University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design Annual Report 2023-2024

Gerald D. HinesCollege of Architectureand Desi gn

Annual Report

2023–2024

The Hines College made great strides this year, proving we have an extraordinary scholarly community capable of impacting the world on multiple levels.

In recent years, our faculty have gradually grown their research agenda, increasing our funding proposals to over $6 million this academic year. During FY 24, our research funding awarded increased considerably to over $1 6 million. Professors Dalia Munenzon and Matthew Johnson recently received $748,848 from the National Academies Gulf Research Program for their proposal, Adaptive Ecofutures: Shaping the Gulf Coast of Tomorrow. Our faculty’s research successes illustrate they are innovators in their fields, elevating the educational experience we provide our students.

This past fall, Red Dot awarded recent Hines College alumnus David Edquilang (B.S. ’22) and his faculty mentor Jeff Feng with its esteemed 2023 Luminary Award for Lunet. Edquilang’s affordable, 3D-printable prosthesis design is easily customized for finger amputee patients, alleviating hurdles of traditional expensive prostheses. He plans on releasing his open-source design soon to make finger prostheses more accessible for those who need them most.

Gateway Decathlon selected a team from the University of Houston, led by associate professor and Keeland Lab director Jason Logan, to participate in its international two-year competition, culminating in a public event in St. Louis in October 2025. The team’s OpenHOUse: A Thermodynamic Living System is a prototype for shared and sustainable forms of living (see a concept model at right). Following its showing in St. Louis, the house will return to the Hines College for a public exhibition and serve as a model for student and faculty research.

In July, Hurricane Beryl swept through Houston, leaving power outages and destruction in its path. Unfortunately, the architecture building was not spared. The roof was torn off on the east wing of the building, causing widespread water damage across the second, third, and fourth floors. Restoration is not scheduled for completion until later this fall semester. While this presents a challenge for our College community as we begin the academic year, we will collectively face that challenge and persevere.

While we celebrate this past year and its numerous achievements, I look forward to another year ahead, full of fruitful endeavors and successes that will continue propelling the Hines College forward.

Patricia Belton Oliver, FAIA, Dean ACSA Distinguished Professor Director, designLAB

Strategic Planning Framework

The Hines College engaged in a year-long strategic planning process during the 2022-2023 academic year identifying goals in the areas of curriculum and programs, environmental responsibility, culture of care and wellbeing, global community engagement, professional preparation and development, and research needed to advance the College into the future. Each academic program developed its own action items associated with the framework goals. Below are actions and updated taken during the 2023-2024 academic year.

COLLEGE-WIDE

CURRICULUM + PROGRAMS

• Revamped and relaunched the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design degree program with a trimester model, requiring students to attend classes in the fall, spring, and summer semesters and allow them the opportunity to graduate in three years, ready to pursue a graduate professional degree program.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Assistant professor Mili Kyropoulou established the Building Analytics and Sustainable Environments (BASE) Laboratory to encourage research initiatives promoting performance-based, human-centric thinking for sustainable environmental design at the building and urban scale.

CULTURE OF CARE AND WELLBEING

• Updated the college culture statement prior to the start of the 2023-2024 academic year to better emphasize the College’s commitment to advocating for an environment of support and wellness.

• As the University expanded its resources supporting mental health and wellbeing, the College actively promoted the information and resources to better inform its community.

• Designed a quiet room in the College’s student services office for students to take a break from their studies and activities, supporting better mental health.

• Established a student reporting resource for students to securely share concerns about their education or personal welfare.

CHECK OUT THE HINES COLLEGE’S STRATEGIC PLAN FRAMEWORK

• Collaborated with UH Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the College’s Student Council to organize events around empowerment, camaraderie, and unity for students.

• Hosted monthly forums for students to discuss anything on their minds in a secure environment.

• Student advisors utilized campus resources to better support students through advising and encouraging well-informed choices.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Students and faculty gained global exposure and experience through their participation in the AIA International Conference in Mexico City during the fall 2023 semester.

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION + DEVELOPMENT

• The College is nearing the establishment of BUILD+, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization expanding upon the graduate design/ build program and allowing the College to explore more sustainable opportunities, build speculative projects, and provide students with internship opportunities.

• Increased professional career development opportunities with alumni representation and

leadership to better prepare students searching for internships and full-time opportunities.

• Expanded the annual career fair to accommodate more companies seeking to hire the College’s students and afford students the opportunities to gain professional experience and pursue career opportunities.

RESEARCH

• Hines College faculty submitted over $5 million in research proposals thus far during fiscal year 2024

• Seven faculty members received UH research grants to explore architectural design methodologies, materials, UX design, thermal comfort, and urbanism.

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHITECTURE CURRICULUM + PROGRAMS

• Defined a three-semester program offer allowing first and second-year students taking summer studios the opportunity to continue the studio sequence in the fall. For example, the summer student cohort taking ARCH 2500 can take ARCH 2501 in the fall semester. In the upcoming academic year, studios of third, fourth, and fifth years will be offered, leading the program’s continuity in fall, spring, and summer semesters.

College Updates: Strategic Planning Framework

• Established design media curriculum, scheduled it for implementation, and obtained approval from the College’s undergraduate committee during the spring 2024 semester. The program assisted with the logic and details of implementation, facilitated ideas and methods, and supported implementation. The degree path sequence of three courses – HIST 1377, ARCH elective of spring second-year, and ARCH 1210 – has a new schedule/term to accommodate ARCH 1210 in the fall as the first course of design media, followed by design media II in the spring.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Adopted environmental responsibility as a program ethos and manifested it as routine across all courses, as well as maintaining continuous discussion among program leadership and at course preparation meetings.

CULTURE OF CARE AND WELLBEING

• Implemented a tool for observing and coordinating course schedules across levels to ensure minimum overlaps of tasks and deadlines.

• Employed the “pencils down” approach in design studio courses to help students to navigate a healthy and manageable end of the semester in other academic areas requirements.

• Implemented tools, including the UGA catalog and the UGA semester dossier, to facilitate students’ and faculty’s navigation of the semester. These materials are always available on the UGA Teams channel.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Promoted and collaborated with the graduate architecture program to successfully establish the Queretaro study abroad initiative launching fall of 2024, offering 15 credit hours.

• Promoted and collaborated with the graduate architecture program to successfully publish the 2021-2022 prospectus, expanding the visibility of the program and its students and faculty.

• Promoted and supported the second year of the Hines Design as Scholar/Scholar as Design (HdSd) program with the MESO-COSM exhibition by UH assistant instructional professor Daniel Jacobs and Rice assistant professor Brittany Utting. The initiative’s third year will highlight Micropolitan America.

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION + DEVELOPMENT

• Consolidated the program’s portfolio workshop series, instructing portfolio review sessions for all students from first to fifth years.

• Expanded the ARCH 5508 professional level course by including more sections dedicated to professional training in building design.

RESEARCH

• Coordinated a faculty rotation throughout the advanced level to promote faculty research, including history, theory, and criticism (HTC), technology, and design media academic area faculty.

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE CURRICULUM + PROGRAMS

• Continued to identify opportunities for engagement with other programs to increase interdisciplinary efforts. Interior architecture and industrial design (via faculty Adam Wells and Marta Rodriguez) are investigating a possible joint studio for fall 2025

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

• All studios encourage students to manage costs by using reclaimed materials, even including fragments, in their studio studies and finished models.

CULTURE OF CARE AND WELLBEING

• Spring 2024 studio developed designs for the construction of a second-floor student lounge. The program is exploring the possible integration of reclaimed materials into the project.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Faculty continue engaging internationally with the community, exploring new opportunities The k67 kiosk, by assistant professor Dijana Handanovic, is on exhibit in London summer 2024.

• Publishing a prospectus on the work of an adaptive reuse studio on the adaptive reuse of an existing structure into a space of refuge for refugees in Athens, Greece.

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION + DEVELOPMENT

• The program is contributing to the purchase of a knitting machine for the Keeland Design Exploration Lab to expose students to the fabrication of different materials. Faculty will receive training on the machine and then train other faculty and students.

RESEARCH

• Faculty are actively pursuing research opportunities focusing on issues of sustainability, identity, and urbanism at the scale of the body.

• The program is supporting a research project initiated by Jenkins librarian Catherine Essinger and former UH employee Wilbert Taylor to reclaim abandoned Black churches in the Third Ward, with the ultimate goal of publishing this

College Updates: Strategic Planning Framework

work independently and in support of a broader research agenda.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

CURRICULUM + PROGRAMS

• Initiated an interdisciplinary collaboration between our industrial design graduate studio and mechanical engineering’s capstone project.

• Introduced INDS 3397 – “Integrative Life Drawing for Wearable Technology,” open to all students from all colleges at UH.

• Developed an interdisciplinary studio collaboration between INDS 4500 and IA 4500 for the fall 2025 semester.

• Advanced planning for a UX/UI certificate and minor program open to students outside the industrial design program.

• Working towards establishing an XR/VR lab to be used for research and as a classroom.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Secured a grant for the development of a new elective exploring sustainable research and application to be named “Design for Sustainable Consumption in Everyday Life.”

CULTURE OF CARE AND WELLBEING

• Developed and created more financial support for students through research and teaching assistantship opportunities.

• Working with our student organization to organize on-campus and off-campus gatherings, workshops, and company visits.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Launched the program’s first summer design experience for high school students – “The Idea Factory” – in summer 2024

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION + DEVELOPMENT

• Continuing to expand the industrial design career center, assisting students in obtaining internship opportunities, prepare for interviews, and develop effective professional portfolios.

• Seeking to expand the industrial design’s college career fair opportunities by offering online interviews and portfolio reviews for small firms.

RESEARCH

• Continue to invest in leading-edge technologies, particularly in the XR/VR realm to secure space for establishing a research lab in the Hines College.

GRADUATE STUDIES

CURRICULUM + PROGRAMS

• Revisiting core studio sequence under shifting coordinators and continuing with new hires. Pursuing further integration through readings and careful course calibration of HTC and studio curricula. Furthering engagement with Keeland Design Exploration Lab and forthcoming CRAFT Lab into the studio sequence, design/build, fabrication studios, and House.

• Introduced and expanded a dual degree to include the College of Engineering Technology Division’s construction management program. The degree proposal is currently working its way through university approval. The effort to establish a certificate in historic preservation is currently in development.

• Exploring ways to better engage with industrial design freshmen beginning in fall 2024

• Progress was made on expanding the design/ build program to BUILD+ for innovative curricular research and community engagement.

• Introducing non-Linear coursework, eliminate pre and co-requisites, to allow sequential customization.

• Preparing for expansion of graduate programs to field the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design graduates seeking to pursue a professional program for licensure.

• Revisited and expanded the graduate visual studies sequence, converting three units to two-plus-one.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Expanded the analysis of the architecture building as a case study for application.

• Integrated coursework and readings on technology and sustainability.

• Foregrounded sustainability in core technology and studio sequences, including a new materials course and integration semester (materials, systems, and structures).

CULTURE OF CARE AND WELLBEING

• Expanded proactive interfaces and forums with leadership (coordinators and directors) and students (via the Hines College’s student council). with students.

• Established in-studio group meetings by level.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Developed expanded degree offerings to include urban design, construction management, historic preservation, and further connections to business and real estate development with publicity, web presence, and student advising.

• Expanded visiting faculty, particularly leveraging the Stern Visiting Professorship, and design/build to engage global voices with diverse perspectives and themes.

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION + DEVELOPMENT

• Developed curricular adjustments to be responsive to professional preparation.

• Engaged professionals as guest critics to give students the opportunity to obtain feedback from industry professionals

• Exploring continuing education opportunities for alumni and industry professionals.

RESEARCH

• Integrated topical studios to accommodate faculty research.

• Invested in an exhibition and symposium on housing through the UH small grants program.

College Updates: Strategic Planning Framework

Student Enrollment and Financial Aid

FIRST TIME IN COLLEGE STUDENT (FTIC) ADMIT AND YIELD RATES

TRANSFER STUDENT ADMIT AND YIELD RATES

Admitted

TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT

MASTER’S STUDENT ADMIT AND YIELD RATES

Admitted

Enrolled ONE

894 total enrolled students in 2024 -14.8% enrolled FTIC students (532 in 2023 vs. 504 in 2024) +9.2% enrolled transfer students (271 in 2023 vs. 296 in 2024) +2.2% enrolled Master’s students (92 in 2023 vs. 94 in 2024)

Admitted

208 new students in 2024 (166 undegraduate and 42 graduate students)

Data Source: UH by the Numbers | All figures accurate as of August 11, 2024

DEGREE SEEKING STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL AID

68.7%

students received financial aid in grants, loans, scholarships, and waivers

TOTAL AID BY STUDENT LEVEL

$7,012,259 $819,953 total undergraduate aid total graduate aid

AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID AMOUNT PER STUDENT

$12,216 $18,221 per undergraduate student (574 students) per graduate student (45 students)

PELL GRANT AWARDED TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

15.21% increase from 2022-23 ($1,738,568 for 334 students) to 2023-24 ($2,002,941 for 344 students)

UNDERGRADUATE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

GRANTS

SCHOLARSHIPS

425

Graduation Facts and Figures

GRADUATES BY THE NUMBERS

183

TOTAL NUMBER OF GRADUATES

59% FEMALE GRADUATES

33 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

41% MALE GRADUATES

The diverse graduating student body included international students from Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Iraq, San Salvador, Guatemala, Ghana, Honduras, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Palestine, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Turkey, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Yemen.

DEGREE BREAKDOWN

27

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

5 MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE

107 BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

22

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

1

MASTER OF ARTS IN ARCHITECTURE STUDIES

2

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

19 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

3

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

GRADUATION AWARDS

AMERICAN INSITUTE OF ARCHITECTS AWARDS

Galen Kragas • AIA Academic Excellence Award | Master of Architecture

Sarah Jordan • AIA Academic Excellence Award | Bachelor of Architecture

OUSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Danny Blacker • Undergraduate Industrial Design

Darnell Zamora • Undergraduate Interior Architecture

GRADUATE ARCHITECTURE AWARDS

Jonathan Díaz-Pérez • Graduate Design Award

Mason Kelly • Graduate Design Award

Colton Grieger • Best Master Project of the Year

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHITECTURE AWARDS

Christopher Torres • Undergraduate Design Award - Honorable Mention

Alejandro Carreño • Undergraduate Design Award - Honorable Mention

Joshua Carter • Undergraduate Design Award - Honorable Mention

Jordan Mathiew • Undergraduate Design Award - Honorable Mention

Benjamin Gonzalez • Undergraduate Design Award - Second Place

Esmeralda Leija • Undergraduate Design Award - Second Place

Brenda Castillo • Undergraduate Design Award - First Place

HONORS THESIS AWARDS

Andrew Chase • Outstanding Senior Honors Thesis Award

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AWARDS

Maha Alsagheer • IDSA Houston Chapter Undergraduate Student Merit Award

Shruti Shukla • ID Graduate Design Award

Hafsa Saqib • Best Senior Project Award

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AWARD

Ileana Luna • Outstanding Design Award for Interior Architecture

STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Andrea Hatter • Nia Becnel Leadership Award

Aya Daouk • Myron C. Anderson Leadership Award

Amber Quinn • Alpha Rho Chi Award Leadership Award

Andrew Chase • Architectural Research Centers Consortium Award

College Updates: Graduation Facts and Figures

Leadership Council

NEW MEMBERS:

MARK BELLAMY

(B.ARCH ’00)

Principal – Design + Architecture, PDR

Marc Bellamy is an architect with a real estate developer’s instinct and a farmer’s patience. He uses these attributes to strengthen client relationships and reinforce PDR’s multi-dimensional role, combining architectural design with business consulting. As PDR Corporation’s Director of Business Development, Marc strengthens existing project relationships and introduces new clients to the firm’s hybrid practice.

