William T. Cannady academic papers

William Cannady is a teacher and practicing architect. As Professor Emeritus of Architecture at Rice University since 1964, he taught both undergraduate and graduate design studios. The undergraduate studio focused on sustainable design principles applied to real-world projects such as urban mixed-use housing complexes. The graduate Urban Design and Investment Building Design Studio investigated real estate investment projects such as mid-rise, high density, mixed use, mid-town transit oriented developments. This studio provided opportunity for cross discipline collaboration through the use of a wide array of consultants and experts from outside the university and team work with MBA students from Rice's Jones School of Management.

Professor Cannady has served as a visiting lecturer and critic at the following institutions: American Academy in Rome; Architectural Association of London; Hydra II Conference, Hydra, Greece; University College London; University of California at Berkeley; University of Kentucky; University of Tennessee; Utah State University; University of Michigan; Texas A & M University; The University of Houston; Texas Tech University; University of Texas at Arlington; Prairie View University; Harvard University; University of Texas at Austin and Iowa State University. In his architectural practice, Cannady has designed and built over two hundred projects, which have been honored with fifty awards, both nationally and locally, for outstanding design.

His teaching pedagogy and built work is rooted in the philosophy "the poetry of pragmatism." This approach aspires to preserve tradition while pioneering change. His academic and professional experience covers a wide range of design problems and building types including residential, commercial, institutional and public. His constructed buildings are intended to be easy to build, use, maintain and enjoy. Current projects in Cannady's private practice include a large house on Buffalo Bayou in Houston's River Oaks subdivision; a no-rent, low income, multi-family housing project for the Texas Medical Center; and a major renovation of the Cohen House, the Faculty Club of Rice University.

In December 2024, William T. Cannady Hall for Architecture was dedicated. It is a 22,000 square foot (2,044 square meters) addition to Rice School of Architecture, designed to foster architectural production, research, and exhibition. It is the first U.S. project by renowned Swiss architects Karamuk Kuo. Named for professor emeritus William T. Cannady, the hall honors his contributions to the school and his lead gift in support of the project.