Good Brick Tour 2025

Historic home tour celebrates preservation and sustainability in Houston

Preservation Houston’s 2025 Good Brick Tour kicks off this weekend (Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9), giving Houstonians the opportunity to explore stories, craftsmanship, and design details from a selection of the city’s Good Brick Award recipients, which reward excellence in historic preservation. Now in its 12th year, the tour has grown into a celebration of Houston’s rich architectural heritage, distinctive neighborhoods, and the work that goes into restoring and maintaining some of the city’s most treasured places.

“Preservation Houston’s Good Brick Tour celebrates not only the homes and landmarks themselves, but the stories of the people who care for them,” said Jennifer Kapral, executive director of Preservation Houston. “Each stop on the tour reminds us that preserving our city’s history is an act of community, one that connects Houston’s past, present, and future.”

This year, event chairs Pei-Lin Chong (whose home is featured on the tour) and Mariam Hejazi, along with over 150 volunteers, invite the public into four homes that offer a glimpse of the distinctive styles that contribute to the architectural vernacular of the Bayou City. It’s also worth noting that, while the tour offers access to four homes, one location — Style in Steel — is a collection of three independent townhomes that have not been open together since their original debut in 1969.

Just in time for the tour, CultureMap has gathered insights from each location’s homeowner(s) so that participants can keep an eye out for the little things that make each one of these homes so special. Find each insight just below the history of each home.

2025 Good Brick Tour Locations

Valenti-Dissen House 1507 Alamo Street (First Ward), 1921
Built by Sicilian immigrant and grocer Jacob Valenti, this Craftsman bungalow reflects the First Ward’s early diversity. Over the decades it welcomed a mix of tenants, from a printer and an accountant to members of Houston’s Greek community, capturing the spirit of a working-class area where many cultures met. In 1934, the property was purchased by Della Settegast Dissen, whose well-known Houston family had deep ties to the city’s development. When FW Heritage acquired the home in 2021, they found a structure in need of major repair but rich in original details. A careful restoration, guided by Grayform Architecture, respected the home's proportions while updating it for modern living. The project received a 2024 Good Brick Award.

“The house was originally a two-bedroom, one-bath home and served as a rental for close to 100 years before I bought it in 2021,” says homeowner and event co-chair Pei-Lin Chong. “I’m actually the first homeowner to ever live here, which makes it even more special. One of my favorite features is the built-in china cabinet between the kitchen and dining room; it’s such a thoughtful original detail. During the restoration, we discovered old wallpaper under the sheetrock. I asked my demo team to carefully remove them and I have framed two samples as keepsakes. It's a small piece of the home’s long history.”

William Henry Lighthouse House 2018 Kane Street (Old Sixth Ward), 1906
A two-story Classical Revival residence built for brick maker William H. Lighthouse is among the Old Sixth Ward Historic District’s most prominent landmarks. Architect Olle Lorehn designed the home with honey-colored brick, stone trim, and a soaring double-height portico — a fitting showcase for the material that made Lighthouse’s fortune.

When changing health circumstances made stairs increasingly difficult, the homeowner turned to architect Marisa Janusz of Janusz Design for a way to remain in the home he loves. The resulting one-story addition provides accessible living space on the ground floor. Set back and lower in height, it connects to the main house via a copper-and-glass bridge that meets the historic structure with a light touch. The project was honored with a 2025 Good Brick Award for demonstrating how thoughtful design can adapt historic architecture to modern life with grace and care.

“The brick interior walls are what make this home truly stand out — strong and full of character,” explains homeowner Jason Johnson. “Paired with the historic exterior walls, which are three bricks thick, and thoughtful modern updates, it’s a space I hope visitors appreciate for both its design and its story.”

Anderson Todd House 9 Shadowlawn (Museum District), 1961
Designed by architect and Rice University professor Anderson Todd for his family, this steel-framed pavilion balances privacy and openness through a series of courtyards and light-filled spaces. The steel-framed, brick-and-glass pavilion is organized around a black-walnut-paneled core. Polished terrazzo floors, a rhythm of exposed columns, and an unbroken ceiling plane finished in white-painted plaster reflect Todd’s disciplined craftsmanship and his view of architecture as the measured interplay of light, form, and material.

