School of Architecture News & Headlines

The College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture hosted internationally renowned lecturer, Gregorio Luke, who gave two distinct presentations about influential Mexican figures – Architect Luis Barragan and Sculptor Jose Sacal.

Third-year Bachelor of Architecture students, mentored by Teresa Rosano and faculty, participated in a universal design awards program with AGM Container Controls, Ascension Wheelchair Lifts, and CAPLA. The challenge was to design a performance center in Bisbee, Arizona, fostering inclusivity.

CAPLA faculty excelled in City of Tucson's Casita Model Plan Competition, clinching spots in the top 10 designs, showcasing their innovative contributions to housing solutions in the community.

In a showcase of architectural excellence, CAPLA earned prestigious accolades at the 2023 AIA Arizona Design Awards. The distinguished recognition extends to not only the exceptional faculty but also talented students and accomplished alumni, reinforcing CAPLA's commitment to excellence in design and innovation within the architectural landscape.

Laura Carr, a Senior Lecturer in Architecture at the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture, is part of a team that secured a $200,000 grant for the Native People's Design Coalition. This grant will support their efforts in collaborating with tribal communities to plan and design sustainable and resilient built environments.

Fourth-year B.Arch student Cassidy Frost, an avid cyclist, was interviewed in a recent Arizona Daily Star article on how Tucson hopes to make cycling safer and more accessible.

CAPLA’s B.Arch has earned the prestigious U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD), which recognizes academic programs that teach best practices of zero energy design and require students to apply those concepts in zero energy design projects.

Researchers from the UArizona Drachman Institute, along with colleagues from ASU, NAU and the University of New Mexico, will research housing security, climate and health with a focus on Hispanic and underserved communities in the arid Southwest.

Architecture Professor Ryan E. Smith, director of the School of Architecture, is lead author on a HUD report outlining policy, finance, labor and other parameters for growth of offsite housing construction in the United States: Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap.

In a recent story in Arizona Daily Star, CAPLA's Valerie Lane is highlighted for her new Tucson-based business partnership, the Urban Infill Project, working to help the Tucson community meet supplementary and affordable housing needs.

Esther M. Sternberg, M.D., Inaugural Andrew Weil Chair for Research in Integrative Medicine and professor of architecture, landscape architecture and planning (by joint appointment), has published Well at Work: Creating Wellbeing in Any Workspace, a "Top Ten Lifestyle Book" by Publishers Weekly.

CAPLA's Teresa Rosano is featured in the second episode of the UArizona W.A Franke Honors College's podcast, It's an Honor, a conversation with Franke Honors College Interim Dean John Pollard exploring "connection".