With PDR’s headquarters in Houston, Texas, and an office established in Austin, Marc is also bringing the firm’s unique integrated approach to the Dallas market. His ties to Dallas began years ago when he represented PDR as the program architect for Houston’s ExxonMobil Campus. Marc traveled to the energy giant’s Dallas headquarters every month for two years to communicate progress and return with decisions for every variety of design team contributing to the 14,000-person campus project.

Before joining PDR, Marc was recruited by Midway to manage the construction of the 40-acre CityCentre development, a highly successful mixed-use retail destination in Houston. Prior, Marc was an Associate at Gensler for over 6 years. Marc is an alumnus of the Hines College.

MARGARET WALLACE

BROWN, AICP, CNU-A (B.S. ’83)

Former Director, City of Houston Planning and Development Department

Margaret Brown is the retired Director of the City of Houston’s Planning & Development Department. With more than 35 years of public service, her experience is a unique combination of policy and engagement. Throughout her tenure as director, she infused innovation into the City’s land-development regulatory system and fostered collaboration with customers and the general public. Through her efforts, the City’s regulatory environment refocused toward more walkable, context-sensitive development, creating better streetscapes and more compact, multi-modal developments.

Margaret is certified by both the American Institute of City Planners and the Congress for the New Urbanism and has served on numerous national and local committees in the planning, architecture, and landdevelopment arenas. A died-in-the-wool Houstonian, she spends her free time cheering on the Coogs and enjoying the green spaces our City has to offer.

PAUL DONOVAN

Retired Real Estate Executive, ExxonMobil

Paul Donovan is Principal of PMD RE Consulting Services, LLC. His company provides Real Estate and IT Infrastructure support to the Permian Strategic Partnership.

Donovan is a retired real estate executive from Exxon Mobil Environmental Services Company with over 36 years of company service. He began his career with Exxon Company USA in June 1984 on the internal audit staff and eventually took on additional responsibilities and was a supervisor in Downstream Controller’s Refining and Financial System Development. Donovan began his real estate career in May 1998. That July, the Exxon Upstream Development Company was formed, where he led a 350ksf renovation of Greenspoint 4 and 6. In 1999, he was named manager of the Exxon Mobil merger team, and his team completed over 30,000 moves and renovation of hundreds of thousands of spaces throughout Houston (~6msf).

In late 2000, Donovan moved to London and led real estate projects across Northern Europe, West Africa and the Middle East, including the Saudi Gas Initiatives. In 2004, Donovan returned to Houston as the southern facilities manager and led real estate facility operations across the southern United States, including all industrial facilities. In 2007, Donovan moved to Fort McMurray as facilities manager for Syncrude Canada, Ltd and took over all of the Imperial Oil facilities in 2008. In April 2009, Donovan became program manager for what was to become the Exxon Mobil Spring Campus. Donovan led the design and execution strategy for the campus, supported by 45 architectural, engineering, and project management firms.

In July 2011, Donovan was named project executive for the Imperial Oil campus in Calgary. Donovan’s team designed and executed this award-winning campus, which was completed in early 2016, culminating with Imperial Oil’s annual shareholders

meeting. Both of these projects were lifetime opportunities that he was privileged to be a part of. In 2016, Donovan returned to Houston and was the global projects manager responsible for executing projects in Shanghai, Baytown, Baton Rouge ,Guyana, and Singapore.

Donovan retired from Exxon Mobil on October 31, 2020, after a nine-month loan assignment to the Permian Strategic Partnership. In 2021, Paul received CoreNet Houston’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He remains active in CoreNet. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northeastern University and is a retired Certified Public Accountant.

CHRIS G. HINES Director, rand* construction company

Chris Hines is a native Houstonian and a proud graduate of the University of Houston in 1989. The Hines family is definitely a cougar family, with Chris’ father graduating in the 40s, his brother graduating in 1974, and his son graduating in construction science last year.

Chris has been in the commercial construction industry for 36 years, specializing in high-end corporate interiors projects as well as new construction and data centers. Chris was CEO and managing partner for Trademark Construction in Houston for 29 years and was acquired by HITT Contracting in 2016. Chris remained on board at the newly integrated firms for six and a half years and opened new offices in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas.

Since then, Chris has been working for Rand Construction and launched a new office for the company in Houston two years ago. He is most proud of how he worked his way through the field for a few years, learning to be a builder. This experience has served him well with this background.

Chris has two children, 21 and 25 years old, and looking forward to grandkids soon.

ANGELA HODSON

Chief Philanthropy Officer, YMCA of Greater Houston

Angela Hodson joined the YMCA of Greater Houston in May 2021 as the Chief Philanthropy Officer, bringing 28 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has a unique and diverse perspective, having served as a consultant with Dini Spheris for organizations of all sizes through capital campaigns and strategic planning for almost a decade. Providing a path for these organizations to create sustainable fundraising and reach their fullest potential is Hodson’s passion and drive.

roles have given her the knowledge and capability to lead teams and individuals to realize their greatest strengths and maximize their success.

In her role as the YMCA’s Chief Philanthropy Officer, Angela provides strategic leadership to advance sustainable and innovative development programs that further the YMCA of Greater Houston’s mission.

Hodson has a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University, where she played on the women’s golf team. She has two daughters and enjoys hiking, playing golf, and exploring national parks.

ANDREA DOWNS President, DEBNER

Hodson honed her leadership skills while serving as President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, where she transitioned the organization from its previous leader of fifty years to a renewed approach and focus on impact, updated processes, and quality programs.

Prior to this, Hodson served as Vice President of Baylor College of Medicine where foremost among her accomplishments was successfully managing their $1 billion capital campaign for five years. These

As the president of DEBNER, a commercial furniture and services company, Andrea Downs is a vision-driven leader with the ability to motivate talent and build exceptional sales organizations, drawing upon years of consultative sales experience, strategic problem-solving, and entrepreneurial experience. She is privileged to work in a creative industry blending her passion for design with business strategy and execution.

Prior to joining DEBNER, Downs was the Knoll Regional Director for the third largest region in Knoll’s portfolio. During her 19 years at Knoll, she held multiple executive positions, including Market Development Manager and Divisional Vice President of KnollTextiles. Downs enjoyed creating strategy and revenue growth for a global luxury brand. She understands how our environment can

positively benefit our wellness and work outcomes for individuals, teams and organizations.

Born and raised in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, Downs graduated from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a minor in Political Science. She has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, and more recently in Chicago, Illinois, for ten years before moving to Houston in 2012 . Downs currently serves as the treasurer of the Board of Fresh Arts Houston and as a fundraising member of the Steer Auction Committee of The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Downs has one son who is a freshman at the University of Arkansas and another son who is a senior at St. Thomas High School. When not spending time with her sons, she enjoys spending time with friends, knitting, running, and traveling.

JOHN E. WALSH, JR .

Retired Professional and Non-profit Volunteer

John E. Walsh, Jr. is a Houstonian with a professional career in real estate development, public service, institutional development, and leadership roles in a wide range of community-oriented civic and cultural programs.

Walsh is an active volunteer with Executive Service Corps Houston with a focus on assistance to nonprofit organizations in the areas of market research, finance, outreach, business planning, real estate acquisition, planning, and development.

Walsh has served as Director of the Graduate Real Estate Program at the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business. He served as Director of Real Estate and Campus Planning for the University of Houston System, where projects included the development of the UH Energy Research Park. Walsh has been extensively involved in leadership roles with Exxon’s real estate subsidiary – Friendswood Development Company, the Urban Land Institute, and the Greater Houston Partnership. In 2003, he joined Mayor Bill White’s staff as Deputy Chief of Staff for Neighborhoods and Housing.

Throughout his career, Walsh has been recognized with the following awards: NASA’s Public Service medal, the Anti-Defamation League’s Torch of Liberty Award, the National Jewish Committee’s Institute of Human Relations Award, the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year Award, and three University of Houston awards (the President’s Service Award, the Center for Public Policy Vision Award and the College of Social Sciences Volunteer of the Year Award). Walsh is an active participant in various community organizations, including the Hermann Park Conservancy, Avenue CDC, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, and the Fifth Ward Redevelopment.

RETURNING MEMBERS:

DEAN STROMBOM

(M.ARCH. '80) - CHAIR

Retired, Former Principal and Strategy Leader, Gensler

MARILYN ARCHER, FIIDA, ASID, LEED AP

Principal and Founder, archer + eby design

Retired Professional Services Firm Practice

Area Leader and Principal, Gensler

MICHELLE ATKINSON

Managing Director and Principal, IA Interior Architects – Houston Office

ARTURO “ART”

CHAVEZ, AIA, LEED AP (B.ARCH. '90)

Senior Principal, Page

THOMAS E. “CHIP” CLARKE

President | Western U.S., Transwestern

ROBERT DEL’VE, AIA

Former Managing Director of Project Management, CBRE - Houston Office

MICHAEL DESGUIN, AIA

Senior Vice President of Conceptual Construction, Hines

STEPHEN DRIVER

Senior Vice President/ Partner, Harvey Builders

BENITO GUERRIER

(M.ARCH. '91)

Executive Vice President, Kirksey Architecture

CHRIS KIRCH, LEED AP

BD&C

President, Kitchell Contractors, Inc.

LAURI GOODMAN

LAMPSON (BFA ‘88)

President & CEO, PDR

GARY LONGBOTHAM (BFA '73)

Principal, J. Tyler Office Furniture & Services

KEITH PROBYN

Former Vice President Real Estate Americas, Shell US, Inc.

JOE WEBB, AIA (B.ARCH. '71)

Founder and Principal, Webb Architects

Research

Hines College faculty significantly increased research funding throughout the 2024 fiscal year, submitting proposals totaling $6,013,228 and receiving $1,623,405 in grant funding.

• The Reclaimed Lands of Colonial Bombay

Graham Foundation - $5,000

Deepa Ramaswamy

• Vulnerable to Vibrant: Strategies to Achieve Climate Resiliency in an Environmental

Justice Community

Houston Health Department / EPA Program$100,000

Dalia Munenzon and Bruce Race

• Generative AIA in Early Design Education

UH Teaching Innovation Program - $19,200

Andrew Kudless

• Bridging the University-Industry Gap for Recovery and Growth in Puerto Rico

University of Puerto Rico Piedras Campus - $50,000

Jeff Feng

• Robins Landing Resilience Hub Programming

Houston Habitat for Humanity - $7,900

Bruce Race

• Collective Comfort: Framing the Cooling Center as a Resiliency and Educational Hub for Communities in Desert Cities

AIA Upjohn Research Initiative - $30,000

Dalia Munenzon

• OpenHOUse: A Thermodynamic Living System

Gateway Decathlon 2025 - $100,000

Jason Logan

• Surface and Depth

UH Small Grants Program - $10,000

Dietmar Froehlich

• 16 Houses: Designing the Public’s Private House – 25 Year Later

UH Small Grants Program - $10,000

Gail Peter Borden

• Feeling Yugoslavia: Multicultural Expressions of Architecture, Urbanism, and Identity

UH New Faculty Award - $9,370

Dijana Handanovic

• Methodologies for Refining the Use of Architectural Design Intentions

UH Small Grants Program - $9,908

Tom Diehl

• Cartographying Undervalued Materials in Texas

UH Small Grants Program - $9,954

Ophelia Mantz

• UX Design for Emerging Technology

UH Small Grants Program - $10,000

Min Kang

• Indoor to Outdoor: Investigating SemiOutdoor Spaces for Thermal Comfort, Cognition, and Mood

UH Small Grants Program - $9,998

Mili Kyropoulou

• Community Infrastructure and Power-building Investment

Verizon - $150,000

Susan Rogers

• Harris County Climate Justice: Phase III

CEER: A Program of Healthy Gulf Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience - $37,500

Susan Rogers

• Master Gardener Discover Classroom

American Institute of Steel Construction - $15,000

Patrick Peters

• Adaptive Ecofutures:

Shaping the Gulf Coast of Tomorrow

National Academies Gulf Research Program - $748,848

Dalia Munenzon and Matthew Johnson

• Myostep: A Soft Powered Exoskeleton for Diagnostic, Assistance and Rehabilitation of Gait in Pediatric Populations

NIH Blueprint Medtech Incubator - $290,727

Pepe Contreras-Vidal, Jeff Feng, and Elham

Morshedzadeh

News and Stories

UH SYMPOSIUM ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

In February 2024, Hines College professors Jeff Feng, Elham Morshedzadeh, and Susan Rogers took part in the Symposium on Community Engagement and Experiential Learning at UH, hosted by the Cougar Initiative to Engage, Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement, and the Office of Government and Community Relations. Feng and Morshedzadeh spoke about their work and collaboration with the Harris Health System in a presentation called Adaptive Design Experimentation for Underserved Community. As the director of the Community Resource Design Center, Rogers moderated a panel called Conversations: More than Research, More than a Program, More than Engagement

GOOD BUSINESS AND BEYOND ZERO SYMPOSIUM WITH HOUSTON INDUSTRY LEADERS

In April 2024, government officials, industry executives, academic leaders, and students gathered at Amergy Bank Tower for Good Business and Beyond Zero – a symposium exploring the past, present, and future of commercializing beyond net zero. The event included a showing of the documentary Beyond Zero by Nathan Havey and discussions by Houston’s top business leaders. Beyond Zero documents the rise of Interface, a global commercial flooring manufacturer and largest supplier of carpet squares (or modular carpet), and the company’s path towards reducing its carbon footprint, achieving net zero, and continuing efforts to move beyond zero. Hines College Dean Patricia Belton Oliver, FAIA, moderated a discussion between industry leaders during the event.

CONNECTING BEYOND THE BORDER WITH THE MX-TX STUDIO: QUERÉTARO

The Hines College’s MX-TX Studio: Querétaro is part of the College’s efforts to take advantage of Houston’s proximity to Mexico’s considerable architectural treasures and unique opportunities for learning and collaborating. In May 2024, as part of its ongoing collaboration, the College invited four of Querétaro’s most celebrated architecture firms to present their work to students, faculty, staff, and the Houston community.

GRADUATING TO NEW TRADITIONS

This spring, the Hines College ushered in a new era for its annual commencement, moving the College’s graduation ceremony from the architecture building atrium to the University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hall. With the increasing number of graduates and, subsequently, more guests, the move came as the University of Houston and Hines College sought to celebrate graduation festivities in a safer and more accessible environment. Following commencement, 723 guests continued the festivities at a graduation reception hosted in the architecture building, giving graduates and their families and friends the opportunity to continue the celebration and view student work on display throughout the building.

DESIGNING FOR A STUDENT LOUNGE

Hines College students have long desired a student lounge in the architecture building. With growing student populations and limited space, it has been difficult for the College to pinpoint a devoted area within the building. Outside of studios and classrooms, much of the building’s remaining spaces needed to remain flexible to accommodate various activities. This year, a space was identified on the second floor, and associate professor Marta Rodriguez’s interior architecture studio took on the challenge of creating several design opportunities for this space. Students worked in groups and documented their process and design concepts in zines, viewable at www.habitablefurniture.studio.

