Two teams from CAPLA earned national recognition, taking first place and runner-up in the Design & Construction category of the 2026 Hack-a-House Competition. The national competition challenges students to develop innovative solutions to solve the affordable housing crisis.
CAPLA Student Ella Parsons earned national recognition for Aguán, a project that looks to the Sonoran Desert’s longstanding building traditions to inform a sustainable relationship between architecture and the natural world.
CAPLA Student Reef Townsend earned national recognition for Arid Futures Pavilion, a design that explores how contemporary architecture can respond to the Sonoran Desert through thoughtful site integration, material choices and sustainability.
“ISAPD in Our Hands: Student Chapters Shaping the Future” explored how student chapters of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning, and Design (ISAPD) can foster learning, cultural engagement, advocacy and professional growth within universities and their communities.
Sarena Rabinowitz, one of the first students in CAPLA’s new MS.Arch/MSUP dual degree, is combining architecture, planning and research to shape community-centered design.
An interview with Josh, an architecture student from Phoenix studying at the University of Arizona, and Rob, a Tucson architect and U of A alum.
Join us in welcoming Angela Person to CAPLA! In addition to her role as Professor of Architecture at CAPLA, she is also the new Executive Director of Museums & Community Engagement in the University of Arizona’s Office of Research & Partnerships.
For Javi Barcelo, B.Arch ’27, architecture is deeply connected to place, culture and community. His City Immersion Scholarship gave him the opportunity to explore those connections firsthand in Mexico City, an experience that ultimately helped shape the direction of his capstone project.
We’re excited to welcome several new faculty members to CAPLA this academic year, bringing fresh perspectives, expertise and energy to our community. Join us in welcoming these talented educators and scholars as they contribute to our teaching, research and the future of the built environment.
Fifth-year B.Arch student Rachel Hink gained hands-on experience in architecture and community engagement through her summer internship with BWS Architects. From contributing to site plans and project meetings to participating in CanStruction, a community outreach event benefiting the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, the experience gave Hink valuable insight into how architecture can serve and strengthen communities.
CAPLA alumna Kaya Orona, B.Arch ’23, has been named one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2026 40 Under 40 honorees, recognizing her accomplishments in the construction industry. Now a preconstruction manager at The PENTA Building Group, Orona has built on her architectural education to lead projects at the intersection of design, construction and development.
As Tucson works to address its housing shortage, research from the University of Arizona's Drachman Institute is helping guide key policy decisions. Assistant Research Professor Bill Mackey's work on zoning, land use and housing regulations is providing city leaders with research-based options to increase housing opportunities across the city.