CAPLA Lecturer Sandra Bernal selected for National ACSA Academy on Built Environment and Health
CAPLA lecturer Sandra Bernal has been selected for the 2026 Academy for Public Scholarship on the Built Environment: Spatial Determinants of Health. She will join a national cohort of scholars working to translate research on design and public health into accessible scholarship, building on her work in heat resilience, air quality and healthy community design.
CAPLA Professor Michael Kothke Wins AIA Award for Casa Luce
CAPLA Professor Michael Kothke and Kathy Hancox won a national AIA Interior Architecture Award for Casa Luce, a Tucson renovation honoring adaptive reuse, sustainability, and the Sonoran Desert.
CAPLA hosts 2nd Annual U of A Real Estate Symposium
The 2nd Annual U of A Real Estate Symposium drew more than 40 real estate alumni and industry partners from the greater Phoenix area and highlighted the real estate trends shaping development and investment across Arizona.
Faculty-led, student-powered research advances heat and health innovation
Third-year B.Arch student Brett Lewis earned first place in the poster competition at the 2026 Big Idea Challenge Research Showcase for his work on a climate-responsive cooling unit developed in CAPLA’s Human Factors and Wellness class. M.Arch student Nick Yang also received fully funded National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps+) training, reflecting the growing impact of faculty-led, student-powered research at CAPLA.
In the News: STAR Village 'safe sleeping site' to continue for 2nd year
Bill Mackey, associate research professor, was interviewed and featured in the Tucson Sentinel for his insights on Tucson’s STAR Village safe sleeping site.
Class of 2026: ‘Shaping how people live’
Francisco Zazueta, B.Arch '26, was recently featured by Arizona Public Media for a story as much about perseverance as it is about design.
CAPLA panel highlights green building, celebrates student sustainability leaders
CAPLA’s “Building Better is Building Green” panel highlighted how sustainability credentials and real-world experience are preparing students to lead the future of the built environment. The event also celebrated 21 students receiving support from the Green Ginsberg Fund to participate in a summer LEED Green Associate bootcamp and certification exam.
CAPLA announces 2026 Grassroots Seed Grant Awardees
CAPLA has announced the recipients of the 2026 Grassroots Seed Grants, which support innovative teaching, research and creative activity aligned with the college’s Strategic Plan. This year’s projects advance collaboration, community engagement and new approaches to addressing social, environmental and economic challenges.
CAPLA students earn top honors at AZASLA Awards Gala
CAPLA students earned top honors at the AZASLA Awards Gala, including awards for Cycles of Renewal and Watermark’s Re-imagined Therapeutic Garden. Recognized for excellence in landscape architecture.
CAPLA’s Christopher Tucker Featured in 2025 Venice Biennale Installation
CAPLA Lecturer Christopher Tucker contributed to three projects featured in a Cloud 9 Architects pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale. The work explores new directions in ecological design, emphasizing architecture’s potential to integrate with and support natural systems.
Beyond the Commute: Long-Term Impacts and Behavioral Roots of U.S. Car Dependence | Lecture by Huê-Tâm Jamme
Huê-Tâm Jamme presents research exploring the deep behavioral roots and long-term impacts of U.S. car dependence on individual well-being and social equity.