Highlighting the Class of 2025: Annamaria Pongratz BLA

Jesus Robles, an Assistant Professor of Practice and co-founder of the architecture studio DUST, was selected to showcase Tucson-inspired work at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, one of the world’s leading platforms for design innovation. His installation, created for the U.S. Pavilion’s exhibition “Porch: An Architecture of Generosity,” highlights the ecological richness of southern Arizona and reimagines a small wildlife pavilion as a metaphor for broader regional challenges related to conservation, culture, and water resilience. Robles’ contribution not only elevates the work of the Tucson Audubon Society on an international stage but also reflects the design values he brings to CAPLA: a commitment to place-based thinking and the belief that even small-scale architecture can illuminate larger environmental issues.

Speakers from coLAB studio discussed the intrinsic nature and indispensable quality that determines an individual's character as a designer.

The Colorado River is the backbone of water management in the southwest, serving seven states and Mexico. Ongoing drought conditions that are linked to climate change threaten Colorado River water deliveries to Arizona, but also provide an opportunity to rethink the allocation of water rights and to focus on a more sustainable approach to management.