The Studio

The Studio

How the CAPLA community is building a changing world.

In The Studio, you'll find stories, thought leadership, profiles, and project narratives and galleries by and about the CAPLA community of faculty, staff, alumni and students.

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Building rendering.

CAPLA students reimagine accessible architecture through Universal 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.

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Montse Bover

MS.Arch Grad’s Research Award Signals Bright Future

As Montse Estrany Bover graduates with a Master of Science in Architecture from CAPLA, she leaves with a prestigious research award for her thesis on Catalunya’s historic agricultural landscapes. Now working at an architecture firm in Spain, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. to continue blending research and practice.

 

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CAPLA Building viewed from Sonoran Pentapus

Projects

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Beveridge-Sweiven P4

Course: ARC 201 | Professors Christopher Domin, Oscar Lopez, Stefan Mostert, Mike Silver, and Siri Trumble | Students: Ava Beveridge & Katie Sweiven

Gather Light: Ava Beveridge '28 & Katie Sweiven ‘28 B.Arch

For the ARC 201 Design Studio, students worked on defining a shadow caster threshold in a publicly accessible space. The "Gather Light" project was led by professors Christopher Domin, Oscar Lopez, Stefan Mostert, Mike Silver, and Siri Trumble.

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Museum of All Souls Procession

Museum of the All Souls Procession: Merle Weisshaupt '26 B.Arch

The architecture of Tucson's Museum of the All Souls Procession serves as a daily reminder of multicultural strength, bridging past and future. The museum's design embodies the procession, uniting history and modernity with weathered steel and wood, mirroring the cyclical renewal of tradition.

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The Temporal Passage, by Jacob Downard

The Temporal Passage: Jacob Downard '22 B.Arch

The architecture of The Temporal Passage responds to the site's volcanic conditions by being conceptually rooted in scale, time and the moving materials of our living earth in an attempt to convey the magnitude of these natural forces. It further explores the spatial and conceptual juxtapositions between the human-operated straight line and the ensured chaos of nature.

Research

Extreme Heat Planning Works: Building on a Proven Platform at the Second Annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit

Held at the University of Arizona’s ENR2 building, the 2nd Annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit brought together experts and community leaders to discuss strategies for extreme heat preparedness, featuring presentations from City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and other officials.

Santa Cruz River moves closer to national designation with guidance from U of A experts

Mackenzie Waller, assistant professor of landscape architecture, leads effort to have portions of the Santa Cruz River added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System.

Improving water conservation and mitigating Arizona's heat island effect

The Arizona Board of Regents held a November showcase at the Arizona Experiment Station's Campus Agricultural Center in Tucson, featuring award-winning research from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University around new smart tree watering techniques.

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