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.
Lecture Recap and Video: Brandon Herman on Lessons from a Career Rover
Brandon Herman '12 MS Planning '14 MLA is a certified professional planner and licensed landscape architect. He joined CAPLA for a virtual lecture titled "Changing Course: Lessons from a Career Rover," and spoke to& CAPLA students about alternative career paths that they may have not yet considered.
La Casa Verde: Itzel Gamez '22 B.Arch
No one element of Itzel Gamez's La Casa Verde in El Paso, Texas is secondary or supplemental, as the design treats architecture, vegetation and the inhabitants as one cohesive whole—creating a dialogue among each other.
Job Searching in the COVID Era: Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning
Despite the challenges presented by job hunting during a global pandemic, Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning recently moved across the country to Providence, Rhode Island to start her career as a staff planner.
Hands-On Learning: Kaya Orona '23 B.Arch
CAPLA student ambassador Kaya Orona, who is active in several student organizations, came to the Bachelor of Architecture program at the University of Arizona from Chandler, Arizona.
Persistence is Key: Tulga N. Ericson '21 B.Arch
Tulga N. Ericson, who is originally from Mongolia but moved to Arizona nine years ago, entered CAPLA's Bachelor of Architecture program after knowing he could stay in Tucson to attend an outstanding undergraduate architecture program.
Ensuring Equity, Building Community: Kendra Hyson ’15 MLA
With her MLA, Kendra Hyson has followed a path to leadership not just in landscape architecture but also in the movement for social equity in built environment design—as both a founder of The Urban Studio and in her current role as a landscape architect and planner for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Transportation, Health Equity and Social Justice in Regional Transportation Planning
What can fine-scale spatial modeling of health impacts from long-range transportation plans do to support racial and social justice? More than you may realize, according to CAPLA’s Nicole Iroz-Elardo, assistant research professor of planning.
From Hong Kong to Tucson: Cordell Lee '24 BS SBE
Cordell Lee, who is originally from Hong Kong, entered CAPLA's BS in Sustainable Built Environments program after completing his high school career in the United Kingdom.
Architecture Lecturer Sandra Bernal-Cordova Named USGBC Women in Green 2020 'Shero' for September
The U.S. Green Building Council recognizes “Women in Green Sheroes”—women who “demonstrate how the power of purpose can shape our lives, our careers and our changing world.” This month, the honor was bestowed upon CAPLA Lecturer in Architecture Sandra Bernal-Cordova.