PE, Walter P Moore, designers of the proposed Galveston Bay Park; and Mary Anne Piacentini, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Katy Prairie Conservancy. Galveston Bay Park is one of the three visionary projects featured in our current Houston 2020 Visions exhibition. The proposal is for a new string of man-made barrier islands in Galveston Bay that will act as a surge barrier that will, over time, provide wildlife habitat and recreational area for people. The Katy Prairie Conservancy actively works at protecting and preserving one of the last native strongholds for wildlife in the region that aids in the alleviation of downstream flooding.

Prairie-to-Bay Ecology is moderated by Katherine Ruiz, AIA, chair of AIA Houston Committee on the Environment and an Associate at Dillon Kyle Architects, where she provide office-wide support for sustainable design.

AIA Credit: 1.0 HSW

Houston 2020 Visions may be viewed online now at www.houston2020visions.org, and in-person when our new Architecture Center Houston opens to the public.