Image Drachman Institute celebrates community partners, impact Friday The Drachman Institute recognized 28 community leaders nominated by CAPLA faculty for their outstanding collaboration and leadership across diverse organizations. These awardees represent a wide range of sectors, including local government, nonprofits, and tribal communities, highlighting the strong partnerships fostered through the Drachman Institute. Read more
Image Alumna and Architect Diane Reicher Jacobs Shares Journey and ‘Triple Dare’ with Graduates Friday Architect and alumna Diane Reicher Jacobs, FAIA '88 shared during her convocation address her unconventional path into architecture and the core values that have guided her work: truth, beauty, and love. She encouraged graduates to embrace the uncertainty ahead with curiosity and care, ending with a heartfelt “triple dare” to go forth and build better places. Read more
Image Highlighting the Class of 2025: Ollie Freshour, SBE Thursday Ollie Freshour is graduating with a BS in Sustainable Built Environments with an emphasis in Sustainable Buildings. As an online student, Ollie made the most of their experience traveling from Indiana to Tucson to connect with the CAPLA community and explore the ENR2 Building. From designing a sustainable park in Elkhart to planning a future as a certified arborist, Ollie is ready to make a lasting impact on urban environments. Read more
Image Architecture students earn top honors in BuildingsNEXT Student Design Competition Thursday Three student teams from the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture competed in the 2025 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) BuildingsNEXT Student Design Competition, with two teams earning Honorable Mention—the highest recognition awarded in this year’s competition. Read more
Image Highlighting the Class of 2025: Annamaria Pongratz BLA May 15, 2025 Annamaria Pongratz is graduating with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a minor in Art History. Reflecting on her time at CAPLA, she shared how the experience shaped her as both a designer and collaborator. This fall, she’ll continue her academic journey as a graduate student at CAPLA. One of her proudest achievements? Designing a sensory garden for a children’s museum in her planting design class—a project that reflects her creativity and care for inclusive, engaging spaces. Read more
Image Architecture students design and build shelter to serve Tucson's unhoused May 14, 2025 For their final capstone project, architecture students designed and built a prototype 8-by-12-foot micro-shelter that they hope lays the groundwork for a network of similar shelters for unhoused people in Southern Arizona. Read more
Image Highlighting the Class of 2025: Jedidiah Perea, B.Arch May 13, 2025 After graduation, Jedidiah Perea is heading to Spain before starting his path to licensure. He reflects on his time at CAPLA as transformative, with late nights in studio and meaningful project, especially a sustainable housing design for the Hopi Tribe, shaping him into a stronger designer. Read more
Image HK Associates Honored with Two Residential Architect Design Awards May 12, 2025 HK Associates was recognized in "Architect" magazine’s 2024 Residential Architect Design Awards, an international program celebrating excellence in residential design. Read more
Image Scaling Shared Equity Homeownership Models to Grow Affordable Housing Supplies | Lecture by Meagan Ehlenz May 9, 2025 Housing affordability continues to be a critical issue in the United States. Meagan Ehlenz's research explores the potential for scaling shared equity homeownership (SEH) as a strategy to address Arizona’s growing housing affordability crisis. Read more
Image CAPLA Students Visit Tuba City May 5, 2025 Senior Lecturer Laura Carr led 11 Master of Architecture students to Tuba City, Navajo Nation, as part of her ARC 510E Community Studio course. Students engaged with local officials, explored potential project sites, and immersed themselves in the community. Carr emphasized the importance of working with Tribal communities, while students reflected on the value of adaptability, relationship-building, and inclusive, community-driven design. Read more