property ecologies
Exhibition-Research
University of Michigan
Principal Investigator: Gabriel Cuéllar
Collaborators: Athar Mufreh, Saylor Allen
Exhibition: Big Hot Sticky
Architecture Center Houston
Summer 2024
Property Ecologies traces the evolution of property practices in Houston Texas. The research, illustrated through models and drawings, was exhibited in ‘Big, Hot, Sticky’ hosted by the Architecture Center Houston in June 2024.
Karankawa 500 CE
The Karankawa People of Galveston Bay moved seasonally to gather food. They practiced resource-sharing without property boundaries. Despite initial cooperation with settlers, conflict over land led to their near extinction by the 1820s, marking the beginning of static property practices in the region.
Land Grants 1823 CE
From 1823, land grants facilitated the settlement of Texas, with ranchers and farmers receiving expansive plots for agriculture. Stephen F. Austin led 300 families. Mexican restrictions on emigration fueled Texas’ eventual annexation in 1845.
Plantation 1830 CE
As plantations expanded in Texas, slavery grew. Settler estates quickly expanded into vast plantations to form new property fabrics predominantly cultivating sugar and cotton. Earlier laws had granted mineral rights to landowners, later refined to enable leasing and sales of mineral-rich estates.
Severance 1919 CE
The Law of Relinquishment allowed Texan landowners to separate surface and mineral rights, in response to the rush for mining oil. Earlier laws had granted mineral rights to landowners, later refined to enable leasing and sales of mineral-rich estates.
Subdivision 1920 CE
As the single family home gained mass popularity, subdivisions further introduced new property conventions in Texas. An almost synthetic landscape comprising extensive levees imposed homogeneous housing schemes onto a variety of contexts.
Wind Rights 1999 CE
Texas’ 1999 Renewable Portfolio Standard sparked its wind energy industry, making it the U.S. leader by 2006. Recent debates on wind estate severance, akin to mineral rights, culminated in a 2023 court ruling permitting wind rights separation.