2023 Best of Year Winner for Small Residential Lobby/Amenity Space

The Brava tower in Houston, Texas, a 46-story apartment building, has something most contemporary towers lack: a sense of place. A slim dynamic rectangle, Munoz + Albin Architecture & Planning rotated the structure 45 degrees to maximize views for the 373 rental units, its LED-edged glazed facade resembling a sail. Interiors, by MaRS Culture, focus on the history of the location, which was once owned by The Houston Chronicle, thus tip a hat to both the physical newspaper and the stories within it. In the lobby, for instance, a custom fluorescent-tube fixture spells out Libertas perfundet omnia luce, Latin for Freedom will flood all things with light, referring to freedom of the press. Gently undulating plaster walls evoke newspaper folds in the leasing lounge. And in a penthouse lounge nook, wallcovering is woven from recycled newspaper.

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PROJECT TEAM

mars culture: kelie Mayfield; erick ragni; rachel grady; daniela gonzalez; linnea wingo; zoe pittman; alisha gaubert.

munoz + Albin architecture & planning: jorge munoz; enrique albin; jeff schmidt; taylor currell; richard rodgers; michael cox.