HURRICANE BERYL CAUSES DAMAGE TO ARCHITECTURE BUILDING

In July 2024, Hurricane Beryl hit the Houston area, causing widespread damage and power outages. The Hines College’s architecture building sustained significant damage to the east side of the building. High winds tore off the building’s roof, leading to water infiltration and damage through the second, third, and fourth floors. Once the storm had passed, remediation crews immediately began work on the building. As Hines College begins a new academic year, it is coordinating an alternate plan for studio academic instruction given the limited areas of studio space available throughout the building.

DIMENSION MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS COLLEGE NEWS

Check out the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 issues of our award-winning magazine and stay updated on Hines College news and events!

College Updates: News and Stories

Media Mentions

• The Architect’s Newspaper (National): OJB is set to reimagine the University of Houston’s historic campus for its centennial in 2027

• Dezeen (International): IDSA Presents 10 Awardwinning Student Industrial Design Projects

• Architect Magazine (National): Next Progressives: UltaBarrio

• Insight (National): A Q&A with Interaction Designer Elham Morshedzadeh

• Yanko Design (International): Futuristic Excellence: Red Dot Awards ‘Best of Best’ to Design Concepts that Transform Humanity

• KoozArch (International): Meso-Cosmic Order: Experimental Infrastructures for a Changing Climate

• Interesting Engineering (National): This Awardwinning 3D Printable Prosthetic is Open Access

• Tech Times (National): 3 D Printable Finer Prosthesis ‘Lunet’: A Game-changer for Accessible Tech

• New Atlas (National): Inexpensive Studentdesigned Prosthesis Replaces Amputees’ Missing Fingers

• Health Tech World (International):

3D Printable Prostheses Could Restore Amputees’ Finger Mobility

• 3DPrinting.com (National):

3D Printed Finger Prosthesis Offers Low-Cost Mobility Solution for Amputees

• Pioneer Newz (National): Inexpensive Studentdesigned Prosthesis Replaces Amputees’ Missing Fingers

• KHOU 11 (Local): The Challenge Was to Re-imagine the Astrodome

• Houston Chronicle (Local): Architecture Contest Reimagines Future of Houston Astrodome

• Chron.com (Local): Design Team Imagines a Second Act for Houston's Astrodome

• The Architect’s Newspaper (National): A Design Competition From ASHRAE Reimagines a More Eco-friendly Houston Astrodome

• St. Louis Business Journal (Local): Planned Construction Innovation District Gateway South to Host International Housing Design Contest

• Houston Chronicle (Local): Let it go? Never! New Astrodome Ideas Give Us Hope. (Editorial)

• Innovation Map (National): Groundbreaking Prosthesis Device Designed at UH Earns International ‘Luminary’ Award

• India Education Diary (International): Visioning A New Astrodome: Hines College-Led Team Triumphs in National Competition for Building Performance

• India Education Diary (International): UH Architecture and Engineering Team’s Thermodynamic House Set to Compete in Housing Event

• Texas Architect (Regional): X Marks the Spot

• Popular Mechanics (National): Your Morbid Fascination with Empty ‘Liminal Spaces,’ Explained

• The Architect’s Newspaper (National): Eugene Aubry, an Architect of Late Modernism in Texas and Beyond, Dies at 88

• The Rice Thresher (Local): School of Architecture Graduate Named President of AIA Houston

• The Architect’s Newspaper (National): Introducing AN’s 2024 Best of Practice Jury

• Today’s Medical Developments (National): 3D Printable Prostheses to Restore Amputees’ Finger Mobility

• Publishing Perspectives (International): Architect Herng Tzou on MVRDV’s Hit Pavilion at Taipei

• Estetica Magazine (International): Hair Salon: Black Hair and Architecture

• Archinect (National): 2024 Summer Architecture Programs for Kids and High School Students

• ABC 13 (Local): How will Houston's growing population fare with public transit? New METRO Board to Address Problem

• Modern Steel Construction (National): AISC Presents Inaugural Design-Build Grants to Three Universities

• News Channel 5 (Local): LA-Vegas Highspeed Rail Paves the Way for Ambitious Transportation Projects

• The Architect’s Newspaper (National): Announcing the Judges for AN’s 2024 Best of Products Awards

• Houston Chronicle (Local): Design Plans for Santa Fe School Shooting Memorial Released Saturday During Foundation Event

• JCHS of Harvard University (Local): 19 Harvard Students Receive Research Funding and Summer Internships

• Texas Architect Magazine (Regional): Manual Transmission

• Vogue Adria (International): The Legendary Kiosk K67 that Travels the World is More Than a Memory

• Community Impact (Local): METRO ridership rising, still lower than prepandemic

• The Architect’s Newspaper (National): ‘The Voices of People. The Stories of Place. The Politics of Power’ at the Architecture Center Houston Redefines Community Engagement

• Parametric Architecture (International): Architectural Approach and 6 Iconic Works of Philip Johnson

• The Baytown Sun (Local): GCCISD Planning and Construction Director Receives Multiple Awards

• Houston Landing (Local): To Bury or Not to Bury: How can CenterPoint best prepare power lines for major storms?

• Archinect (National): 'Big, Hot, and Sticky' Features a Timely Look at Houston's Response to the Climate Emergency

PHOTO BY SEAN FLEMING

Architecture

DALIA MUNENZON AWARDED AIA NATIONAL UPJOHN GRANT

AIA National endowed Hines College assistant professor of urban design, sustainable communities, and infrastructure Dalia Munenzon and UC Berkeley assistant professor Elizabeth Galvez a $25,000 Upjohn Research Grant for their proposal Collective Comfort: Framing the Cooling Center as a Resiliency and Educational Hub for Communities in Desert Cities They proposed a public program reimagining cooling centers as educational resilience hubs in Phoenix. Collective Comfort will develop comprehensive design approaches to support new construction and pave the way for adaptive reuse, fostering a sustainable future for desert cities.

HDSD’S AWARD-WINNING MESOCOSM EXHIBITION

The MESO-COSM Exhibition by HOME-OFFICE opened at the Hines College’s Mashburn Gallery on September 18. MESO-COSM is a multimedia exhibition examining the relationship between architecture and large-scale ecosystem experiments in the Gulf Coast region, speculating on future forms of urbanization in Houston’s periphery. Hines College instructional assistant professor Daniel Jacobs and his partner Brittany Utting, an assistant professor at Rice, gave a gallery talk detailing their work and research into mesocosms prior to the opening reception, where guests could view architectural experiments and one full-scale prototype. The design and research team included Anna Brancaccio, Nino Chen, Maximilien Chong Lee Shin, Harish Krishnamoorthy, and Jane Van Velden.

The exhibition won a 2024 Architectural Education Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) in the “Faculty Design” category.

MESO-COSM was sponsored by the Hines Scholar as Design/Design as Scholar (HdSd) Program of the Undergraduate Architecture Program at the Hines College of Architecture and Design, University of Houston. The exhibition was also funded by the Diluvial Houston Initiative, an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-supported project, and Rice Architecture.

DALIA MUNENZON OPENS EXHIBITION AT ARCHITECTURE CENTER HOUSTON

Assistant professor Dalia Munenzon collaborated with Maggie Tsang to curate the Big, Hot & Sticky exhibition at Architecture Center Houston this summer. Big, Hot, & Sticky spotlights Houston as a novel urban ecosystem: a constellation of highways, waterways, air-conditioned buildings, remnant prairies, and possums. The exhibition invited seven designers to respond to Houston’s provocation through critical histories, design research, and speculative projects rooted in the city’s urban landscape: How are environments, climates, and cultures co-constructed? What is the future of this notoriously air-conditioned, car-centered, energy capital? What does it look like to thrive in a city that is Big, Hot & Sticky?

DEEPA RAMASWAMY JOINS ACSA ACADEMY FOR PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE ACTION

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture’s Research + Scholarship committee has chosen Hines College, professor of history, theory, and criticism of architecture, Deepa Ramaswamy, as a member of the 2024 Cohort for the Academy for Public Scholarship on the Built Environment: Climate Action. Ramaswamy joins eleven other architecture faculty whose research intersects with climate action or climate justice and is intended to help them impact conversations affecting everyone. They will participate in The OpEd Project’s virtual Write to Change the World workshops, connecting participants with diverse identities, voices, and ideas. Cohort members will also join a series of climate training modules led by the USC, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, focusing on storytelling, media, terminology, and more.

MILI KYROPOULOU APPOINTED TO BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

EDUCATOR’S SOCIETY BOARD

In December, assistant professor and director of the BASE Lab Mili Kyropoulou was appointed as a board member of the Building Technology Educator's Society (BTES). BTES is a non-profit organization of architectural educators, passionate about teaching the technology of building design and construction. The mission of the BTES is to promote and publish the best pedagogic practices, relevant research, scholarship, and other creative activities facilitating student learning, advancing innovation, and enhancing the status of the profession at large.

ARCHITECTURE STUDENT TESSNIM MOHAMMED

PRESENTS AT UH

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY

In April 2024, Hines College students presented their work at the UH Undergraduate Research Day hosted by the Honors College and Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards. Architecture student Tessnim Mohammed, who is also working towards a minor in energy and sustainability, presented Harmonizing History and Modernity: The Impact of Sustainable Architecture on the Environment and Building Performance. Working with faculty mentor Ross Wienert, Tessnim’s research focused on the effects of time and technology on architecture and how it can positively or negatively impact the environment. Her research also included firms that have LEED and BREEAM accreditation, analyzing their utilization of sustainable materials and energy.

ARCHITECTURE

FACULTY WIN

TXA DESIGN AWARDS

The Texas Society of Architects awarded adjunct faculty members Jesse Hager, AIA, Katie LaRose, and alumna Otilia Gonzalez (B.Arch. ' 19) of CONTENT Architecture a 2024 Design Award for the Sudor Sauna Studio in Houston. They credit their achievement on collaboration with the studio's owner and attention to detail and materials sourced locally and regionally.

Degree Programs: Architecture

PHOTO BY CESAR BEJAR

JOE COLACO HONORED AS AIAH EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

Professor Joe Colaco received the AIA Houston 2023 Educator of the Year Award. For the last 53 years, Colaco has prepared students to pursue careers in architecture and engineering, hoping to pass along technical knowledge and skills to budding architects.

TXA NAMES RAFAEL LONGORIA AS RECIPIENT OF EDUCATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS AWARD

The Texas Society of Architects’ 2024 Honor Awards named professor Rafael Longoria as the recipient of the Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions in Honor of Edward J. Romieniec, FAIA. Professor Longoria has taught at UH for 36 years, centering on sustainable design with a focus on Latin America. An Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor and serving as its former president in 2004, he has collaborated and taught internationally while emphasizing academic service and community outreach.

SHAFIK RIFAAT RETIRED AFTER 50 YEARS

In December, faculty, staff, and alumni raised a glass to the extraordinary career of Hines College professor Shafik Rifaat, toasting to the retiring professor who began the College’s masters program and had been teaching for 50 years.

Industrial Design

LUNET AWARDED RED DOT LUMINARY AWARD

Hines College alumnus David Edquilang (‘22) won the prestigious 2023 Red Dot Luminary Award, an international competition celebrating the best of design, for Lunet. This honor is the highest level of recognition awarded by the Red Dot Award: Design Concept, chosen from its “Best of the Best” winners. Lunet is a low-cost, 3D printable prosthesis designed to provide finger amputees with an accessible way to restore functionality of their amputated fingers. Edquilang and his mentor, Hines College co-director of industrial design Jeff Feng, celebrated the accomplishment at the awards ceremony in Singapore. The project was also recognized as an IDEA 2023 Finalist, National Runner-Up for the James Dyson Award, and winner of the 2023 DNA Paris Design Awards.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN PROGRAM CELEBRATED 20 TH ANNIVERSARY

On November 17, 2023, the Hines College’s industrial design program celebrated 20 years with a day of learning, networking, and events bringing together students, alumni, faculty, industry partners, and friends. Established in 2003 as the only ID program in Texas and the surrounding fourstate region, the program has grown and risen to international acclaim from the design community. Founding director EunSook Kwon returned for the celebration and delivered remarks alongside dean Patricia Belton Oliver and ID co-directors Jeff Feng and Mark Kimbrough. The directors credited the program’s success to their creative and hardworking students, the faculty that nurtured their talent and mentored them, and the support from alumni.

ID STUDENT DILLON NARCISSE RECEIVES RECOGNITION FROM INSPIRED HOMES SHOW

The 2024 Inspired Home Show’s Global Innovation Awards Excellence in Student Design awarded ID student Dillon Narcisse and honorable mention honorable mention in February 2024 . A secondyear graduate student, Narcisse designed the Revera - Hairwashing System to help people with mobility issues. The project was in response to addressing a gap in the market and listening to someone he knew express her frustrations. For the project, Narcisse worked with associate professor George Chow who provided hands-on feedback and emphasized the importance of the users’ needs in each design iteration.

ID STUDENTS WIN FIT SPORT DESIGN AWARDS

For the second year in a row, the industrial design students have earned recognition for the FIT Sport Design Awards for the second year in a row. Maha Alsagheer (B.S. ’24) won in the “Sport Equipment / Mountaineering, Climbing, Hiking” category for Klime and second-year student Mary Leath’s Tarsus Chalk Bag won in the same category. Toluwalase Adedipe (B.S. ’23) won for Flyte in the “Sportswear Design / Footwear” category.

VALENTE ZAMBRANO WINS BIENENSTOCK FURNITURE COMPETITION FOR STUDENT DESIGN

ID student Valente Zambrano won first place in the annual Bienenstock Furniture Library Furniture Design

Competition for his design of Lunda. The chair serves as a place for relaxation and meditation on its own. Throughout the fabrication process, he focused on construction and detail, intentionally building the chair to function as a model for his studio project and as practical furniture. Through this experience, he learned to turn an assignment into a passion for furniture design.

SRIVATS SRINIVASAN’S CHAIR

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTED BY INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF FURNITURE DESIGNERS

ID student Srivats Srinivasan won the 2024 Innovation + Design Award from the International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) for Chrono: The Timeless Chair. Named for its form evoking continuity and endurance, the design was inpsired by the concept of the perpetual flow of time while embodying minimal beauty and timeless design. Blending traditional craftsmanship and modern engineering, the chair integrates a C-channel skeleton beneath the seat to enhance structural integrity and weight capacity of the chair. Grooves in the wooden seat allow the metal form to slot in seamlessly, exemplifying how functionality can drive aesthetic design decisions.

Degree Programs: Industrial Design

ADRON BLOUNT AND ZAC ROBINSON ADVANCE IN SIT FURNITURE AWARDS

ID students Adron Blount and Zach Robison received recognition from the annual SIT Furniture Design Awards! Adron won for La Fleur in the “Bar Stool” category, and Zach won for Versa in the “Other Chairs” category. The SIT Furniture Awards is an international competition honoring professional and emerging designers chosen by a panel of designers, artists, and business owners from around the globe.

INAUGURAL ID SUMMER PROGRAM A SUCCESS

This summer, the Hines College’s industrial design launched its first summer experience program, the Idea Factory, geared toward exposing high school students to the possibilities of industrial design. The week-long program concluded its session with a presentation of the students’ chair projects. Each student was tasked with designing a chair out of two pieces of cardboard to support their weight without the use of glue or other adhesives. Throughout the program, students learned were challenged to think creatively, sketch their ideas, and build models, resulting in innovative chair designs.

