American General Building

				American General Building: AIA 25 Year Award The Humble Building, former headquarters of the oil company 1200-1206 Nance, a preserved Victorian streetscape 1919 Decatur, the former Tabernacle Baptist Church 2012 Kane, a restored Folk Victorian cottage in the Old Sixth Ward 4610 Oak Ridge, a 1930s bungalow in Norhill 2508 Pelham, a Spanish-style house in River Oaks Trinity Episcopal Church in Midtown Villa Serena, the former DePelchin Faith Home at 2700 Albany Holy Cross Chapel, a restoration of the 905 Main building The Magnolia, an adaptive reuse of the former Post-Dispatch Building Al Davis for leadership in preservation in Harris County Historic Documents Preservation Project of Harris County Houston Chronicle and Jack Sweeney: Preservation Partner in Print Award George Strake for commitment to preservation and GHPA JPMorgan Chase for its stewardship of the former Gulf Building

	American General Building (Photo by Gerald Moorhead) The 25 Year Award, presented by the American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter, honors distinguished architecture of lasting value. To qualify, a building must be at least 25 years old, still in use for its original purpose and substantially unaltered. This year, the winner is the American General Building, 2727 Allen Parkway. The 25-story skyscraper was designed by Arthur Jones, FAIA, of Lloyd Morgan and Jones. The building was completed in 1965 and is now known as the Wortham Tower. The jury of past presidents of AIA Houston was unanimous in its decision for this award, commenting on the building's careful integration into its site and noting the recessed curtain wall, which gives the tower its light, clean Sixties look. The curtain wall is also an appropriate response to Houston's climate and is an early example of attention to energy efficiency. The building's quiet dignity set the standard for the rest of the American General complex. Serving on the jury were Thomas L. McKittrick, FAIA, Barry Moore, FAIA, and Ray B. Bailey, FAIA. Next winner: The Humble Building