The Studio
How the CAPLA community is building a changing world.
In The Studio, you'll find stories, thought leadership, profiles, and project narratives and galleries by and about the CAPLA community of faculty, staff, alumni and students.
The Studio
Image
CAPLA Study Abroad: Magnolia Hilvert ‘25
Magnolia Hilvert ‘25, a College of Humanities student, stepped out of her comfort zone and chose to participate in the CAPLA Study Abroad program last summer.
Image
Founding ISAPD: Nathan Becenti ‘24 M.Arch
Nathan Becenti ‘24 M.Arch is the founding president of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design (ISAPD) at CAPLA, where he champions Indigenous representation in architecture. Originally from Tohatchi on the Navajo Nation in Northern New Mexico, he earned his undergraduate degree from UNLV before gaining hands-on experience in high-profile Las Vegas projects.
Image
CAPLA, Rancho Feliz build a brighter future at the U.S.-Mexico border
Bob Vint, assistant professor of practice in the School of Architecture, collaborated with the Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation to design La Hacienda Feliz, a traditional courtyard-style dormitory in Agua Prieta, blending his lifelong connection to Mexican culture with a commitment to addressing systemic poverty through architecture, while also providing CAPLA students an immersive experience in border communities and the challenges they face.
Image
Renowned architect Lesley Lokko headlines inaugural CAPLA Lecture Series
The University of Arizona CAPLA Lecture Series launches with renowned architect and academic, Professor Lesley Lokko, OBE, RIBA, as the inaugural speaker. The series explores architecture, landscape design, and social issues, promoting dialogue and inspiring sustainable, optimistic futures.
Image
Building Inclusive Spaces: Lescilia Panzarella '28 BLA
Lescilia Panzarella '28 BLA is a first-generation college student and active leader at CAPLA, serving as vice president and secretary of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design, where she fosters Indigenous voices in modern design and pursues her passion for sustainable public housing and city planning.
Image
Projects
Image
Gather Light: Ava Beveridge '28 & Katie Sweiven ‘28 B.Arch
For the ARC 201 Design Studio, students worked on defining a shadow caster threshold in a publicly accessible space. The "Gather Light" project was led by professors Christopher Domin, Oscar Lopez, Stefan Mostert, Mike Silver, and Siri Trumble.
Image
Museum of the All Souls Procession: Merle Weisshaupt '26 B.Arch
The architecture of Tucson's Museum of the All Souls Procession serves as a daily reminder of multicultural strength, bridging past and future. The museum's design embodies the procession, uniting history and modernity with weathered steel and wood, mirroring the cyclical renewal of tradition.
Image
The Temporal Passage: Jacob Downard '22 B.Arch
The architecture of The Temporal Passage responds to the site's volcanic conditions by being conceptually rooted in scale, time and the moving materials of our living earth in an attempt to convey the magnitude of these natural forces. It further explores the spatial and conceptual juxtapositions between the human-operated straight line and the ensured chaos of nature.