The Idea Factory introduces high school students to product design through fun, hands-on projects that emphasize form and function, creativity, materials, and fabrication methods. Students worked directly with award-winning UH faculty members Mark Kimbrough (co-director of the ID program) and Adam Wells (associate instructional professor).

KHANH VU CLAIMS INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD FOR ID PROGRAM

Khanh Vu (B.S. I.D. ‘24) won a DNA Paris Design Award in the Product Design/Vehicle, Transport & Accessories category for his senior thesis project Legacy. It represents the evolution of electric motorcycles, blending cyber aesthetics with sleek design to appeal to the new generation of riders.

This innovative motorcycle incorporates advanced technologies to improve safety and nighttime visibility. In an era where motorcyclists frequently face dangers due to their low visibility, Legacy steps forward with a solution—integrated LED and projected laser lights that enhance detection and facilitate better communication between riders and drivers.

Vu’s project was also selected as finalist for the Spark Awards International Design Competition.

Interior Architecture

THE HAIR SALON EXHIBITED WITH NEW APPROACH

In December 2023, Hines College director of interior architecture Sheryl Tucker de Vazquez brought a new edition of The Hair Salon to the “Catch These Compliments” micro-festival hosted by Houston chapter of the National Association of Minority Architects (NOMA). The Hair Salon was first exhibited at the Hines College in February 2023, funded by a grant from the Graham Foundation. The Hair Salon 2 0–Zina Garrison Academy (ZGA) edition melded issues of identity and sustainability with natural Black hairstyles informing the design of four shading/ ventilation chimneys for passive cooling of the tunnels and lightwells connecting ZGA’s proposed four enclosed tennis courts. Renders describe the programmed lightwells sheltered by a shading/ ventilation chimney including a reading room, children’s play area, senior citizen recreation space, and a community garden.

Informed by hair artist Shani Crowe’s Shakere Braids, the large-scale woven model is an abstraction of the ventilation chimney sheltering a suspended reading chamber. The proposed ZGA campus is conceived as a holistic resilience-building, urban, and ecological system with sustainable, recreational, cultural, and agricultural components that operate synergistically to promote the mission of ZGA to help children develop into healthy, productive citizens through the discipline of the tennis game. Tucker de Vazquez collaborated with alumna Maisie Munoz (B.Arch '22) on this second iteration of The Hair Salon

K67 KIOSK TRAVELS THROUGH EUROPE

Interior architecture assistant professor Dijana Handanovic’s (M.Arch. ‘15) work on restoring a Kiosk K67 was featured in Vogue Adria this summer. Since exhibiting her research and installing a kiosk at the University of Houston in January 2023, she has collaborated with FAWW Gallery and restored other kiosks that have traveled around Europe with more plans for exhibitions in the US. The kiosk, originally designed by Saša Mächtig in 1966, is a cultural symbol of former Yugoslavia.

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR JAMES THOMAS RETIRES

This spring, the Hines College and AIA Houston hosted a celebration honoring interior architecture pioneer and adjunct professor James Thomas. With a professional career spanning over three decades shaping architecture and interiors in Houston, Thomas retired at 62. He was then recruited to teach at UH, where he would continue for 28 years.

Family, friends, colleagues, and students gathered to congratulate him on retirement with a roast, a nod to his sense of humor and good nature, and to reflect on his commitment to the profession.

STUDENTS CONTINUE WINNING SPREE AT AIA FORT WORTH DESIGN AWARDS

On a winning streak since 2020, Hines College students saw success at the AIA Fort Worth Excellence in Architecture Student Design Awards again. Michelle A. Ovanessians (B.Arch. ’23), Ileana Luna (B.S. ’24), and Vivian Nguyen (B.S. ’24) earned merit awards for their outstanding projects. From informing the public about the Armenian genocide to reimagining communities in Sarajevo, their projects help connect architecture to history and bridges cultures.

Design/Build

AISC AWARDS GRANT FOR GRADUATE DESIGN BUILD STUDIO

The American Institute of Steel Construction awarded a Design-Build Grant to the Hines College through efforts of designLAB and the Graduate Design Build Studio. The grant supports the Dr. William McCray Johnson Discovery Classroom at Galveston County’s Carbide Park in La Marque, Texas. It will serve the Galveston County Master Gardener Association and be located in the Discovery Garden. The classroom will enhance the association’s education mission and food pantry outreach. This project is led by professor Patrick Peters’ studio, incorporating the use of structural steel. Previously, the students in the design/build studio have worked on many other spaces for the Houston community, including Frank Black Middle School and the Alief SPARK Park and Nature Center.

INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS STUDENT TO WORK WITH 3D CONCRETE METHODS

BUILD+

The College is making progress in establishing BUILD+, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This new initiative will significantly enhance the

Hines College students collaborated directly with PERI 3 D Construction this spring to do material testing and test prints with a concrete printer. Their visit to the company’s facilities is a result of the led by Keeland Lab manager Joaquín Tobar Martínez. The students met with and D staff about techniques and the equipment. Students worked in several teams to work on design, logistics, and documentation, first experimenting with hand pouring concrete through nozzles at the Keeland Lab to help refine their ideas

UH GATEWAY DECATHLON COMPETITION

Gateway Decathlon selected the University of Houston, along with 11 other international teams, to take part in a two-year competition to design and build innovative housing units. The contest culminates in a three-week public event in St. Louis in October 2025 to showcase uniquely designed and built, fullyoperational, dwelling units that embody innovation and sustainability. The UH team includes a number of Hines College faculty and staff: Jason Logan, Mili Kyropoulou, Andrew Kudless, Matt Johnson, and Joaquin Tobar Martinez. The team of architects and designers is also working alongside Driss Bendhaddou from the UH Cullen College of Engineering

As a selected participant, the UH team received $100,000 in seed money and is also working with

industry partners to bring their concept to life. We look forward to sharing more news and updates as the team’s work becomes a reality.

The team’s proposal, OpenHOUse, is simultaneously open and contained, inside and outside, collective and private, fostering expanded notions of family with greater connections to our environment. The project focuses on the urgent need to reduce embodied and operational carbon by reimagining the contemporary home’s homogeneous conditioning, conventional programmatic organization, and traditional structure. Rather than the typical hierarchical configurations of many homes, the project uses thermal gradients and degrees of interiority to organize its spaces from the inside out.

Special Programs: Design/Build

Materials Research Collaborative

UNDERVALUED MATERIALS IN TEXAS

After receiving a grant from the University, the MRC, with the assistance of three interior architecture students, is working on cataloging and mapping undervalued materials in Texas, such as orange leather, pine needles, algae, agricultural waste, and domestic waste. The main objective of this research is to provide public access to information on innovative materials bio-sourced in Texas.

BUILDING AN ETHOS

The MRC aspires to be a platform for building a new ethos on materials through educational tools. During the year, the MRC library hosted various studio courses, spreading more ecological practices in the choice of materials while developing the architectural strategy. In Chile, director Ophelia Mantz published about a material pedagogy. She also presented some of the MRC’s educational tools during the Fourteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment in Vienna, Austria, in April 2024.

Center for Sustainability and Resilience

$1 MILLION EPA GRANT SUPPORTING WORK WITH CITY OF HOUSTON COLLABORATION

Professor Bruce Race, Ph.D., joined by assistant professors Mili Kyropoulou and Dalia Munenzon, is partnering with the City of Houston to help address resiliency and stormwater and heat island mitigation in the Fifth Ward. A $1 million grant from the EPA is funding fund their work with the community of Kashmere Gardens.

HINES COLLEGE TEAM HONORED WITH DISTINGUISHED DESIGN URBAN PLANNING AWARD

This summer, Team Jelly Fish, a group of Hines College students, won a Distinguished Design Urban Planning Award from Energy Mentors! Energy Mentors is a non-profit founded to provide students with mentorship in the field. Team Jelly Fish consisted of Yen Co, Yulisa Tran, Lucia Poggioli, Jailyn Benavides, Leslie Alamirra, and Lauren Smith who were in the Quad Zero studio at the College. Their project in the studio was to develop a net zero neighborhood in Houston’s Near Northside Community.

“Our research and site analysis provided valuable insights into the community’s needs, guiding our design process. It was essential for us to

keep the focus on the intended beneficiaries as we explored sustainable and resilient strategies to promote growth opportunities within the neighborhood,” the group shared in a statement. The masterplan focused on waste management, water conservation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency.

By focusing on these areas, the group hoped to propose ways for the community to be less reliant on the oil and gas industries in the area. While creating opportunities for socio-economic growth, they also explored the potential for using algae biofuel as a key element.

Health Design Lab

LAB DEVELOPMENT AND WEBSITE

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Health Design Lab’s space and equipment were set up in its dedicated space on the fourth floor of the architecture building. The Lab serves as a dynamic hub where the next generation of designers and engineers converge to advance healthcare design. It cultivates an ethos of participatory design and collaborative research and encourages diverse perspectives to tackle complex healthcare challenges. The Lab’s new website allows online users to search various projects and resources.

MICHU

This project, initiated collaboratively with a nursing group at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) investigates the increasing mental stress of healthcare providers. Under approved IRBs from both institutions, the phase one data collection and study have been completed. Michu explores a novel approach to alleviating workplace stress among nurses through multisensory design based on data from a rehabilitation center’s nursing unit at TIRR Memorial Hermann.

OPTIMIZING PEDIATRIC TELEMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS

This project, in collaboration with Virginia Tech University and Northeastern University, provides insights into cart utilization and training enhancement strategies. Currently, the team is working on a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to continue the next phase. Supported by the Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the NIH, the project prioritizes user-centered methodologies and community engagement in the design of telemedicine solutions, aiming to redefine the delivery of medical services. This initiative, particularly salient during the pandemic, underscores the importance of tele-healthcare and the significance of engaging end-users and communities in the design process. By integrating insights from stakeholders and leveraging augmented reality (AR) technologies, this usercentered project exemplifies a holistic approach to enhancing telemedicine practices.

SYNTEC

The Syntec system explores a novel method of brain health monitoring and assessment by integrating vision testing and eye tracking with EEG scans. The preliminary functional concept was developed through multiple versions. With IRB approval, two rounds of testing have been conducted to collect data. Initial data analysis shows positive outcomes in terms of correlational patterns among EEG graphing and vision testing domains. Syntec is in the process of applying for external funding application.

MYOSTEP

The Lab focused on developing a collaborative network through healthcare-centric initiatives, including expanding its partnership with the National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (NSF IUCRC) and the BRAIN Center. It is currently working on a project to develop a new soft robotic suit for therapeutic walking assistance for children. This interdisciplinary effort is gaining strong traction in research funding applications. The project is confirmed for funding three to five years by National Institute of Health (NIH) BLUEPRINT MedTech Award.

CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN WOMEN

Another outstanding collaborative project, in collaboration with the UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Department of Health and Human Performance, is moving forward to evaluate a nonpharmacological intervention alleviating mechanical NSAB pain in full-busted women and investigate nonmechanical (physiological) contributions associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain in women. Based on this study, an NIH grant has been written and is currently under review.

Special Programs: Health Design Lab

Community Design Resource Center

THE VOICES OF PEOPLE. THE STORIES OF PLACE.

THE POLITICS OF POWER. EXHIBITION OPENS

A new exhibition opened at the Architecture Center Houston in February 2024. Curated by Susan Rogers, Hines College associate professor and director of the Community Resource Design Center, and alumus José Mario López (' 18), The Voices of People. The Stories of Place. The Politics of Power. amplifies and centers the voices and visions of twelve Houston communities and their leaders, through video, stories, maps, and photographs.

"The exhibit asks critical questions—what does it mean to truly look, to see? What does it mean to truly listen, to hear? These questions need time and space, deliberateness," the curators said.

"They also require moving at the speed of trust, honoring the rhythm of a new conversation or an unforeseen journey. These are practices embodied by

those who have been part of the Community Design Resource Center over two decades, a commitment to asking important questions, cultivating relationships, exchanging knowledge, and identifying opportunities to uplift our humanity through curiosity," they added. "In a world too often plagued by injustice and individualism, the CDRC and this exhibit champion a world where we are all heard and each and every one of us makes a difference.”

The exhibition will open at the Hines College’s Mashburn Gallery this fall. The exhibit was supported by the Hines College’s Community Design Resource Center team at the University of Houston, including Diana Arias, Natalie Armstrong, Kai Wen Chua, Eric Goldner, Sharon Lott, Davone Morgan, and Regyna Palacios. Architecture Center Houston is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL ACTION PLAN AND TOOLKIT

In July 2024, the CDRC completed the Columbia Tap Trail Action Plan and Toolkit. The plan, in collaboration with the Friends of Columbia Tap, is a vision for parks and open spaces, trails, and community amenities along the length of the trail and was developed through a community-driven design and planning process focused on collaboratively developing projects, priorities, and implementation strategies. The plan supports the distinct histories, cultures, communities, and built environments that occur along the Trail. The project was supported through grants and funding from Civic Heart, the East Downtown Redevelopment Authority, Houston Southeast Management District, and Verizon.

ON TAP

On TAP was a collaboration between architecture and graphic design students at the University of Houston and funded by a $10,000 grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. The project was led by Cheryl Beckett, associate professor at the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts, and Susan Rogers, associate professor and director of the CDRC at the Hines College. The student-designed and fabricated temporary installations were developed in partnership with the Friends of Columbia Tap and their ongoing effort to strengthen the connection between people and place. The projects were exhibited on-site and at MATCH Midtown at the end of the 2024 Spring semester.

Architecture Students: Christian Barrera, Natalie Costello, Kai Wen Chua, Brissa Estrada, Widad Hayali, Sarah Jordan, Joan Ku, Saray Mata, Luis V. Matson, Esther Par, Amber Quinn, Yanci Ramirez, Daniel Sabillon, Andrew Thai

Graphic Design Students: Dylan Burkett, Diana Cao, Catherine Cantu, Alex Crow, Ashley Guzman, Samah Hassan, Julissa Herrera, Tanner Hodgkinson, TJ Jordan, Natalia Marmolejo, Emma Matocha, Rochelle Matus, Hannah McCreary, Cindy Muñoz, Jose Romero, Gerald Sastra, Zoe Schomburg, Caio Penedo Silva, Adam Smith, Yebin Song, Ana Tejeda, Nina Torres

COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL: HOUSING AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE PLAN

The CDRC, in collaboration with the Bullard Center for Environmental Justice, the Friends of Columbia Tap, and other community stakeholders, is developing a Housing and Economic Justice Plan for the areas surrounding Columbia Tap Trail. The project focuses on proactively planning for future affordable housing, preventing additional displacement, and increasing economic opportunity for those who call the neighborhood home. Funding mechanisms, policy tools, and equity metrics for housing and job opportunities are being developed. The project is supported by funding from Verizon.

HARRIS COUNTY CLIMATE JUSTICE FRAMEWORK

The CDRC team has been working in collaboration with Tane Ward, PhD, the Coalition for the Environment, Equity, and Resilience, and Harris County for more than a year to create a Climate Justice Plan. The project began by creating a Climate Justice Framework. This framework is a summary of the visions, values, challenges, actions, and engagement strategies that should guide the Climate Justice planning process moving forward.

