Laura Carr Receives AIA/ACSA Practice + Leadership Award for Community-Engaged Design

Laura Carr, senior lecturer in the School of Architecture and co-founder of the Native Peoples Design Coalition, has been honored with the AIA/ACSA Practice + Leadership Award by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).

This national recognition celebrates "best practice" examples of highly effective teaching, scholarship, and outreach in professional practice and leadership. The award highlights Carr’s work with the Native Peoples Design Coalition (NPDC), a collaborative initiative dedicated to fostering resilience and belonging in the built environment for Native American and Indigenous communities in Arizona. 

“I am flattered to receive this recognition, but I must acknowledge that establishing and carrying out the mission of NPDC has been a team effort,” Carr said. “I am very grateful to Greg Veitch, NPDC’s project manager, Kelly Smith, Ph.D., and Claudia Nelson, our partners in the Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office, Kari McCormick and Levi Esquerra, our partners in the Office of Native American Advancement and Tribal Engagement, and all the students who produce inspiring work for our community partners.” 

She added, “Our team has worked very hard to realize the mission of NPDC, and this award feels like an affirmation that we are on the right track."

Ryan Smith, director of the School of Architecture, said Carr is a leader in community-based teaching and scholarship. 

“Laura’s work with Indigenous communities in Arizona fulfills the land grant mission of the University,” Smith said. “And I am pleased that her work is being recognized for its outreach impact and significance.” 

Carr’s dedication to mentorship is shaped by over 15 years of experience in community-engaged design. Through NPDC, she provides CAPLA students with opportunities to work alongside Tribal communities, ensuring that decision-making remains in their hands.

Her efforts have been recognized locally and statewide. NPCD has won 3 consecutive Community Design Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Arizona for work done in the 510E Community studio, a Masters of Architecture course centered on serving Tribal communities in Arizona. Additionally, in 2023, the NPDC received a $200,000 University of Arizona Provost Investment Fund Award to support its initiatives. 

“Our call to action is to mobilize the vast amount of research and resources available through the university to address issues related to the built environment and train our CAPLA future architects, planners, landscape architects, and designers to work with Tribal communities in ways that ensure the decision-making process is in their hands,” Carr said. 

Carr’s work with NPDC stands as a model for collaborative, community-driven design. Her recognition with the AIA/ACSA Practice + Leadership Award is a testament to the meaningful impact of her efforts.

"The significance of our work is in how it brings different people, perspectives, and resources together to realize projects that contribute to a community’s long-term resilience,” Carr said. “I am continually inspired by our students and their willingness to work with community partners to transform ideas into spatial concepts.”