Modern in form yet understated in presence, the Todd House complements its neighbors in the Shadow Lawn Historic District through scale and workmanship. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a City of Houston Protected Landmark. Because the home has never undergone any renovations, it has never been nominated for a Good Brick Award. Instead, Anderson Todd House is considered an excellent example of how thoughtful stewardship can keep a landmark home livable today.

“Our house was a wonderful house for children. There was so little furniture that we could bicycle indoors,” says Emily Todd. “It continues to be a wonderful house as an adult, equally comfortable for a quiet dinner or a lively cocktail party. I’m very lucky to have spent virtually all my life in this house. Living here has been a privilege.”

Style in Steel Townhomes 4156, 4158 and 4160 Meyerwood Drive (Southwest Loop), 1968
Designed by Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson, the firm behind the Astrodome, the three Style in Steel townhomes stand among Houston’s most elegant expressions of late modern design. The houses debuted at the 1969 National Association of Home Builders’ exposition, showcasing the versatility of steel in residential design. Architects Talbott Wilson and Hal Weatherford paired precision with warmth, combining steel with terrazzo, travertine, brick, and cedar in open, light-filled homes arranged around courtyards landscaped by Fred Buxton.

The current owners of the central townhouse undertook a meticulous restoration with architect Rodolfo R. Fabre, reversing years of alterations to reveal the clarity of the original design and earning a 2024 Good Brick Award. Together, the three houses — all City of Houston Protected Landmarks — represent Houston modernism at its finest, sustained by thoughtful stewardship and care. This year’s Good Brick Tour marks the first time the Style in Steel homes have been open to the public together since 1969.

“My favorite space in the house is the front courtyard, which the entire house is designed around. It’s magical the way light filters in and casts patterns on the walls throughout the day,” homeowners Philip and Mandy LeBlanc explain.

“We enjoy the courtyard daily for lunch, work, or simply soaking in the sunlight. It connects every part of the home. The design transitions beautifully from public to private spaces, with intentional glass and steel elements that make the home both functional and elegant. Inside, our mid-century furniture collection, gathered from local estate sales, complements the home’s modern aesthetic and ties everything together. From a design standpoint, there’s truly nothing else like it in Houston; it’s a space that connects history, light, and everyday life so seamlessly.”

Tickets

Advance tickets, valid for admission to all four homes both days, are $25 online through Thursday, November 6. Tickets will be $30 at the door during the tour weekend. Single-site admission will also be available for $10 per location. Hours for both days of the tour are 12-5 pm. Proceeds from the tour support Preservation Houston’s advocacy and educational programs.

Courtesy of Preservation Houston

The Style in Steel townhouses were built in 1968.

awards preservation preservation houston home-design

they're durable, too

3D-printed Houston housing project cements a more affordable future

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.

Houston is putting itself front-and-center to help make sustainable, affordable housing a reality for 80 lucky homeowners in a scalable housing community that will hopefully catch on nationwide. Recently, developer Cole Klein Builders partnered with HiveASMBLD to pioneer what’s touted as the world’s first large-scale, one-of-a-kind, affordable housing development using 3-D printing technology, merging robotics, design, and sustainability.

Located across from Sterling Aviation High School, near Hobby Airport, Zuri Gardens will offer 80 two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes of approximately 1,360 square feet situated in a park-like setting, including walking trails and a community green space.

Homes in Zuri Gardens will hit the market in early summer of 2026. Final pricing has yet to be determined, but Cole Klein Builders expects it to be in the mid-to-high 200s.

Interestingly, none of the homes will offer garages or driveways, which the developer tells CultureMap will provide a savings of roughly $25,000 - $40,000 per home.

Instead of parking for individual units, 140 parking spaces will be provided. Ideally, this small-town-inspired design will provide opportunities for neighbors to meet, connect, and build community.

