Gather Light: ARC 201
Students in CAPLA’s ARC 201 studio, guided by faculty including Christopher Domin and others, completed the "Gather Light" project focused on understanding and designing in harmony with the Sonoran Desert environment. Through observation, drawing, and modeling, students explored how light, nature, and architecture interact. Key activities involved studying desert plants, translating their forms into design systems, and developing canopies that filter light and enhance outdoor spaces. The project emphasized hands-on learning, teamwork, and iterative design using 2D and 3D representations to create thoughtful architectural interventions that respect and respond to the desert landscape.
Lecturer Christopher Tucker wins AIA Design Pedagogy Award for innovative Abiotic Studio
Christopher Tucker, a lecturer in architecture at CAPLA, received the American Institute of Architects’ Design Pedagogy Award for his Abiotic Studio, a fourth-year course that challenges students to engage with ecological realities and reimagine post-industrial landscapes through more-than-human perspectives.
Reimagining the City in a Changing World: UArizona Hosts Inaugural Urban Humanities Global (Un)Conference
The inaugural Urban Humanities Global (Un)Conference held in Tucson March 3-5, 2023 will draw close to a hundred scholars, practitioners and community leaders to the Sonoran Desert to chart a path forward for the next generation of spatial transdisciplinary research, design and public engagement.
Lecture Recap and Video: Gulsah Akar on 'Determinants of Sustainability Mobility Patterns Among Older Adults'
Gulsah Akar focuses on the factors that lead to sustainable mobility patterns among older adults in this CAPLA Lecture Series lecture.
UArizona Students Take Home Top Honors in International Theme Park Design Competition
The UArizona Theme Park Entertainment Group, comprised of CAPLA and College of Engineering students, received the highest commendation overall—with distinctions for technical skill, feasibility, innovation and communication—at the esteemed Toronto Met Thrill Design Invitational held last fall at Universal Orlando Resort.
UArizona Distinguished Professor Mary Hardin Wins ACSA Design-Build Award for Stadium Rowhouses
University Distinguished Professor of Architecture Mary Hardin has been awarded an ACSA 2023 Design-Build Award for Stadium Rowhouses: Macro to Micro. One of just four national Design-Build Award recipients, Hardin leads hands-on design-build projects with undergraduate and graduate architecture students at UArizona.
A Passion for Solving Student Challenges: Sean Kramer-Lazar, Senior Academic Advisor
Sean Kramer-Lazar joined CAPLA in 2016, and now serves as a senior academic advisor, providing support for undergraduate students entering the BS Sustainable Built Environments (main campus and online) and Bachelor of Landscape Architecture programs. Learn more about Sean and his work and other passions in this profile.
The Key to Healthier Employees Could be a Quieter, or Louder, Office Space
A new study by researchers including Esther Sternberg, professor of architecture, landscape architecture and planning (joint appointment), suggests that too much—or too little—office noise has a negative effect on employee wellbeing. The sweet spot? About 50 decibels, comparable to moderate rain or birdsong.
Celebrating William Brown ’66 B.Arch, 2023 CAPLA Alumnus of the Year
In honor of his remarkable career and his dedicated support, the Arizona Alumni Association is proud to name William Brown the 2023 Alumnus of the Year for the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. Read more about Brown's legacy in this profile.
CAPLA and Other UArizona Deans Share Insights on Transdisciplinary Applied Humanities Program
At the 2023 Modern Languages Association Convention in San Francisco, CAPLA Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand joined COH Dorrance Dean Alain-Phillippe Durand, CALS Dean Shane Burgess and Eller College of Management Dean Karthik Kannan to discuss the innovative Bachelor of Arts in Applied Humanities, including the Spatial Organization & Design Thinking emphasis area in partnership with CAPLA.
Designing Place, Designing Policy: Jesus Nava ’23 B.Arch
Jesus Nava was born in Sinaloa, Mexico, and grew up in San Diego, California. He was drawn to UArizona and the Bachelor of Architecture because of the beauty of the Sonoran Desert and its many outdoor recreation opportunities—as well as UArizona’s “great basketball program.”