The visions describe the desired future conditions and characteristics of the County. The values are

the core principles that should be adopted in the planning process and greater County efforts. The challenges, actions, models, and engagement strategies provide the direction and pathways necessary to achieve the vision and honor community values. The Harris County Climate Justice Framework was generously funded by the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation and Partners for Places–a project of The Funders Network.

Special Programs: Community Design Resource Center

Building Analytics and Sustainable Environment Lab

FOUNDING AND WEBSITE

BASE Lab is a space of exploration where we learn how environments inform the design process and how design affects the environment. The Lab started building its capacity in 2022 with support from a UH Division of Research equipment grant and launched its website in the fall of 2023. A conglomeration of research initiatives promoting performance-based, human-centric thinking for sustainable environmental design at the building and urban scale, BASE Lab aims to challenge traditional design processes by prioritizing sustainability and human well-being while addressing resilience in the era of climate change.

REIMAGINING THE ASTRODOME

BASE Lab joined a group of experts in building modeling who, under the name “The Carbon Lighters,” participated in the 2023 LowDown Showdown Modeling Competition held by the ASHRAE Building Performance Analysis Conference and SimBuild. The result was a collaborative, fully integrated effort to re-imagine the Astrodome in Houston as an energy-positive, mixed-use building open to the community while also serving the neighboring venues. The project won first place, it was published as a poster and presented at the international conference and attracted the attention of regional, national, and international media.

POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATION

In spring 2023 and 2024, BASE Lab launched a student-centered, research-informed PostOccupancy Evaluation (POE) project as part of the Master of Architecture (+3) program. Employing an experiential learning-by-doing approach, the project aimed to maximize student engagement, optimize learning efficiency, enhance understanding of invisible microclimatic properties, and increase awareness of environmental parameters significantly impacting user experience. Re-analyzed collected data supported the publication Thermal Comfort and Indoor Air Quality in Higher Education: A Case Study in Houston, TX, during Mid-season, presented as a poster at the Cisbat 2023 conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, in September 2023

The educational framework was presented in Amps Teaching Beyond the Curriculum 2023, and it was also part of two 2024 pedagogical publications: Bridging the Gap: Sustainable Thinking in Architectural Education, presented at the ACSA 112 th Annual Meeting: Disrupters on the Edge, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Educational Buildings as Educational Tools: A Building Performance Post-Occupancy Evaluation Course in a Subtropical Climate, presented at the PLEA Conference 2024, in Wroclaw, Poland.

HEALTH-PROMOTING URBAN EXTERIORS

BASE Lab leads the project Health-promoting Urban Exteriors, a collaborative research project between UH Main Campus, UH Downtown, and the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany. It investigates the development of a radiation modeling strategy for incorporating vegetation in urban microclimate simulations. We formulated robust modeling workflows that were last published and presented at the eCAADe 2023 conference in Graz, Austria, in September 2023

COMFORT, COGNITION, AND MOOD

BASE Lab leads the project Indoor to Outdoor: Investigating Semi-Outdoor Spaces for Thermal Comfort, Cognition, and Mood, funded by the UH Small Grants Program. A collaboration between the UH departments of architecture and psychology, this project offers added value to the interdisciplinary discourse, seeking to understand thermodynamics and human nature to produce justification tools for designers in semi-outdoor spaces. Starting in March 2024, we employed a multi-disciplinary approach intertwining design with environmental and cognitive psychology to address the design challenges of understudied spaces while responding to contemporary demands. As an extension of this project, BASE Lab supports research assistant Cameron Klassen with his project Thermal Comfort for the Modern Age, funded by the UH Honors College Energy Scholar Award.

VULNERABLE TO VIBRANT

In the fall of 2023, a UH team led by professor Bruce Race received EPA funds for the project Vulnerable to Vibrant: Strategies to Achieve Climate Resiliency in an Environmental Justice Community. BASE Lab will assist primarily with baseline and alternative Urban Heat Island (UHI) analysis in the Greater Fifth Ward/ Kashmere Gardens community of Houston.

Graduation ceremony in the new Centennial Plaza, looking east towards Cullen Family Plaza and the Ezekiel Cullen building.

Career Development

The Hines College’s annual career fair continues to grow and better serve our students as they prepare for their professional careers. 2024 was no different! The 65 companies in attendance advertised 111 job postings, resulting in over 2,500 student applications. Across two days, 275 students participated in the career fair, connecting with companies through meet-and-greet opportunities and interviews.

Throughout the year, leading up to the career fair events, the Hines College and UH Architecture + Design Alumni Association hosted several professional development events, including workshops covering elevator pitches, best portfolio practices, and first impressions. The career fair was hosted on February 22 and 23, with a networking reception the evening before on February 21. Students and employers had an opportunity to engage in meet-and-greet and interview settings throughout the career fair events.

COMPANIES

• AECOM

• Alamo Architects

• Arcadis

• Benjamin-Johnston Design

• Boucher Design Group

• BRAVE/Architecture

• Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects

• Browne McGregor Architects, Inc.

• BRW Architects

• Burns Architecture

• CannonDesign

• Claycomb Associates, Architects

• Collaborate Architects

• Corgan

• Dewberry Architects

• Diamond Development

• DLR Group

• Gensler

• Goree

• GPD Group

• HarrisonKornberg

• HDR, Inc.

• HKS Inc.

• HOK

• House & Robertson Architects

• HTX Made

• Huitt-Zollars Inc

• Jacobs

• Kendall/Heaton Associates

• Kirksey Architecture

• LDD Blueline

• LJA Engineering

• LOMA Architecture

• Lord Aeck Sargent

• Meeks + Partners

• Method Architecture

• Momentum Glass

• Moody Nolan

• Nelsen Partners

• O'Connell Robertson

• Page

• Payette

• PBK

• PDG Architects

• Perkins & Will

• PGAL

• PhiloWilke Partnership

• Project Luong

• Raum Industries

• REES

• Shelpley Bulfinch

• Smith & Company

• SmithGroup

• Stantec

• THR 3E Design

• Timberlyne Group

• Tramonte Design Group

• Tramontina USA, Inc.

• Very Handsome Studio

• VLK Architects

• W Partnership

• Walter P Moore

• Wold Architects & Engineers

Student Organizations

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGE NEW STUDENTS

Hines College’s student organizations play a crucial role in welcoming and acclimating new students. At the start of the 2023 -2024 academic year, student organizations planned and executed another memorable Welcome Day event. This annual, student-led tradition has been held for the past three decades, leaving a lasting impression on both new students and volunteers alike. The College is immensely thankful to our committed student leaders, organizers, and volunteers for their exceptional work in welcoming new students and fostering a sense of community.

HEALTHIER VENDING ARRIVES AT THE HINES COLLEGE

Thanks to the work of the Hines College’s Student Council, the new Farmer’s Fridge vending machine arrived at the College in October. Last year, the initiative began with the Council sending surveys to the College community to bring healthier and fresh food options to students. They collected signatures for a petition and presented it to UH Auxiliary Services, which led to working with the UH Food Advisory Committee. Hines College students, who spend much time on campus, have long desired healthy vending options.

HINES COLLEGE STUDENT COUNCIL GIVES BACK WITH GRAZIEGIVING TRADITION

Last fall, the Hines College Student Council (STUCO) hosted its annual Graziegiving Dinner, an opportunity for the College community to come together to give back and celebrate each other. Students enjoyed tasty food and festivities in room 143 and dined al fresco outside the loading dock. STUCO leaders also gave students updates on the organization’s agenda and announced the winners of the food donation drive.

FWIA HOSTS ANNUAL PORTFOLIO REVIEW MIXER

This spring, leading up to the Hines College’s annual career fair, the student organization Future Women in Architecture (FWIA) hosted its celebrated portfolio review, bringing together alumni and students for professional development and preparation. The yearly event provides students with the opportunity to gain feedback on their portfolios and interact with alumni and employers in advance of spring career fair events.

Faculty

FACULTY HIRING UPDATES

DIRECTOR, INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

Sheryl Tucker de Vazquez

INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GRADUATE

Sam Clovis

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, EMERGING DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES

Christopher Battaglia Presidential Frontier Faculty Position

INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNDERGRADUATE

Jose Roldan Caballero

NEW FACULTY BOOKS

Rafael Beneytez-Duran

La Materialidad del Aire: Ensayos sobre arquitectura y arte

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, HISTORY, THEORY, AND CRITICISM OF ARCHITECTURE

Ruth Lo, Ph.D.

UPCOMING FACULTY SEARCHES (2024-2025)

Assistant Professor, Urban Systems

Assistant/Associate Professor, Industrial Design UX/UI

Andrew Kudless

Drawing Codes: Experimental Protocols of Architectural Representation

NEW STAFF HIRES

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Paula Canada

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Nhu-Thuy Mai

ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN

Jessica Rosa

HINES COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HONORED WITH NATIONAL AWARDS

The Collegiate Advertising Awards and Educational Advertising Awards recognized the Hines College’s marketing, communications, and external relations team for the second year in a row! In the last year, the team – Stephen Schad (executive director of communications), Nicholas Nguyen (director of digital media), and Paula Canada (director of alumni relations) – won multiple awards for the College’s communications initiatives:

• CASE District IV Awards – Best of Circle of Excellence: DIMENSION Magazine (inaugural fall 2022 issue)

• Collegiate Advertising Awards –Silver Award: DIMENSION Magazine (Spring 2023 + Fall 2023 issues)

• Collegiate Advertising Awards –Bronze Award: Industrial Design 20th Anniversary Campaign

• Educational Advertising Awards –Gold Award: DIMENSION Magazine (Spring 2023 + Fall 2023 issues)

• Educational Advertising Awards –Gold Award: Annual Report 2022-2023

• Educational Advertising Awards –Silver Award: Industrial Design 20th Anniversary Campaign

• Educational Advertising Awards –Merit Award: Instagram

• Educational Advertising Awards –Merit Award: “ADAPTATION” Lecture Series Campaign

DEPARTMENT BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR

Jessica Torres

A NEW ERA OF DESIGN

Alumni

2023 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS

DISTINGUISHED

ALUMNI AWARD

Megan McCoy, AIA, NCARB (M.Arch. ’08)

LEADERSHIP

ALUMNI AWARD

David S. Dalton, AIA, NCARB (B.Arch. ’04)

DAY OF SERVICE BRINGS TOGETHER HINES COLLEGE COMMUNITY

SUCCESSFUL

ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

Jason Tramonte, AIA, IIDA, NCARB, LEED AP (B.Arch. ’00)

Shortly after the start of the fall semester, the Hines College community – students, faculty, staff, and alumni – volunteered at the Houston Food Bank for a Day of Service. The College joined other UH groups from the Bauer College of Business, the Young Alumni Association, and more, along with other volunteer groups across the Houston area. Afterwards, the College hosted a welcome back party on the front lawn and atrium with games and food.

INNOVATOR ALUMNI

Andres Pacheco, IAI, LEED AP (M.Arch ’03)

PAUL MOLINA SELECTED FOR FULBRIGHT PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING

YOUNG ALUMNI

David Edquilang (B.S. ’22)

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program selected Paul Molina (B.S. ’19) as a recipient for the 20242025 academic cycle. Combining his studies in interior architecture at UH and scenic design at Carnegie-Mellon University, Molina will administer a study/research creative arts project in Mexico City in the form of an art installation, responding to family displacement caused by AirBnb and digital nomads.

MICHELLE OVANESSIANS RECEIVES PAYETTE SHO-PING CHIN SCHOLARSHIP

Michelle Ovanessians (B.Arch. '23) earned the Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholarship from the Architects Foundation. The $10,000 scholarship supports women studying architecture and includes a one-year mentorship with a senior mentor from Payette. Ovanessians hopes that others like her will embrace innovation and non-conformity and employ architecture in a mission to use expression to represent underrepresented voices.

MICHELLE OVANESSIANS AND BRUNO XAVIER HONORED BY ARCHITIZER VISION AWARDS

Michelle Ovanessians (B.Arch. '23) and Bruno Xavier (B.Arch. '23) were honored with special mentions in the 2023 Architizer Vision Awards. As a team, they earned a special mention in the computer-aided drawing category for Unearthing Nostalgia from their project, A Bosnian Folktale. The project previously earned recognition from AIA Dallas and the 2022 Design Communication Annual Exhibition. In addition to this special mention, Ovanessians also received honors for her project NUKETOWN in the long-form video category. AIA Houston also recognized this project earlier in fall 2023

ARCHITECT’S NEWSPAPER RECOGNIZED AMNA ANSARI AND MARCUS MARTINEZ

Hines College alumni Amna Ansari (B.Arch. ' 03) and Marcus Martinez (B.Arch. ' 04), founders of UltraBarrio, won an Architect's Newspaper's 2023 Best of Design Award. Ansari and Martinez received the award for their Hard Core, Park Core concept in the unbuilt-landscape, urban design, and master plan category. They described the project as a circumstantial center where public and non-profit partners provide health and social services to the community located within Gulfton, the most diverse and dense part of Houston. The project seeks to transform a 'hard core' parking lot into a thermally optimal 'park core' for Southwest Houston, where existing organizations can thrive in supporting the community for a stronger, equitable, and resilient future.

MELVALEAN MCLEMORE BESTOWED WITH AIA YOUNG ARCHITECTS AWARD

Melvalean McLemore (B.Arch. ’09) was chosen by the American Institute of Architects as a recipient of the annual Young Architects Award. The Young Architects Award recognizes AIA members in the early stage of their architectural career who have shown exceptional leadership in design, planning, education, and service to the profession. McLemore is the first Black woman president of AIA Houston, for which she was honored with a proclamation from the City of Houston. In her professional career, she has helped found and shaped many programs and committees committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. In recent years, McLemore has also been honored with the Early Career Professional Achievement in Honor of William W. Caudill, FAIA, from the Texas Society of Architects and the AIA Houston 2023 Ben Brewer Young Architect Award.

THR3E DESIGN ESTABLISHED ENDOWED STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

In October 2023, a cook-off event hosted by THR 3E Design ended with the Hines College receiving a gift of $5,000 toward a newly established $25,000 THR 3E Design Endowed Scholarship.

The new scholarship is aimed at supporting Hines College architecture and design students with an entrepreneurial spirit. The firm also committed to $5,000 in current operating scholarship funds to

provide scholarships to students over the next five years as the endowment is established.

UH alumni Jennifer Higgins (B.Arch. ’07 ) and Barry Leong (B.Arch ’00), alongside Texas Tech alumni Frank Marquez and Ruben DeLaO, serve as the firm’s leadership and believe in the power of education, especially because three of the four principals were first-generation college students.

2023–2024

College Community: Alumni

CITY OF HOUSTON CELEBRATES MARGARET WALLACE BROWN

On February 6, 2024, the City of Houston proclaimed a day in honor of Margaret Wallace Brown’s (B.S. ’83) service to the City and her retirement as the Department of Planning and Development director. A recipient of the UH Architecture + Design Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022, she was also honored with a Patriotic Employer proclamation from the Office of the United States Secretary of Defense and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Organization.

TOLUWALASE ADEDIPE WINS GLOBAL FOOTWEAR AWARD

Industrial design alum Toluwalase Adedipe (B.S. '23) won the Global Footwear Award this year. His design of a basketball shoe, Flyte, was inspired by animals like dragonflies, butterflies, and geckos, garnering a win in the Sports Performance –Basketball/Football/Rugby student category.

