CAPLA students reimagine accessible architecture through Universal Design
Bachelor of Architecture students were recognized in the 2024 AGM Universal Design Student Awards for innovative projects that centered empathy, accessibility, and the human experience. Winning designs by Taranm Akbary and Sadey Bowles reimagined inclusive spaces in Bisbee, showcasing how Universal Design can elevate both creativity and community impact.
Lecture Recap | "DUST: Origins" by DUST Architects
DUST architects explored how the American Southwest’s desert landscape inspires their work, shaping memory, creativity, and a deep sense of belonging. Its beauty and isolation offer space for reflection and connection to broader human experiences.
Planning for a Changing Climate: Christina Scarpitti '22 MS Urban Planning
MS Urban Planning student Christina Scarpitti made her way to Tucson in the midst of the pandemic. Although her time here came with a few trials, she looks back and reflects on the positive experience CAPLA and the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning have provided her as she enters the job field.
Drachman Institute Relaunches with Showcase Event and Appointment of Director Courtney Crosson
Assistant Professor of Architecture Courtney Crosson has been appointed director of the University of Arizona’s Drachman Institute by CAPLA Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand. Crosson's introduction was combined with a project showcase on April 13 in a "relaunch" of this important, community-focused institute.
Class of 1977 Architecture Alum Establishes Scholarship in Honor of Renowned Architect Judith Chafee
A Class of 1977 Bachelor of Architecture alumnus has established the Judith Chafee Scholarship to honor the legacy of the architect and School of Architecture professor, who in her classroom and studio created "new expressions in the built environment that caused in the viewer reflection and gave a new sense of existential ‘delight’."
Planning for Urban Heat Resilience: Professor Ladd Keith Partners with American Planning Association on Essential Publication
Thanks to a partnership with the American Planning Association, CAPLA's Ladd Keith and ASU's Sara Meerow have published a comprehensive guide for planners and their communities to equitably prepare for urban heat resilience and mitigation: Planning for Urban Heat Resilience.
Plan the Plan
Plan the Plan aims to apply crowd-source technology to foster greater inclusion and social justice in the City of Tucson’s neighborhood planning process. CALPLA faculty and students applied this platform to seven neighborhoods in the Grant-Alvernon area of Tucson, Arizona.
Camp Naco Story Map
The Camp Naco story map tells the story of the still-standing adobe Buffalo Soldier cavalry camp and its meaning both to the descendants of these soldiers and to African American members of the military and their families.
Identification of Limits to Development of Innovative Affordable Housing Types in the Tucson Area
Architecture lecturer Bill Mackey investigates the development regulations, costs and trends within the metropolitan Tucson region associated with “innovative” housing types on individual lots for a Drachman Institute project funded by AARP.
City of Tucson's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
Faculty members Courtney Crosson and Ladd Keith, along with community partners, develop a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) to help the City of Tucson establish a path to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Border Studio: Oñate Crossing
Students in Teresa Rosano's ARC 410/510 studio worked with students from New Mexico and Chihuahua to design concepts and visualization of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Oñate Crossing historic site in El Paso and associated sites in the city of Jaurez, Mexico.