Teresa Rosano and Greg Veitch’s Capstone Studio wins ACSA Collaborative Practice Award

Architecture Professor Teresa Rosano, Research Coordinator Greg Veitch and their Capstone students were recognized with the 2026 ACSA Collaborative Practice Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) for their project, “Community Design and Action Capstone Studio: Tucson Hope Factory Micro Shelter Village.”

The award honors collaborative work that connects architectural education, professional practice and community engagement, recognizing projects that demonstrate meaningful partnerships and leadership. Rosano and Veitch’s studio brought together students, faculty and community partners to design and build a micro-shelter prototype and a replicable site framework in collaboration with the Tucson Hope Factory.

For Veitch, the recognition affirms the value of collaboration as a core principle of both teaching and practice.

“It’s proof that collaborative projects create greater impact and efficacy in both project deliverables and student learning outcomes,” he said.

Rosano said the award reflects the collective effort behind the studio and the strength of its partnerships, particularly the willingness of students and community members to take on shared responsibility. 

“What initially felt daunting, bringing together a 16-student studio to design and build a micro-shelter prototype and a replicable site framework, ultimately revealed how thoughtfully and effectively the group could work together,” Rosano said. 

The studio emphasized methods that positioned students and community partners as equals throughout the process. 

“Bringing practice-based co-design methods into the classroom allowed us to capitalize upon our strengths and join forces to fill resource and knowledge gaps,” he said. 

He said collaboration extended beyond the university, with Tucson Hope Factory staff participating fully in the design and build process.

“The students and Chuck at Tucson Hope Factory were equal partners in this endeavor,” Veitch said. “Breaking down hierarchy inspired dedication and self-direction in our students.”

Rosano said students had the opportunity to choose how they wanted to contribute to the overall mission. 

“Giving students agency to work in areas aligned with their interests and strengths proved essential to the project’s success,” she said. 

That shift, Rosano said, was reflected in the language students used by the end of the studio.

“By the end of the project, students weren’t saying ‘me’ or ‘I’ – it was always ‘we,’” she said. 

Students described the studio as a defining experience in their architectural education.

“As a team member who helped develop and build this project, I can say without hesitation that this was one of the most meaningful and well-rounded experiences of my architectural education,” said Jordan West, a 2025 Bachelor of Architecture graduate. 

Community leaders said the project exemplifies the values recognized by the ACSA award and highlights the role of architects as engaged collaborators.

“The studio exemplifies what this award celebrates: an inclusive, community-empowering design that advances the role of architects as thoughtful stewards of the built environment,” said Valerie Lane, senior lecturer at the School of Architecture and commissioner of the City of Tucson and Pima County Planning Commissions.

Rosano and Veitch will accept the award and present the work of the studio at the ACSA conference in Chicago in March.