DAVID BUCEK PRESENTED PRESERVATION HOUSTON PRESIDENT’S AWARD

David Bucek (B.Arch. ’90) received the 2024 President’s Award from Preservation Houston in honor of his commitment to safeguarding Houston’s historic and influential architectural past. During his second-year architecture history survey class Bucek helped construct a full-scale replica of the Tempietto by Donato Bramante in the architecture building atrium. Since starting his own firm, Stern and Bucek Architects, he’s continued to help renovate and restore significant structures around the city, including the Apollo Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center.

JAVIER GUERRERO AWARDED AIAH ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE YEAR

AIA Houston awarded alumnus Javier E. Guerrero (B.Arch. ‘22) the Associate Member of the Year award. Javier feels honored to have received the award at the start of his career. “Receiving this award validates for me that no matter how far we are in our professional or personal journeys, we can all contribute, advocate, and excel. This award shows that my contributions have added value to my profession and community.”

MAC WHITE PRESENTED WITH PALLADIO AWARD

The Palladio Awards recently recognized Mac White (B.Arch. ’92), partner at Michael G. Imber Architects, an award for his Moosehead Lake Project. The annual awards celebrate outstanding achievement in traditional design. White’s project was one of 19 winners among over 200 entries.

ANDRES PACHECO COLLECTS MULTIPLE AIA NATIONAL AWARDS

Andres A. Pacheco (M.Arch. ‘03) was awarded several national AIA awards this year for his work as a senior associate at VMDO Architects on the George Washington University Thurston Hall project in Washington D.C. Serving as the lead designer for the project, Pacheco and his team won the AIA Architect Award, Housing Award, and COTE Top Ten Award this year. In 2023, he received the 2023 AIA Architect Award for his work on the Lubber Run Community Center in Arlington, VA.

Faculty

LARRY BELL

• Prof. Bell was an invited speaker at the International Korea-US Space Forum: Space Exploration Cooperation sponsored by S. Korea Embassy and Boeing

RAFAEL BENEYTEZ-DURAN

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran, and Prof. Ophelia Mantz, of Z4 A Architects, received a Texas Society of Architects Studio Award for their “Irritable House.” The award also recognizes UH student Enrique Krabe.

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran and Ophelia Mantz were invited to lecture at Texas Technical University El Paso, on “Nature as Construction Material,” October 2023.

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran and Prof. Ophelia Mantz’ project, “Irritable House,” was published in Texas Architect, November issue.

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran’s book, La Materialidad del Aire: Ensayos sobre arquitectura y arte, has been published by Diseño, Spain, December 2023. The book is an exploration of materiality in architecture and art from a theoretical and interdisciplinary perspective.

• Book Chapter, “Air: A Field of Intense Materiality,” was published in Pedagogical Experiments in Architecture for a Changing Climate, Routledge, January 22, 2024

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran and Ophelia Mantz gave a lecture at the University of Colorado, Denver, College of Architecture and Planning, February 29. The lecture was on their professional work in their office Z4Z4 +Z4A.

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran and Ophelia Mantz were invited to lecture at the Universidad Santiago de Chile, on the work of Z4A Architects, online, February 2024

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran was a juror for the Super Jury of Syracuse School of Architecture, May 8, 2024

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran’s article, “The Materiality of Air,” was published in Log 60: The Sixth Sphere, May 8, 2024.

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran is moderating the lecture of Spanish architect Maria Hurtado, principal of Estudio Entresitio, in Queretaro, Mexico, for Casa de Arquitectura May 11, 2024

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran was part of a panel at the New York Center for Architecture, for the book launch of Pedagogical Experiments in Architecture for a Changing Climate, for which he contributed the chapter, “Air: A Field of Intense Materiality, May 13, 2024

• Prof. Beneytez-Duran and Prof. Peter Zweig’s “Airscape #1, Edition #2/6,” a collection of 19 photographic prints in a custom box, was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Hirsch Library, as part of their permanent collection.

Jon Evans, Chief of Libraries and Archives, said, “This publication enhances the library’s rich holdings, enabling us to better fulfill our mission of furthering scholarship, exhibitions, and learning about art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.”

• Board Member: Scientific Committee Board Member of Fundación Alejandro de la Sota for the Culture Spain Government and CSCAE.

GAIL BORDEN

• Prof. Borden received a Small Grants Program grant of $10,000 for his project, “16 Houses: Designing the Public’s Private House – 25 years later.”

• The “Non-Pavilion” drawings, a project for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, with Gail Peter Borden, were accepted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

• City of Refugees: A Search for Utopia, with Zweig, P. (2020), was accepted into the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rare Books collection of the Hirsch Library.

• Gallery Catalog: “Dimensional Iterations,” featuring the complete works of Gail Peter Borden, essay by Matthew Allen.

• Prof. Borden’s book chapter, “Elementals, Components and Tectonics,” in Assembly, Edited by Gail Peter Borden and Michael Meredith, Routledge, 2024

GEORGE CHOW

• Prof. Chow presented his paper, “Crossing a Chasm on Cardboard: A Case Study for Teaching More Sustainably,” at the International Design Conference and Industrial Design Society of America’s Education Symposium, in New York City, August 23-25.

• Prof. Chow received a Provisional Patent for his project, “SutureLab,” a device for vascular surgeons to practice suturing veins together, with Zain Jamjoom.

JOE COLACO

• Prof. Colaco will address the Structural Engineers of Texas (SEAoT) on the topic of the tallest buildings in Houston since he was responsible for the structural engineering on most of the tallest buildings.

• Prof. Colaco was honored with the Educator of the Year Award, by the AIA Houston Chapter. He was acknowledged for his incredible contribution to the City of Houston and for his 34-year career as a professor at the College.

• Prof. Colaco was re-appointed to the Harris County Flood Control Committee for 2024

• Prof. Colaco was featured on UH Scholar’s Walk. The electronic kiosks feature noted scholars of the University. Dr. Colaco was cited for his professional work, as a structural engineer on major buildings in the City of Houston and many other parts of the world, his National Academy membership, and his long, distinguished teaching career.

• Prof. Colaco has written a book chapter for Composite Construction Design for Buildings (Edition 2), McGraw Hill, 2023

TOM DIEHL

• Prof. Diehl received a Small Grants Program grant for $10,000 for his project, “Methodologies for Refining the Use of Architectural Design Intentions.”

JEFF FENG

• Prof. Feng’s paper, “The Grit of Innovation,” was accepted for publication and presentation at the Industrial Design Society of American’s International Design Conference in New York City in August 2023

• Prof. Feng’s paper, “The Value of Flexibility and Adaptability: Personalizing the Innovation Process to Boost the Creative Performance,” has been accepted for presentation at the Eighteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices, March 11-13, 2024, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain.

• Prof. Feng presented at the CITE (Cougar Initiative to Engage) Symposium at the Rockwell Pavilion, February 2, 2023. The symposium was on Community Engagement and Experiential Learning. His presentation was about a collaboration between the UH COAD Industrial Design program and the Harris Health System with a focus on adaptive device design innovation and experimentation. The program is illustrated through program strategy and structure, program rigor and strength, case studies, and benefits to the community.

• Prof. Feng, with Craik, A., Gonzalez, J., Alamir, A., Equillang, D., Wong, S., Sanchez-Rodriguez, L., Francisco, G.E., Contreras-Vidal, J.L., “Design and validation of a low-cost mobile EEG-based Brain Computer Interface,” Sensors 2023, 23-5930

• Prof. Feng, with Russi, J.S., “An Ergonomic and Design Review of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle,” Human-Centered Aerospace Systems and Sustainability Applications, Vol. 98, 2023, pp. 23-31

• As his advisor, Jeff Feng was recognized with David Edquillang ’23, for “Lunet” winning a Gold Award, SPARK Design Competition, 2023

STEPHEN FOX

• Lecturer Stephen Fox, B.A. ’ 73, B.Arch. ’ 75, recently contributed an article to the Architect's Newspaper to honor Aubry's life and work. (Aubry was an alumnus of UH)

DIETMAR FROEHLICH

• Prof. Froehlich received a Small Grants Program grant for $10,000 for his project, “Surface and Depth.”

MICHAEL GONZALES

• Meg Jackson and Michael Gonzales published their paper, “Pattern Performance,” in Space Within and Around, edited by Weiling He, China Architecture and Building Press, 2023

• Prof. Gonzales and Jackson, M., book chapter, “Pattern Performance,” Space Within and Around, edited by Weiling He, China Architecture and Building Press, 2024

• Prof. Gonzales was featured in “Revolutionizing Climbing Wall Design with Computational Workflows,” in RhinoZine, November 2023, pp 14-15

• The Prison Awareness Quilt Reimagined, invited competition by Arise Collective, Raleigh, N.C., in collaboration with Carlos Gonzalez, David Wilson, and Eliza Redmann.

• Testimony of Redemption invited competition by Arise Collective, Smyrna, Georgia, created in collaboration with David Wilson and Stephen Hayes.

DIJANA HANDANOVIC

• Prof. Handanovic and Gregory Marinic presented their paper, “Contested Territories Identity and Memory in the Public Spaces of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina”, at the AMPS (Architecture, Media Politics, Society): Local Cultures – Global Spaces Conference: Communities, People, and Place, in Hong Kong, December 5, 2023. The paper was presented virtually.

• Prof. Handanovic received a New Faculty Grant for $9,832 for her research project,” Feeling Yugoslavia: Multicultural Expressions of Architecture, Urbanism, and Identity.”

• Prof. Handanovic participated in a session: Urbanism: Urban Ecology and Community, at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C., presenting her paper, “Kiosk K67: Restoring Community.”

• Prof. Handanovic’s paper, “Contested Identities: Urban Environments as Continuous Battlegrounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” was presented at the International Conference on Urban Affairs, New York, April 2024.

• Prof. Handanovic’s paper, “Reconstructing memories,” was presented at the Architecture, Media, Politics, and Society (AMPS) Livable Cities Conference, London, June 2024

MEG JACKSON

• Prof. Jackson and Prof. Michael Gonzales published their paper, “Pattern Performance,” in Space Within and Around, edited by Weiling He, China Architecture and Building Press, 2023

• Prof. Jackson’s paper, “Made Shareable,” was selected for presentation at the National Conference on the Beginning Design Student 39, 2024.

• Prof. Jackson’s paper, “Material Design,” was selected for presentation at the National Conference on the Beginning Design Student 39, 2024

DANIEL JACOBS

• Prof. Jacobs and Brittany Utting, “Houston Variations,” CITE 104, August 2023

• Jacobs, Daniel and Utting, Brittany, “Field Stations for Climate Futures,” in Architectures of Care: From the Intimate to the Common, ed. Brittany Utting, Routledge, 2023

• Jacobs, Daniel and Utting, Brittany, “MESO-COSM Examines Architecture, Ecosystem Experiments, and Urbanization in the Gulf Coast Region,” was published in The Architect’s Newspaper, October 2023

• Jacobs, Daniel and Utting, Brittany, “Life Support: The Greenhouse as an Architecture of Survival, “in Pedagogical Experiments in Architecture for a Changing Climate, ed. Tulay Atak, Luis Callejas, Jonathan Scelsa, & Jergen Tandberg, Routledge, 2023

• Prof. Jacobs’ exhibition, “HOME-OFFICE, MESOCOSM, Mashburn Gallery, Hines College of Architecture and Design, solo exhibition, Fall, 2023

• Prof. Jacobs was a panelist, “From Land Grab to landBack Symposium, iowa State University, presenting his paper “The Field Station: From Dispossession to Decolonization,” December 2023

• Assistant professor Daniel Jacobs and Rice University assistant professor Brittany Utting have won a 2024 Architectural Education Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)! The team won for “MESOCOSM,” previously exhibited at UH in fall 2023, in the “Faculty Design” category.

• Prof. Jacobs was a panelist on the “Ecology of Design,” at the ACSA 112 Annual Meeting: Disrupters on the Edge, Vancouver, BC

• Prof. Jacobs and Brittany Utting published their paper, “Majesty Palm,” in the Journal of Architectural Education 78:1 Infidelity, Taylor and Francis, 2024

• Book Chapter: Jacobs, Daniel and Utting, Brittany, “Mesocosms: Medium Worlds and Worlding Mediums,” was published in Assembly: Material, Representation and Aggregated Systems in Architectural Production, edited by Gail Borden and Michael Meredith, Routledge, 2024

MATTHEW JOHNSON

• “2023 Design Award Winners.” Texas Architect XOHouse with Jason Logan (April 2023).

• 2023 UH Small Grant, “Post-Carbon City Research & Travel Grant” Amount: $5,860

• Houston: Genetic City, with Zweig, P., and Logan, J. (2020) was accepted into the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rare Books collection of the Hirsch Library.

• Book Chapter: Johnson, M., Kubo, M. “Liquid Land: Urban Precarity and Zombie Development on the Gulf Coast.” In Architectures of the Greater Caribbean. Bryan Norwood and John Davis, eds. (UT Austin Press, 2024.)

• Book Chapter, Johnson, M. Logan. J. “Almost Nothing.” In Drawing Codes: Experimental Protocols for Architectural Representation. Andrew Kudless and Adam Marcus, eds. (AR+D, 2024.)

DONNA KACMAR

• Prof. Kacmar presented her paper, “Big Little Hotel: The Significance of Hotels in Placemaking,” at the Texas Society of Architects Annual Conference and Design Expo, in Fort Worth, November 2-4

• Prof. Kacmar was a keynote speaker, “Big Little Hotel,” at the AIA Oklahoma Conference, October 2023

• Prof. Kacmar presented a webinar, “Victor Lundy at 100,” organized by MAS Context, Chicago, IL, February 2023

MIN KANG

• Prof. Kang’s paper, “An EV Charging UX Design Exploration for Broader Distribution of Level 2 Charging System with Improved User Experience,” was approved for presentation at the 15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2024), France, July 24-27, 2024

• Prof. Kang’s paper, “Systems Design Education in Industrial Design: A Hybrid Approach of Combining ID Studio and UX Design Courses as a Superblock,” was presented at the IAFOR International Conference on Education, Hawaii, January 2024

• Prof. Kang presented his paper, “The Value of Flexibility and Adaptability: Personalizing the Innovation Process to Boost the Creative Performance,” at the 18th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices, March 2024

• Prof. Kang received a New Faculty Grant for $10,000 for his project, “Revolutionizing Design Process Through Spatial User Interaction Design in Immersive Media: A Strategic User Experience (UX) Design Approach to Enhance Product Design Practice with Mixed Reality (MR) Technology.”

MARK KIMBROUGH

• Prof. Kimbrough received a Patent for his Expandable Display design, awarded March 12, 2024

ANDREW KUDLESS

• Prof. Kudless contributed a book chapter, “Conversation with Andrew Kudless,” for

Artificial Intelligent Architecture: New Paradigms in Architectural Practice and Production, by Frank Jacobus and Prian M. Kelly.

• Professor Logan’s team for “The Gateway Decathlon,” was accepted as one of eleven teams to participate in the two-year long effort. The challenge is to design a 900-1,400 square foot, modular, net-zero-house, for a site in St. Louis. College faculty members include Prof. Mili Kyropoulou, Prof. Andrew Kudless, Joaquin Tobar Martinez, and Prof. Driss Benhaddou of the Cullen College of Engineering.

