Building on Tradition: Exploration of a Practice

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

5:30pm Reception | 6:30pm Presentation

Book Signing to Follow (Books will be available to purchase)

GRAND BALLROOM AT THE OXFORD HOTEL

1600 17th St, Denver CO 80202

Shortly after the release of their new book, Building on Tradition, architects William Curtis and Russell Windham reflect on the nature of their decades-long joint practice and their impassioned pursuit of worthwhile architecture.

Houston may seem like an unlikely environment in which to have built this traditional practice, and two Texans may seem equally unlikely candidates to have done so, but Texas’s modern economy was built on the dreams of people who would dig a hole in the ground and hope. That spirit lives on in the welcoming environment of Houston, where big dreams and bigger dreamers with high expectations have led to extraordinary architectural opportunities.

The existence of River Oaks, an American Garden Suburb in Houston, created a cohesive context and influential foundation for what would eventually become Curtis & Windham Architects. They look at architecture as highly engaged practitioners, whose study of historical precedent has been a through line in every project. Their embrace of the challenges and opportunities presented by each particular site, client, and cultural context is how their work has remained grounded and well-informed.

Their responses are never models; they are influenced by exposure to the breadth of history, art, literature, and travel. They are a confluence of a lifetime of cultivating curiosity about architecture and the world at large.

In this lecture, Curtis and Windham discuss their contributions to the streets of Houston, varied locations throughout the great American Landscape, and beyond, delving into the responsibility that current working architects inherit from bygone generations and the many paths that stem from the study of precedent.