Though the ward system in Houston was abandoned in 1906, the six neighborhoods retain strong senses of place and provide residents a tangible link, through architecture, to history and identity. The Rice Design Alliance Spring 2015 Architecture Tour, "afterWARDS: An Architecture Tour of Houston's Wards and Beyond," features houses that both stand out from and speak back to the original character of the six wards, emphasizing the past out of which Houston continues to evolve and expand.

Locations:

• 734 Tulane Street, Shade Development, 2008.
• 317 Sampson Street, Janusz Design, 2015.
• 2102 Francis Street, Brett Zamore Design, 2014.
• 1217 Robin Street, Rodrigo Tovar, 2014.
• 1515 Woodhead Street, PB Elemental Design, 2013.
• 1507 Chestnut Street, Kinneymorrow Architecture, 2015.
• 714 & 716 Sabine Street, Gottleib Eisele, 1872 and Murphy Mears, 2014.
• 205 St. Charles Street, Content, 2014.

Tours are open only to RDA members, but RDA membership is open to the public. RDA memberships begin at $45 and can be purchased during the tour at designated ticket-buying locations or in advance online and in person at the RDA office at Rice University. Memberships purchased at the Student or Individual level include one complimentary ticket; memberships at the Household level and above include two. Ticket prices for current members and their guests are $25, and $15 for Student and Senior level members.