• Prof. Kudless was on the cover of Architect Magazine for his work on Confluence Park in San Antonio, with Lake Flato. The issue is devoted to, “The Future of Sustainability: 10 Visionaries Weigh In.”

• Prof. Kudless participated in a panel on Artificial Intelligence (as disrupter) and Architectural Education (On the Edge) at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC., followed by a panel discussion with Branko Kolarevic, Kyle Steinfeld, and Matias del Campo.

• Prof. Kudless’ book chapter, “FLUX: Architecture in a Parametric Landscape,” AR + D, an impreint of ORO Publishers for a book co-authored with Ila Berman, 2024

• Prof. Kudless’ book chapter, “Stop Making Sense: Complexity and Contradiction in AI and Architecture,” AD Special Issue: Architecture and Artificial Intelligence, edited by Matias del Campo.

• Book Chapter: “Five Point of Architecture and AI,” for diffusions in Architecture: Artificial Intelligence and Image Generator s, edited by Matias del Campo.

• Prof. Kudless presented, “Architecture in the Age of Automation,” at the Université de Montreal, 2024

• Prof. Kudless lectured on “Architecture in the Age of Automation,” at the University of Arkansas, Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, as the John G. Williams Distinguished Visitor Lecture, 2024

MILI KYROPOULOU

• Prof. Kyropoulou’s paper, “thermal Comfort and Indoor Air Quality in Higher Education: A Case Study in Houston, TX During Mid-season,” was accepted for presentation at The Built Environment in Transition, Hybrid International Scientific Conference, CISBAT 2023 in Lausanne, Switzerland, September 13-15, 2023. CISBAT is organized by EPFL and the Smart Living Lab. Academic partners of the conference are renowned scientists from University of Cambridge and MIT, backed by a strong international scientific committee and a specialized pool of reviewers. The conference is financially supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Smart Living Lab.

• Prof. Kyropoulou’s article, “Thermal Comfort and Indoor Air Quality in Higher Education: A Case Study in Houston, TX, During Mid-Season,” was accepted for publication in The Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2600, no. 10, November 1, 2023: 102022

• Kyropoulou, M., Subramaniam, S., Tobin, M., Hoffmann, S., “Modeling Photosynthetically Active Radiation Using a Spectrally Weighted Raytracing Approach,” was accepted by the International Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design, Europe (eCAADe), Vol. 2., Graz, Austria. Acceptance rate: 39%

Awards and Recognition: Faculty

• Prof. Kyropoulou’s team won first prize Lowdown Showdown competition this year. This is a competition organized by ASHRAE as part of the Building Performance Analysis Conference. Out of the 14 initial teams, 4 made it to final registration on the website, and only two made it to the end (our team and a large team from 3 Stantec offices in the US, Canada, and Australia). The team consisted of Mili, Alfonso Hernandez (UH Alumnus - Gensler), Felipe Perez Villareal (UH Grad Student), a Gensler intern and people from Atelier 10, WSP and Interface (engineers).

The project was to repurpose the Astrodome into “something” more aligned to our times and that “something” had to be NetZero carbon. Our approach turned it into an indoor public street with a botanical garden together with a 77k sf of retail, a 500 -room hotel, a 68k sf museum/immersive experience area (dedicated to the Astrodome history) with a promenade connecting it to the light rail. Several massing (orientation of opening), indoor/outdoor comfort, and mechanical systems and controls strategies accompanied with onsite electricity generation through photovoltaic canopies over the surface parking lots generated about 8 times the energy consumed by the building.

This project was covered by KHOU 11, Fox 26, the Houston Chronicle, and, nationally, by The Architect’s Newspaper.

The Astrodome project garnered an OpEd piece in the Houston Chronicle, “Let it go? Never! New Astrodome ideas give us hope”, November 14, 2023

• Prof. Kyropoulou’s paper, “Maximizing Student Engagement and Learning Efficiency: A StudentCentered, Research-Informed POE Project for Graduate Students in Architecture Education,”

Amps (Architecture, Media, Politics, and Society) Teaching Beyond the Curriculum, online.

• Prof. Kyropoulou, with Prof. Munenzon, and Prof. Race, will work with the City of Houston Health Department on “Vulnerable to Vibrant: Strategies to Achieve Climate Resiliency in an Environmental Justice Community.” The community will be the Fifth Ward. Our team’s part of the EPA Grant is $100K.

• Professor Logan’s team for “The Gateway Decathlon,” was accepted as one of eleven teams to participate in the two-year long effort. The challenge is to design a 900-1,400 square foot, modular, net-zero-house, for a site in St. Louis. College faculty members include Prof. Mili Kyropoulou, Prof. Andrew Kudless, Joaquin Tobar Martinez, and Prof. Driss Benhaddou of the Cullen College of Engineering.

• Prof. Kyropoulou’s paper, “Bridging the Gap: Sustainable Thinking in Architectural Education” was presented at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Annual Meeting, in Vancouver, BC. The session was on Pedagogy: Sustainability in Architecture Pedagogy.”

• Prof. Kyropoulou has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Building Technology Educators’ Society (BTES) beginning in January 2024.

• Prof. Kyropoulou’s paper, “Educational Buildings as Educational Tools: A Building Performance PostOccupancy Evaluation Course in a Subtropical Climate,” has been accepted for presentation at the PLEA (Passive Low Energy in Architecture) 2024 Wroclaw Conference: (Re)thinking Resilience.

• Prof. Kyropoulou received a Small Grants Program grant of $9,998 for her research project, “Indoor

to Outdoor: Investigating Semi-Outdoor Spaces for Thermal Comfort, Cognition, and Mood.”

• Prof. Kyropoulou’s presentation on the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) DEI Committee was accepted for presentation to the SimBuild 2024 Conference in Denver, Colorado in May 2024. Mili will present the development of her work, creating a website with resources, as well as the latest DEI recommendations for our IBPSA community.

• Prof. Kyropoulou was featured in Popular Mechanics, “Liminal Spaces: Why Empty, Abandoned Places Make Us Feel Weird,” by Tim Newcomb. Quoting experts from MIT, Populous, and UH.

JASON LOGAN

• Professor Logan’s team for “The Gateway Decathlon,” was accepted as one of eleven teams to participate in the two-year long effort. The challenge is to design a 900-1,400 square foot, modular, net-zero-house, for a site in St. Louis. College faculty members include Prof. Mili Kyropoulou, Prof. Andrew Kudless, Joaquin Tobar Martinez, and Prof. Driss Benhaddou of the Cullen College of Engineering.

• Prof. Logan’s XO House was featured in Texas Architect, “X Marks the Spot,” written by alumna Natalie Armstrong,’23, for the January/February issue.

• Prof. Logan’s XO House was featured in The Architect’s Newspaper

• Houston: Genetic City, with Johnson, M. and Zweig, P. (2020) was accepted into the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rare Books collection of the Hirsch Library.

RAFAEL LONGORIA

• Longoria, Rafael, “Ibero-American Houston Experiments,” published in Housing for the 99%, edited by Johana Hurme and Sasha Radulovic, Arquine, Mexico City, MX, 2023.

• Prof. Longoria was invited to give a lecture for The Houston Seminar, “The Architecture of Colonial Mexico,” the Covenant Church, Houston, TX, September 2023

• Prof. Longoria was invited to lead an architecture study tour with Stephen Fox: “Silver Cities,” The Houston Seminar, Guanajuato and Queretaro, Mexico, October 2023

• Prof. Longoria was appointed as one of three Section Chairs for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) 2024 International Conference: Inflections: Becoming what is yet to be, to be held in Queretaro, Mexico from June 2730, 2024

• Prof. Longoria received a $6,000 grant from the Gwen Richard Charitable Fund for the Queretaro Community Design Projects.

SHAWN LUTZ

• Hines College adjunct professor Shawn M. Lutz published “Mock it Up. How Do you See?” in the Princeton School of Architecture’s Rumor, Issue 37

The mock-up issue showcases the practical realities that arise during the construction process. As architects, we are ever evolving with perceptual qualities of materials and surfaces.

Awards and Recognition: Faculty

OPHELIA MANTZ

• Prof. Mantz, and Prof. Rafael Beneytez-Duran, of Z4A Architects, received a Texas Society of Architects Studio Award for their “Irritable House.” The award also recognizes UH student Enrique Krabe.

• Prof. Mantz and Rafael Beneytez-Duran were invited to lecture at Texas Technical University El Paso, on “Nature as Construction Material,” October 2023

• Prof. Mantz’ article, “Matterscapes,” was published in MAT Arquitectura 25: Out of Place Matter, Santiago de Chile, Bilingual Spanish-English, December 2023, p 80-103

• Mantz, Ophelia, “Matter Transgression,” SAJ Volume 14, Issue 1, University of Belgrade, Serbia, December 2023, p. 234-259

• Prof. Ophelia Mantz and Prof. Beneytez-Duran’s project, “Irritable House,” was published in Texas Architect, November issue.

• Prof. Ophelia Mantz and Rafael Beneytez-Duran gave a lecture at the University of Colorado, Denver, College of Architecture and Planning, February 29. The lecture was on their professional work in their office Z4Z4 +Z4A.

• Prof. Mantz and Rafael Beneytez-Duran were invited to lecture at the Universidad Santiago de Chile, on the work of Z4A Architects, online, February 2024

• Prof. Mantz’s paper, “Matter Transgression from the Workshop to the City,” has been selected for presentation at the Fourteenth International Conference on the Constructed Environment, April 5-6, 2024, Vienna.

• Prof. Mantz received a Small Grants Program grant of $9,954 for her research project, “Cartographying Undervalued Materials in Texas.”

• Prof. Mantz was invited to speak at the University of South Florida, May 2, 2024. Prof. Mantz will be lecturing on her award-winning work at the School of Architecture + Community Design.

JOAQUIN TOBAR MARTINEZ

• Professor Logan’s team for “The Gateway Decathlon,” was accepted as one of eleven teams to participate in the two-year long effort. The challenge is to design a 900-1,400 square foot, modular, net-zero-house, for a site in St. Louis. College faculty members include Prof. Mili Kyropoulou, Prof. Andrew Kudless, Joaquin Tobar Martinez, and Prof. Driss Benhaddou of the Cullen College of Engineering.

MARCUS MARTINEZ

• Prof. Marcus Martinez and Amna Ansari, principals in UltraBarrio, were featured in Architect Magazine and this month’s, “Next Progressives,” pp 10-11

• Prof. Marcus Martinez and Amna Ansari, principals in UltraBarrio, have been awarded the 2023 Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Award. This is under the 'Unbuilt —Landscape, Urban Design, & Master Plan Category' for their entry 'Hard Core, Park Core': The design for the Southwest Civic Core transforms a 'hard core' parking lot into a thermally optimal 'park core', located within the most diverse and dense part of Houston.

ELHAM MORSHEDZADEH

• Prof. Morshedzadeh was an invited panelist for a hybrid symposium of the Science, Technology, & Arts Network, Clemson University. He presentation was on “Prototyping as a Research Method,” July 2023

• Morshedzadeh, Elham, “Design Studio and Community Empowerment,” IDSA International Design Conference, NYC, August 2023

• Prof. Morshedzadeh presented, “WIP: Interdisciplinary Design Course and Community Empowerment, at the AHFE 2023 International Conference in San Francisco.

• Prof. Morshedzadeh presented at the CITE (Cougar Initiative to Engage) Symposium at the Rockwell Pavilion, February 2, 2023. The symposium was on Community Engagement and Experiential Learning. Her presentation was about a collaboration between the UH COAD Industrial Design program and the Harris Health System with a focus on adaptive device design innovation and experimentation. The program is illustrated through program strategy and structure, program rigor and strength, case studies, and benefits to the community.

• Prof. Morshedzadeh is presenting three conference presentations .”Advancing User Research in Industrial Design Education: Navigating Challenges and Harnessing Innovation,” with Feng, J., Shukla, S., “A Multisensory Design Approach to Help Relieve Stress in a Healthcare Workplace,” and with Russi, J.S., Feng, J., “Interdisciplinary Space Design: A Case Study on Lunar Terrain Vehicle Seating,” at AHFE International Conference as one of the worldwide renowned international fora for the dissemination and exchange of up-to-date scientific information on theoretical, generic and applied areas of Applied Human Factors and ergonomics (AHFE), Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Neuroergonomics and Human Systems Integration (HSI), and Human Autonomy Teaming and Simulation. The AHFE Conference is jointly held under the auspices of 45 distinguished

international Boards of 1065 members from 68 countries, Nice, France, July 2024.

• Roofigari-Esfahan, N., Morshedzadeh, E., Dongre, P., “Designing Interactive Human-Centered Buildings to Enhance User Experience Through Ubiquitous Data Management, Design Science.”

• Morshedzadeh, E., Shukla, S., Lages, W. S., Ghasemi, S., Muelenaer, A., “Optimizing Pediatric Telemedical Intervention: Insights from Cart Utilization and Training Enhancement Strategies,” Human Factors in Healthcare. https:// www.getinterwoven.com/spotlight/a-ga-withinteraction-designer-elham-morshedzadeh/

• Book Chapter: “Innovations in Healthcare Delivery and Settings,” An Introduction to Inclusive Healthcare Design

• Interview: Insight Website: https://www. getinterwoven.com/spotlight/a-ga-withinteraction-designer-elham-morshedzadeh/

• Interview: IDSA: https://www.idsa.org/

• Symposium: conference organization committee member: “Women in Design Deep Dive,” IDSA, Philadelphia, PA, June 2024

DALIA MUNENZON

• Prof. Munenzon and Prof. Ramaswamy will conduct a Panel at the International Society of Architectural Historians Conference 2024 on “The Long Histories of Land, Value, and Climate Change.”

• Traeger, I., Munenzon, D., “Towards Alternative Carto(bio)graphies of the sea borderscape: The Strait of Gibraltar as a space of longing,” Session I: The Urbanization of Ocean Space in and beyond

Awards and Recognition: Faculty

the Port City I- transforming work and livelihoods, American Association of Geographers 2023 (AAG) Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, USA

• Munenzon, D., “Neighborhood resilience: integrating intersectional challenges into climatefocused urban plans,” Repurposing Places for Social and Environmental Resilience International Conference, UK, London, 2023

• Munenzon, D., “Implementable visions: the role of community capacity building and governance in the creation of urban climate adaptation projects”, The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture – CELA, Align | Realign, the theme of the 2023 Conference, San Antonio, TX, USA, 2023

• Munenzon, D., “Community capacity building through the co-production of urban climate resilience strategies”, Urban Affairs Association Conference, Nashville, TN, USA, 2023.

• Prof. Munenzon, Prof. Race, and Prof. Kyropoulou, will work with the City of Houston Health Department on “Vulnerable to Vibrant: Strategies to Achieve Climate Resiliency in an Environmental Justice Community.” The community will be the Fifth Ward. Our team’s part of the EPA Grant is $100K.

• Prof. Munenzon was a guest lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University Urbanism, October 2023

• Prof. Munenzon received an AIA Upjohn Research Initiative grant of $25K for continuing work on

• Prof. Munenzon participated in a session, Design: Building Typology – Process and Performance, at the Association of Collegiate Schools of

Architecture (ACSA) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C., presenting her paper, “Collective Comfort.”

