Join us for a conversation celebrating the release of HOME HEAT MONEY GOD: TEXAS & MODERN ARCHITECTURE, with writer Kathryn E. O'Rourke and photographer Ben Koush. An analysis of modern architecture throughout Texas with photographs featuring work by famous and lesser-known architects, HOME HEAT MONEY GOD is a gorgeous volume that brings to light the unique relationship between the state and the architects who've worked here. They'll be joined in conversation by Ian Searcy, the book's designer. This event is open to all; RSVPs are encouraged! Tickets are available to reserve a seat and a copy of HOME HEAT MONEY GOD.

In the mid-twentieth century, dramatic social and political change coincided with the ascendance and evolution of architectural modernism in Texas. Between the 1930s and 1980s, a state known for cowboys and cotton fields rapidly urbanized and became a hub of global trade and a heavyweight in national politics. Relentless ambition and a strong sense of place combined to make Texans particularly receptive to modern architecture’s implication of newness. As money and people poured in, architects and their clients used modern buildings to define themselves and the state.

Illustrated with stunning photographs by architect Ben Koush, Home, Heat, Money, God analyzes buildings in big cities and small towns by world-famous architects, Texas titans, and lesser-known designers. Architectural historian Kathryn O’Rourke describes the forces that influenced architects as they addressed basic needs—such as staying cool in a warming climate and living in up-to-date housing—and responded to the strong cultural forces of the state.

Kathryn E. O’Rourke is an architectural historian and professor of art history at Trinity University. She is the author of Modern Architecture in Mexico City and editor of O’Neil Ford on Architecture.

Ben Koush is an architect and historian. He has written for Architects’ Newspaper, Cite Magazine, Texas Architect, and HoustonMod.org.

Ian Searcy is the Art Director for the Architect’s Newspaper and the Texas Society of Architects. He is also the designer behind HOME HEAT MONEY GOD.