Research-Based Approach to Architecture: Jackie Hogan M.Arch + MS.Arch ‘25
Jackie Hogan (’25 M.Arch + MS.Arch) is a dual-degree graduate of CAPLA whose work bridges architectural practice and research-driven design. Drawn to architectural history, theory and ethics, she pursued the M.Arch + MS.Arch dual degree to explore how research can shape meaningful design decisions. During her time at CAPLA, she engaged in community-centered design through Laura Carr’s studio working with the Tuba City community and completed a thesis examining architecture’s role in disaster relief and climate-related emergencies. Now working at Line + Space, Hogan brings an evidence-based approach to projects, applying research to create thoughtful spaces that connect people, culture and the environment.
CAPLA Lecturer and Alumni Win 2025 AIA Arizona Ideas Competition
Senior Lecturer in Architecture Oscar Lopez and three CAPLA alumni won first place in the 2025 AIA Arizona Ideas Competition for their proposal “BLOCK UP.” The project reimagines the urban tower as a vertical civic framework for Phoenix, integrating public space, housing and climate-responsive design into a shared, adaptable structure. Developed through close collaboration between Lopez and alumni Sal Arellano, Trevor Watson and Cameron Noble, the proposal explores how density can expand community and access beyond the street level, highlighting CAPLA’s impact on forward-thinking, civic-minded design in Arizona.
Passionate About Learning: Clare Robinson, Associate Professor of Architecture
Associate Professor of Architecture Clare Robinson, who joined CAPLA in 2012, explores how the everyday built environment facilitated the definition of social and aesthetic norms, and how professional designers used modern architecture and planning paradigms to define middle-class activities and spaces during the mid-20th century.
Park(ing) Day 2020: Physically Distanced but Socially Connected
Park(ing) Day 2020, an annual worldwide event that encourages landscape architects, community members and students to transform metered parking spaces into temporary parklets, brought together MLA and BLA student's for CAPLA's project on Tucson's 4th Avenue.
Lecture Recap and Video: Brandon Herman on Lessons from a Career Rover
Brandon Herman '12 MS Planning '14 MLA is a certified professional planner and licensed landscape architect. He joined CAPLA for a virtual lecture titled "Changing Course: Lessons from a Career Rover," and spoke to& CAPLA students about alternative career paths that they may have not yet considered.
Bringing Color into the World of Architecture: CAPLA’s Women in Architecture Society in Conversation with NOMA Arizona President Carlos Murrieta
On September 11, Women in Architecture Society teamed up with NOMA Arizona President Carlos Murrieta to discuss equity, diversity and inclusion in a virtual roundtable event sponsored by the CAPLA Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the American Institute of Architects Southern Arizona.
La Casa Verde: Itzel Gamez '22 B.Arch
No one element of Itzel Gamez's La Casa Verde in El Paso, Texas is secondary or supplemental, as the design treats architecture, vegetation and the inhabitants as one cohesive whole—creating a dialogue among each other.
Job Searching in the COVID Era: Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning
Despite the challenges presented by job hunting during a global pandemic, Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning recently moved across the country to Providence, Rhode Island to start her career as a staff planner.
Hands-On Learning: Kaya Orona '23 B.Arch
CAPLA student ambassador Kaya Orona, who is active in several student organizations, came to the Bachelor of Architecture program at the University of Arizona from Chandler, Arizona.
Persistence is Key: Tulga N. Ericson '21 B.Arch
Tulga N. Ericson, who is originally from Mongolia but moved to Arizona nine years ago, entered CAPLA's Bachelor of Architecture program after knowing he could stay in Tucson to attend an outstanding undergraduate architecture program.
Ensuring Equity, Building Community: Kendra Hyson ’15 MLA
With her MLA, Kendra Hyson has followed a path to leadership not just in landscape architecture but also in the movement for social equity in built environment design—as both a founder of The Urban Studio and in her current role as a landscape architect and planner for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.