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.
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.
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.
Kirk Dimond honored with CELA TRIAD Award
Kirk Dimond has received the TRIAD Award from the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, recognizing his exceptional leadership and sustained service to the field. Over eight years with the organization, including five as treasurer, he strengthened its financial stability, advanced long-term planning and helped establish key scholarships and endowments.
CAPLA faculty awarded grant to support planning in Idaho community
Associate Professors Philip Stoker and Shujuan Li have received a two-year grant to support community scenario planning and long-term water supply strategies in Blaine County, Idaho, a rapidly growing gateway region facing increasing development and water resource pressures. By combining urban growth modeling, water demand forecasting and spatial analysis, their work will help local leaders understand how different development patterns could impact future water availability.
Cookbook Creation: Ella Parsons ‘27 B.Arch
CAPLA student Ella Parsons ('27 B.Arch) shares her ecological “cookbook,” blending art, architecture, and ecology to explore site, narrative, and design through experimental methods.