Each two-story home is comprised of a ground floor printed by HiveASMBLD, using a proprietary low-carbon cement alternative by Eco Material Technologies that promises to enhance strength and reduce CO2 emissions. The hybrid homes will have a second floor built using engineered wood building products by LP Building Solutions. Overall, the homes are designed to be flood, fire, and possibly even tornado-proof.

The Zuri in Zuri Gardens is the Swahili word for “beautiful,” a choice that is fitting considering that the parks department will be introducing a five acre park to the project — with 3-D printed pavilions and benches — plus, a three acre farm is located right across the street. The Garver Heights area, where Zuri Gardens is located, is in what’s classified as a food desert, which means that access to fresh food is limited. Residents will have access to the farm’s fresh produce, plus opportunities to participate in gardening and nutrition workshops—that’s a win for everyone.

With the novelty of Zuri Gardens, it’s no surprise that the neighborhood already has an 800 person waitlist, but with stringent buyer requirements, it’s unclear how many of those 800 will qualify. Developer Cole Klein Builders created Zuri Gardens in partnership with the Houston Housing Community Development Department, who provided infrastructure reimbursements for the roads, sewer lines, and water lines. In return, CKB agreed to push the purchase prices for the homes as low as possible.

Zuri Gardens also received $1.8 million dollars from the Uptown Tourism Bond, 34 percent of which must be used with minority owned small businesses. Qualified buyers must fit a certain area of median income according to HUD guidelines, and must be owner occupied at all times — so no property investors or short term vacation rentals will be allowed.

“They’re trying to bridge that gap to make sure there is a community for the homebuyers who need it — educators, law enforcement, civil workers, etc.,” Cole Klein Builders’ co-principal Vanessa Cole tells CultureMap. “You have to go through a certification process with the housing department to make sure that your income is in alignment for this community. It has been great, and everyone has been really receptive.”

Cole has also brought insurance underwriters to visit the site and to help drive premiums below regular rates for Houston homeowners since homes in Zuri Gardens are not built to traditional standards — claim risks for one of the 3-D homes are extremely low. Tim Lankau, principal at HiveASMBLD, notes that the 3-D hybrid design allows for a more traditional appearance, while having the benefits of a concrete structure: “That’s where the floodwaters would go, that’s where you can hide when there’s a tornado, and that’s where termites would eat. So you get the advantages of it while having a traditionally-framed second floor.”

It’s important to note that Zuri Gardens is not located in a flood prone area, nor did it flood during Hurricane Harvey — being flood proof is merely a perk of a cement house. The concrete that Eco Material Technologies developed is impervious. The walls are printed into hollow forms, which house rebar, plumbing, and accessible conduits for things like electrical lines and smart house features. Those walls are then filled with a foamcrete product that expands to form a “monolithic concrete wall.”

David McNitt, of Eco Material Technologies, explains that his proprietary concrete is made of PCV, and contains zero Portland cement. Instead, McNitt’s cement is made from coal ash and is 99 percent green (there are a few chemicals added to the ash). Regardless, it’s made from 100 percent waste products.

“This is a product that has really been landfilled before,” says McNitt. “It’s coal ash, and it’ll set within 8-10 minutes. It’s all monolithic, and one continuous pour — it’s literally all one piece.”

Eco Material Technologies’ concrete product is impressively durable. A traditional cinderblock wall will crush at around 800 psi, while this material crushes at about 8,000 psi.

“It’s ten times stronger than a cinderblock wall that can withstand hurricanes,” claims McNitt. “I don’t think you’d even notice a hurricane. It’ll be really quiet inside, too — so you won’t get interrupted during your hurricane party. It’s way over-engineered, it really is.”

The second story is built using weatherproof and eco-friendly products by LP Building Solutions. Their treated, engineered wood products come with a 50 year warranty, and their radiant barrier roof decking product blocks 97% of UV rays, and keeps attic temperatures 30° cooler than traditional building materials. These materials, combined with the concrete first floor, will keep heating and cooling costs low — something the folks at HiveASMBLD refer to as “thermal mass performance.”

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.