School of Architecture News & Headlines

Kevin Kudo-King explored strategies for immersive design at the intersections of site, craft, and collaboration.

The University of Arizona’s Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine has been recognized internationally for its innovative design, earning an honorable mention in the 2025 International Architecture Awards. The distinction highlights the university’s commitment to creating spaces that advance health, wellness, and architectural excellence.

Michael Kothke, principal at HK ASSOCIATES and professor at CAPLA, was invited to speak at Reimagining Desert Modernism: The Architecture Shaping Arizona Today, a forum hosted by ARCHITECT Magazine and Marvin Windows at Taliesin West.

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.

HK Associates was recognized in "Architect" magazine’s 2024 Residential Architect Design Awards, an international program celebrating excellence in residential design.

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.

Bachelor of Architecture students were recognized in the 2024 AGM Universal Design Student Awards for innovative projects that centered empathy, accessibility, and the human experience. Winning designs by Taranm Akbary and Sadey Bowles reimagined inclusive spaces in Bisbee, showcasing how Universal Design can elevate both creativity and community impact.

DUST architects explored how the American Southwest’s desert landscape inspires their work, shaping memory, creativity, and a deep sense of belonging. Its beauty and isolation offer space for reflection and connection to broader human experiences.

Tucson’s cherished independent nonprofit art-house theater, The Loft Cinema, is expanding—and leading the project is Bob Vint, assistant professor of practice at the School of Architecture.

A Canadian and global academic leader, Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand reflects on her time in Japan and Australia, her work with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the connection between culture and design—highlighting how emotion and global perspectives influence the built environment and the classroom.

Lorcan O’Herlihy discussed his new book, "Building in Place: Architecture Rooted in Context & Social Equity" and explored LOHA’s methodology driving impactful solutions and strategies for architectural projects developed with social, political, and economic context in mind.