• Repurposing Places for Social and Environmental Resilience International Conference, UK, London, 2023

• Prof. Munenzon’s paper, “Go-production for Equitable Governance in Community Climate Adaptation Neighborhood Resilience in Houston, Texas,” was published in Urban Planning 9, 2024

• Munenzon, D., Noguera, M. (2023), “Strategies for Compound Urban and Climate Hazards: Linking Climate Adaptation and Sustainability to Address Risk in Environmental Justice Communities.” Chatterjee, U., Shaw, R., Kumar, S. Raj, A.D., Das, S. (eds) Climate Crisis: Adaptive Approaches and Sustainability.

PATRICIA OLIVER

• Oliver, P., Peters, P., Plauché, J.P., Tsai, J., Minor, C., Kilpatrick, M., The work on Centennial Master Plan projects, “University Drive” was featured in The Architect’s Newspaper, September 7, 2023, “OJB is set to reimagine the University of Houston’s historic campus for its centennial in 2027

• Oliver, P., Peters, P., Plauché, J.P., Tsai, J., Minor, C., Kilpatrick, M., Taylor, J., The 2027 University of Houston Centennial Master Plan, was published and presented to the UH System Board of Regents, May 2024. This represents thirteen years of master planning effort by designLAB, founded in 2011. Five of the projects conceived by designLAB will be built for the 2027 Centennial.

TRANG PHAN

• Associate Dean Trang Phan delivered her paper, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Situating the Identities and

Experiences of AAPI Students at an AANAPISI”, at the Annual Meeting of AERA (American Educational Research Association) in Philadelphia. The theme of the meeting was, “Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructive Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action.” Phan’s paper was selected from 11,000 submissions.

PATRICK PETERS

• The work on Centennial Master Plan projects, “University Drive”was featured in The Architect’s Newspaper, September 7, 2023, “OJB is set to reimagine the University of Houston’s historic campus for its centennial in 2027

• Prof. Peters was awarded a Design-Build Grant from the American Institute of Steel Construction through the efforts of the College’s designLAB and Graduate Design Build Studio. The grant will support a new outdoor classroom project led by Professor Patrick Peters’ studio, incorporating the use of structural steel.

• Oliver, P., Peters, P., Plauché, J.P., Tsai, J., Minor, C., Kilpatrick, M., Taylor, J., The 2027 University of Houston Centennial Master Plan, was published and presented to the UH System Board of Regents, May 2024. This represents thirteen years of master planning effort by designLAB, founded in 2011. Five of the projects conceived by designLAB will be built for the 2027 Centennial.

BRUCE RACE

• Prof. Race presented his paper, “Climate Change: Architects Informing Public Policy,” at the AIA Indian/Kentucky Conference in September 2023

• Prof. Race was a presenter at the Multifamily Unit EV Charging & Infrastructure Symposium at

the University of Houston, November 15, 2023, sponsored by Evolve Houston.

• Fawakherji, M., Benhaddou, D., Race, B., Carrollia, B., and Santamaria, W., “Determinants of Electric Vehicle Adoption and Integration with Public Transportation through Park-and-Ride,” International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing (WCMC), Marrakesh, Morocco, 2023, pp. 74-80

• Prof. Race, with Prof. Munenzon, and Prof. Kyropoulou, will work with the City of Houston Health Department on “Vulnerable to Vibrant: Strategies to Achieve Climate Resiliency in an Environmental Justice Community.” The community will be the Fifth Ward. Our team’s part of the EPA Grant is $100K.

• Prof. Race was interviewed about the Future of Houston’s Public Transportation for ABC 13 with Rosie Nguyen (KTRK-TV) at 6:30pm, April 9, 2024

• Prof. Race was featured in a Channel 5 segment, “LA-Vegas high-speed rail paves the way for ambitious transportation projects,” by John Mone, April 29, 2024

DEEPA RAMASWAMY

• Prof. Ramaswamy will be presenting her research, “Reclaimed Lands and Speculation in Colonial Bombay,” at the Annual Urban History Conference in Pittsburgh, in September.

• Prof. Ramaswamy and Prof. Munenzon will conduct a Panel at the International Society of Architectural Historians Conference 2024 on “The Long Histories of Land, Value, and Climate Change.”

MARTA RODRIGUEZ

• Prof. Rodriguez will have an article, “Ludens Prototype: Project from the 47th Nisshin Kogyo Architectural Design Competition in Japan, created in collaboration with Michael Lindemann, will be featured in the new book by Prof. Andrew Kudless and Adam Marcus, Drawing Codes: Experimental Protocols of Architectural Representation, Applied Research + Design, 2023

• Prof. Rodriguez’ paper, “Human-centered urban design: small Interventions, big impact for habitable cities,” was accepted for presentation at the Wessex Institute of Technology (WIT) 2024 International Conference: Sustainable Development and Planning, September 23-25, Seville, Spain.

• Prof. Rodriguez’ paper, “Small Living, Big Change: The Ecological Urban Impact,” was published in Habitable City, online journal., January 2024.

• “Intergenerational Living: Sustainable Social Housing in the US Through Compact Design,” was published in Habitable City, online Journal, September 2023

• Prof. Rodriguez was invited to lecture on “Compact Communal Living: Flexibility and Adaptability,” at the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru, May 2024

• Prof. Rodriguez was invited to participate with the Institute of Urban and Territorial Studies, Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Studies, on a research project on participatory human-scale urban design, vulnerable neighborhoods, and simulations for urban public space safety. They will explore Chile’s “Plazas de Bolsillo,” (Pocket Places).

SUSAN ROGERS

• Book Chapter: Rogers, S., “Undoing Islands,” in About Streets, by Gregory Marinic and Pablo Meninato, Springer, Fall, 2023

• “The Voices of People. The Stories of Place. The Distribution of Power:” curated by Susan Rogers and Jose Mario Lopez, an exhibition funded through the ArCH Houston Foundation.

• Professor Rogers, in collaboration with Prof. Cheryl Beckett, Graphic Design, has received a Mitchell Center Innovation Grant for her project, “Columbia Tap Trail: Tracking History.” The team received $10,000 for their studio which partnered with the Friends of Columbia Tap in the Third Ward.

• Professor Rogers moderated a panel: “Conversations: More than Research, More than a Program, More than Engagement,” at the CITE (Cougar Initiative to Engage) Symposium at the Rockwell Pavilion, February 2, 2023. The symposium was on Community Engagement and Experiential Learning. The panel was a moderated “conversation” with representatives from the Third Ward community and faculty from the Community Design Resource Center in the College of Architecture and Design, the discourse will focus on the key principles for effective collaboration and partnership.

• Prof. Rogers received a grant from Verizon to further advance dedicated projects of the Community Design Resource Center.

RONNIE SELF

• Prof. Self was awarded a fellowship in residence at Maison Dora Maar, Ménerbes, France, Summer, 2024

WILLIAM TRUITT

• Prof. Truitt’s paper, “Disposable Energy Landscapes of Corsicana: New Rifts,” has been selected for presentation at the Production Studies 2024 International Conference: Transforming Knowledges of Architecture, Design, and Labour, at Newcastle University, in March.

• Prof. Truitt was an invited presenter at the Infrastructure Conference Ho Chi Minh City

SHERYL TUCKER DE VAZQUEZ

• Prof. Tucker de Vazquez’s Graham Foundation funded exhibition has been adapted for presentation at the Catch These Compliments – Architecture and Design Micro Festival. The Hair Salon was first exhibited at the Hines College in February 2023. The festival is sponsored by HNOMA.

• Prof. Tucker de Vazquez’ article, “Revisit: Melrose Plantation in Louisiana, US,” was published in the Architectural Review. the article examines the work of self-taught artist Clementine Hunter and the history of the Melrose Plantation.

• Prof. Tucker de Vazquez’ Project “Hair Salon” was featured in Estetica Magazine. The Hair Salon project was the result of a Graham Foundation grant on the relationship between black hair, climate change, architecture, and sociological and historical connections among them.

• “The Memory Box: Reclaiming Abandoned Black Churches in the Third Ward,” with Catherine Essinger and Wilber Taylor, a Community Coconstructed project.

ROSS WIENERT

• Ross Wienert’s article, “A Modest Gesture: The Houston Endowment Headquarters draws inspiration from its once densely forested site,” was published by Texas Architect, March/April 2024 issue, pp. 19-22

PETER ZWEIG

• Prof. Peter Zweig and Prof. Rafael BeneytezDuran’s “Airscape #1, Edition #2/6,” a collection of 19 photographic prints in a custom box, was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Hirsch Library, as part of their permanent collection. Jon Evans, Chief of Libraries and Archives, said, “This publication enhances the library’s rich holdings, enabling us to better fulfill our mission of furthering scholarship, exhibitions, and learning about art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.”

• Prof. Zweig’s books, Positive/Negative, 2014, Houston: Genetic City, with Johnson, M., and Logan, J. (2020), City of Refugees: A Search for Utopia, with Borden, G. (2020), and INBETWEEN, 2022), were accepted into the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rare Books collection of the Hirsch Library.

• The “Non-Pavilion” drawings, a project for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, with Gail Peter Borden, were accepted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Students

TOLWALASE ADEDIPE

• Adedipe won the 2023 Global Footwear Award for “Flyte,” his design for Sports Performance/ Basketball/FootballRugby Footwear. Jurors included designers from Adidas, Nike, and Puma to select innovative designs and give emerging designers an international platform.

MAHA ALSAGHEER

• Alsagheer won the 2024 IDSA Houston Chapter Undergraduate Student Merit Award.

ADRON BLOUNT

• Blount won the 2024 SIT Furniture Design Award, Student Category, for his barstool: Fleur. SIT is an international design competition with 26 jurors from around the globe.

BRANDON BURLISON

• Burlison received an Honorable Mention in the 2024 SIT Furniture Design Awards for his chair: MuYi. SIT is an international design competition with 26 jurors from around the globe.

ALEJANDRO CARREÑO

• Carreño, Joshua Carter, and Jordan Mathiew won an Honorable Mention Award for their Senior Project: “Venus.”

MIGUEL CARRION

• Carrion received a $2,500 scholarship from the AIA Houston Latinos in Architecture committee.

JOSHUA CARTER

• Carter, Alejandro Carreño, and Jordan Mathiew won an Honorable Mention Award for their Senior Project, “Venus.”

BRENDA CASTILLO

• Castillo won First Place for her Senior Project: “Switchgrass.”

ANDREW CHASE

• Chase won the Senior Honors Thesis Award for his thesis,”Encased Untopias: A Case Study of Three Hungarian Panelház Extates.”

• Chase won the Architectural Research Centers Consortium Award, which recognizes a student who demonstrated innovation, integrity, and scholarship in architectural or environmental design research.

DIEGO CONTRERAS

• Contreras received the AIA San Antonio Daryl Engel Memorial Scholarship, for $2,250, from the Texas Architectural Foundation.

AYA DAOUK

• Daouk won the Myron C. Anderson Award which honors the memory of Professor Myron Anderson. Recipients of this award exemplify his commitment to others and his efforts to engender collegiality and high purpose as essential to an architect’s service to society.

JONATHAN DIAZ-PEREZ

• Diaz-Perez received a Design Award for his Master Project: Primitive Modern.”

DAVID EDQUILANG

• Edquilang’s design for a 3D printed hand prosthesis won the “Best of the Best” Student Concept Red Dot Award.

Awards and Recognition: Students

• Edquilang’s project, “ Lunet” won the Red Dot Luminary Award this year. He won First Place among 3900 contenders. Lunet is an open-source, 3-D printed, hand prosthesis.

• Edquilang won the iF Student Award Best of the Year. His design, “Lunet,” was selected from more than 7,000 submissions internationally to the best top 10, one of two from the US.

BENJAMIN GONZALEZ

• Gonzalez and Esmeralda Leija won Second Place for their Senior Project: “La Capilla de la Purísima Concepción.”

COLTON GRIEGER

• Grieger received the Best Master Project 2024 Award for “Degrees.”

ANDREA HATTER

• Hatter won the Nia Becnel Award, presented in honor of Nia Benel, a former faculty member and alumna of the Hines College. This award honors her legacy of service and leadership as a community activist and preservationist. It recognizes a student who exhibits exemplary initiative and spirit in teaching, planning, design, and organizational work in the community.

MASON KELLY

• Kelly received a Design Award for his Master Project: “Horizon Line.”

ESMERALDA LEIJA

• Leija and Benjamin Gonzalez won Second Place for their Senior Project: “La Capilla de la Purísima Concepción.”

ILEANA LUNA

• Luna won a Merit Award from the AIA Fort Worth Student Design Awards for her project, “Kaliedascope of Cultures.”

• Luna won the Interior Architecture Senior Project Design Award.

JORDAN CARREÑO

• Carreño and Joshua Carter won an Honorable Mention Award for their Senior Project: “Venus.”

JEFFREY MOISANT

• Maoisant received the AIA Wichita Falls Chapter $1,000 scholarship from the Texas Architectural Foundation.

SARAY MATA

• Mata received the Ruth Kaigler Goode and D. Rex Goode Scholarship, for $2,000, from the Texas Architectural Foundation.

GUADALUPE MENDEZ

• Mendez received the Southwest Terrazzo Association: Michael Maraldo, Sr. , Southwest Scholarship, for $1,000, from the Texas Architectural Foundation.

DILLON NARCISSE

• Narcisse received an honorable mention from the 2024 Inspired Home Show’s Global Innovation Awards Excellence in Student Design! A secondyear graduate student, Narcisse designed the Revera Hairwashing System to help people with mobility issues.

VIVIAN NGUYEN

• Nguyen won a Merit Award from the AIA Fort Worth Student Design Awards for her project, “Kaliedascope of Cultures.”

MICHELLE OVANESSIANS

• Ovanessians’s project, “Armenian Genocide” was recognized by the jury with a Merit Award for the AIA Fort Worth Excellence in Architecture Student Design Awards. Her project stood out amongst the entries and was a clear favorite of the jury consisting of Bob Meckfessel FAIA, Marta Rozanich AIA, and Yasmin Al-Jafari Assoc AIA. This designation was earned against entries from all the accredited Texas architecture schools.

AMBER QUINN

• Quinn received the Alpha Rho Chi Award, presented to a graduating senior who has shown an affinity for leadership, performed willing service for the school, and gives promise of professional merit through their attitude and personality.

ZACH ROBISON

• Robison won the 2024 SIT Furniture Design Award, Student Category, for his chair: Versa. SIT is an international design competition with 26 jurors from around the globe

HAFSA SAQIB

• Saqib won the Best Senior Project Award for “Traversa.”

SHRUTI SHUKLA

• Shukla won the 2024 ID Design Program Graduate Design Award.

BUDDY SIEBENLIST

• Sieblenlist received a Design Award for his project “Resurrection.”

SRIVATS SRINIVASAN

• Srinivasan won first place in the seating category of the 2024 International Society of Furniture Designers, for his Chrono Timeless Chair. “Inspired by the concept of the perpetual flow of time, the chair’s form captures the essence of this enduring nature.

• Srinivasan received an Honorable Mention in the 2024 SIT Furniture Design Awards for his chair: Chrono. SIT is an international design competition with 26 jurors from around the globe.

CHRISTOPHER TORRES

• Torres received an Honorable Mention Award for his Senior Project: “Deterritorializing the Rio Grande.”

VINCENTE ZAMBRANO

• Zambrano won First Place in the Dudley Moore, Sr. Furniture Design Competition at the Bienenstock Furniture Library. He received a $ 4,000 award and the program received $1,000

Awards and Recognition