NEWS & publications
From mid century to traditional, houston's good brick winners put style on display
By Diane Cowen | Houston Chronicle, October 31, 2022
Looking past the jagged metal fence and piles of trash that had accrued in a decade of neglect, Camilo Parra could see that the Fifth Ward home his father had just bought was something special.
Read the complete article online at Houston Chronicle or download a PDF of the article below.
Fifth Ward welcomes builder as ‘community partner’
By Paul Takahashi | Houston Chronicle, January 27, 2018
The red brick and metal building stands in stark contrast to the boarded-up shotgun houses, empty lots and the vacant hospital building that surround it.
But it is here, along a once-thriving stretch of Lyons Avenue, where Camilo Parra decided to stake the future of his architectural and homebuilding company, Parra Design Group. The industrial chic headquarters, which held a grand opening last week, is on the leading edge of new development in Houston’s historic but economically challenged Fifth Ward.
Read the complete article online at Houston Chronicle or download a PDF of the article below.
A Modern Homage To Beloved Bungalow
By Diane Cowen | Houston Chronicle/ZEST, Sunday, October 1, 2017
“...For their new home, Christopher wanted to design a usable, compact house with more square footage and the comforting flow of the bungalow, all on a modest budget. Though he is an architecture professor, he teaches about landscape and large-scale design – not residential work.
A friend offered great advice: “You should talk to Camilo Parra. He'll really complement your personality.”
Christopher laughed and had a “what-did-you-mean-by-that?” pause. Then he realized the friend was right...”
Read the complete article online at Houston Chronicle
Or download a PDF of the article below.
University of Texas School of Architecture
Camilo Parra [March '94] of Parra Design Group is active in Houston, working on a new residential neighborhood in the 5th Ward. The firm is also building an office in the area with space for community use. Parra has a track record of positively shaping Houston neighborhoods, including development projects in City Promenade, Upper West End, and Bastrop Plaza.
Homebuilder sees Fifth Ward as “the next Heights”
By Nancy Sarnoff | Houston Chronicle/Real Estate, July 25, 2017
“ ...‘Our approach has always been to go to find empty land. We don’t want to displace anybody,’ Parra said. ‘That’s what creates a strong neighborhood. The residents are what makes the neighborhood special.’... ”
Read the complete article by Nancy Sarnoff in the Houston Chronicle’s online Real Estate section about our 5th Ward Homes. Or download a PDF of the article below.
Rda board of director
Camilo Parra has continued to serve on the RDA Board of Directors after being reelected in the spring of 2013 for a three-year term.
architectural digest
“Against All Odds”
Feature on El Refugio Vacation Home
Architectural Digest, pp.122–129
August 2002
By Wendy Moonan
“...Building a luxury house in the tropics isn’t easy, especially when it’s in an earthquake zone. Erecting one in Punta Uva, a sleepy, sparsely populated fishing village 40 miles south of the nearest city, Puerto Limón, is even harder. The closest airport is in the capital, San José, a four-hour drive, and the closest lumberyard is 62 miles away; every appliance had to be imported from the United States. Nonetheless, Camilo Parra designed the 65-acre compound, supervised the construction and got the 8,000-sqare-foot house built in less than a year...” Download and read the complete article on El Refugio in PDF format at the bottom of this page.
texas architect
“Three in a Row”
Cover and article on Yupon Place Town Homes
Texas Architect, pp.34–37
May/June 2001
By Gerald Moorhead.
“...Parra’s composition of the front façade, rendered in ochre stucco, grey cement-composition panels, and large windows, works to visually break up this hovering mass. Contrast between planar and volumetric elements, rendered in contrasting materials, reduce the apparent size of the façades. The stucco volume is punctured by large-paned windows, revealing the thinness of the wall and the lightness of the construction. Half of the volume is recessed to form balconies...”
Download and read the complete article on Yupon Place Townhomes in PDF format below.
texas magazine
“Special Affections,”
Single-family residence
Hawthorne House featured in Home Design Section
Texas Magazine, Houston Chronicle,
November 9, 1997.
“...The challenge, Parra explains, was to create a style that would stand out yet not intrude into the neighborhood. Architecture in the Montrose area ranges from turn-of-the-century mansions and 1920s bungalows to low-rent apartments and modern townhouses.
Inspired by the diversity, Parra felt free to blend several influences into what he calls Texas architecture...“
Download the complete article by Madeleine McDermott Hamm on the Hawthorne House from the Houston Chronicle in PDF format below.
la voz
Una Publicación Del Houston Chronicle“Un arquitecto que quiere embellecer Houston”
La Voz, Houston Chronicle,
17 Diciembere de 2008
Haz click abajo para ver la entervista de Camilo Parra en La Voz del Houston Chronicle en PDF
