Brendan Shea receives Envision Resilience award to support climate adaptation studio
Brendan Shea will use funding from the award to support a studio called "Rethinking the Spaces of Drought, Desertification and Democracy Across the Colorado River Watershed," which is similar to studio he taught previously at the U of A.
Student work by KJ Didan and Nwaf Aladwani
KJ Didan and Nwaf Aladwani
Brendan Shea, assistant professor of practice in the School of Architecture, has received a National Design Studio Award from Envision Resilience, along with funding to support a Spring 2026 design studio focused on climate adaptation across the Colorado River Watershed.
Envision Resilience works nationally to advance climate-responsive planning and design through student and community partnerships, fostering the next generation of design leaders addressing the impacts of climate change.
The inaugural Envision Resilience National Design Studio Grant was awarded to eight universities nationwide, including the University of Arizona, to support academic studios exploring adaptive strategies to address climate change through architecture, planning and design in partnership with communities.
“I’m honored,” Shea said. “Receiving this award in its inaugural round confers recognition for the approaches developed in my research and teaching across the desert regions of the west over the past several academic terms.”
Assistant Professor Brendan Shea co-hosted a workshop called "Railways, Waterways, and Walkways" with the Spatial Awareness Network. Participants explored 6.5-miles of some of Los Angeles’ best rail, storm, and pedestrian infrastructure. The walk began at the Glendale Transportation Center and ended at the LA State Historic Park.
The Envision Resilience National Design Studio Grant supports faculty-led studios that address climate challenges across diverse geographies, including rivers, forests, wetlands and urban landscapes.
Shea’s studio will focus on architectural and spatial responses to drought and reduced water flows across the Colorado River Watershed, a region facing mounting environmental and political pressures as the Colorado River Compact approaches renegotiation in 2026.
“Our studio will explore architectural adaptations to lowered flows in waterways impacting the entire xeric ecoregion west of the Continental Divide,” Shea said. “Specifically, the award will support the topical studio I’m teaching this term called Rethinking the Spaces of Drought, Desertification and Democracy Across the Colorado River Watershed.”
The funding will support student travel, workshops, digital tools and the production of a printed publication documenting the studio’s research and design work.
“This will be the third round of leading this particular studio course as part of the offerings at CAPLA School of Architecture in the Research & Innovation sequence,” Shea said. “This term will build on those previous experiences and expand focus to the region of the Colorado River watershed.”
Students will gain advanced skills in computational design, digital cartography and data visualization while engaging with the social, environmental and infrastructural complexities of the region.
“These additions to conventional architectural tools and modes of representation will be critical to developing deeper research and proposing resilient, adaptive solutions,” Shea said. “Additionally, the studio will present ample opportunities for community engagement.”
