
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.

Thinking Critically: David Zúñiga ’23 B.Arch
Bachelor of Architecture student David Zúñiga is from Nogales, Arizona. In this profile, he discusses his passion for cinema and architecture, how architecture school makes him a critical thinker, his experience in the CAPLA Hispanic student organization PUENTE, how he's learning to be patient and more.

CAPLA Professor Ladd Keith on the Imperative of Planning for Heat Resilience
Assistant Professor of Planning and Sustainable Built Environments Ladd Keith recently published two editorials in important national and international publications. With UArizona Professor of Geography Andrea K. Gerlak he authored “There’s no place in the US safe from the heat” in The Hill, and with ASU Assistant Professor of Geography Sara Meerow he authored “Cities must plan for heat resilience now,” published by Reuters.

Meet Ash Avila ’23 BS SBE, 2022 Transportation Research Board Minority Student Fellow
Ash Avila, a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments student from Nogales, Arizona, who will graduate in 2023, has been awarded an acclaimed Transportation Research Board (TRB) Minority Student Fellowship for 2022. Avila is one of 24 students selected by TRB.

Climate Change, Architecture Change, Everything Change: Sam Owen '22 B.Arch
This infill project by Sam Owens '22 B.Arch houses the Cooperative Extension Innovation Center which helps bridge the gap between the University of Arizona and the general public. It recognizes that the world is in constant flux, and the human-built world can no longer insist on pretending to be static. Gone are the days of growth without regard for decay, says Owen.

Native American Advancement, Initiatives and Research Web Portal Launched with Support of CAPLA Assessment Coordinator
School of Landscape Architecture and Planning Assessment Coordinator Kelly Eitzen Smith, who also serves as project coordinator for the Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office, helped create and launch the new Native American Advancement, Initiatives and Research (NAAIR) web portal.

The Materials and Methods of Construction: Eric D. Weber, Associate Professor of Architecture
Associate Professor of Architecture Eric D. Weber joined the college this fall, where he is teaching Design-Build and Techne. Learn more about Eric, including his background in architecture, his construction-focused research and his advice for architecture students.

UArizona Team Led by Architecture Professor Jonathan Bean and Engineering Professor Wolfgang Fink Wins $200,000 ‘American-Made Challenge’ E-ROBOT Prize
wall-EIFS, a robotically applied, 3D-sprayable exterior insulation and finish system for building envelope retrofits, is one of 10 finalist prize winners of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Envelope Retrofit Opportunities for Building Optimization Technologies Prize, or E-ROBOT Prize.

CAPLA Experts: In Wake of COVID-19, Employers Must Make Offices Healing Spaces
Altaf Engineer and Esther Sternberg, two CAPLA professors who study how work and living spaces affect physical and mental health, say the pandemic has forced employers to think about how office spaces can reduce employees' stress and enhance their wellbeing.

Architect and CAPLA Assistant Professor of Practice Robert Vint Profiled in Preservation Magazine for Work on the San Xavier del Bac Mission
Robert Vint, assistant professor of practice in architecture at CAPLA, was profiled in the Summer 2021 issue of Preservation Magazine for his conservation work on San Xavier del Bac, the landmark “White Dove of the Desert” mission located south of Tucson, Arizona.