LTU’s College of Architecture and Design wins 2026 ICFF WANTED ‘Best of Schools’ Award

SOUTHFIELD, MI – Lawrence Technological University’s����has been awarded the prestigious ICFF WANTED “Best of Schools” Award at the����surpassing 23 leading international design programs participating in the highly competitive Schools Showcase.

CoAD comprises both undergraduate and graduate programs in Architecture and Design. Design students in the��-sponsored studio last semester worked with��, CoAD adjunct professor of design and owner of Ann Arbor-based��, a multidisciplinary design practice, to create everyday products with a unique twist.

Unique Creativity with Sustainable Building Materials

, founder and CEO of Designed Declassified, said, “It was an honor to provide materials and witness the students at LTU push new boundaries. As an industrial designer, I’m grateful for the chance to support the next generation of artists and designers. I was genuinely impressed by the creativity, dedication, and craft each student brought to their work, and I hope they carry this learning experience into their professional careers.”

CoAD Interim Dean����said industry-sponsored studios like this one with Design Declassified, a sustainable��building materials company, are invaluable to CoAD students.

“They provide real-world constraints, professional expectations, and collaborative opportunities that prepare students for the complexities of contemporary design practice,” she said. “This partnership challenged our students to design products while addressing adaptability, resilience, and environmental impact. Working with 100-percent-recycled, recyclable HDPE sheets, students researched, sketched, prototyped, and tested innovative solutions that transform Design Declassified materials into meaningful, sustainable design outcomes. We’re grateful to Design Declassified for sponsoring this important studio.”

ICFF is an annual contemporary design fair that showcases trending furniture and industrial design. Founded in 1989, the ICFF has hosted hundreds of international exhibitors, both established brands and emerging designers.

Embracing The Challenge

��Cross said, “The students didn’t just meet the challenge of this new material; they��fully embraced its creative possibilities. By leaning into the course’s experimental and exploratory nature, they produced sophisticated work that reflects both their unique perspectives and the material’s incredible versatility.

“We’re proud that six of CoAD’s ‘emerging designers’ had the chance to represent the exciting work of all our design students. Congratulations to Ashgen Boyer, Dante Cerroni, Lourdes Davish, Sofia Eddy. Delanie Shorten, and Ryan Sukhraj.”

From left: Faculty member Erika Cross with students Delanie Shorten, Sophia Eddy, Lourdes Davish.

The winning collection emerged through a creative partnership with��, supported by��. The project was led by designer and faculty member��, who guided students through the development of a sophisticated collection of contemporary furnishings created from 100% recycled and recyclable HDPE sheets sourced from discarded products such as milk crates.

Transforming Industrial Waste into Usable, Sustainable Products

Through extensive research, iterative sketching, prototyping, and fabrication, the designers developed products that elevate industrial waste into refined, functional objects that balance environmental responsibility with high-end aesthetics.

The award-winning collection reflects LTU’s commitment to industry collaboration, sustainable innovation, and experiential learning that prepares students to address real-world challenges through design.

CoAD Interim Dean����said, “This award is a testament to what’s possible when students are challenged with real-world constraints, meaningful industry partnerships, and the opportunity to design with purpose. Erika Cross and these six designers demonstrated that sustainability and sophistication are powerful in combination. Winning ICFF WANTED’s Best of Schools distinction among 24 internationally recognized programs is an extraordinary achievement and a reflection of the ambitious, forward-thinking design education that defines LTU CoAD.”

Students’ Perspective

Student Delanie Shorten said, “My proudest moment was talking with visitors and designers about my project and getting to share my inspiration. It was rewarding to see people interested in my work, ask questions, and engage with the process behind it.

“The most exciting part was being surrounded by great design, meeting industry professionals, and seeing work from around the world. Winning the Best of Schools award made the experience even more memorable and was a proud and speechless moment for all of us, especially while representing LTU on such a large stage.”

Sharing that sentiment was fellow design student Lourdes Davish. She said, “Coming from a small school with a growing program in product design, it meant a great deal that we were able to showcase a different kind of design outside of purely automotive and technology.�� Going to ICFF in New York, personally, meant the world to me to physically talk with many designers that I had only seen online through social media, and that they were blown away by my work as well.”

�鶹���� Lawrence Technological University

Lawrence Technological University,����is one of only 13 private, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

Editor’s Note: Photographs of the winning students, their winning design, and explanation of the work appear in the Addendum. For interviews with Interim Dean Lilian Crum and Adjunct Professor Erika Cross, contact Renée Ahee at 586-484-2390 or rahee@yellowflagproductions.com.

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Master-Level Architecture Students Build Modular Shading Pavilion on Lawrence Technological University Campus

SOUTHFIELD, MI — Master of Architecture students in Lawrence Technological University’s (LTU) College of Architecture and Design (CoAD) announce their 2026 Design Build Studio final project titled TRI-ARC.

A Moment of Solace on Campus

This year’s LTU Design-Build Studio centered on the design and construction of a shading pavilion located next to the south entrance of the University Technology and Learning Center (UTLC). Developed over a 10-week semester, with nine weeks of online collaboration followed by a one-week in-person Build Week, the project brought together 51 students, approximately 80% from Michigan, along with students from Canada, Hong Kong, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, and Ohio. The pavilion is intended to provide students with a moment of respite on campus: a place to eat, wait for friends, gather between classes, or simply pause during the day.

“Building Collaboration”

Framed through the studio theme of “Building Collaboration,” the project explored design-build as both a simulation of architectural practice and a platform for speculative construction research. Working remotely for most of the semester required students to develop collaborative design methods, shared digital workflows, and coordinated fabrication strategies before assembling the project together on site. For the studio, the pavilion was never just the end goal. It was a way to test out bigger questions — about shared authorship, digital fabrication, and what gets lost or gained when a drawing becomes a building.

Movable As Needed

The pavilion is conceived as a modular architectural system rather than a singular object. Developed from hexagonal and triangular geometry patterns, the structure uses a set of fractal frames that can branch, repeat, and aggregate into larger shell-like canopy petals. Each frame operates as both an independent structural unit and a building block within a broader system, allowing the pavilion to adapt to different site conditions, scales, and patterns of occupation. On the UTLC site, these lightweight tree-like assemblies provide shade, weather protection, and thermal comfort while creating an inviting place for students to gather, eat, wait, and rest. The project advances a flexible design-build strategy in which modularity, equilibrium-based structural logic, and digital fabrication come together as a usable architectural toolkit.

New and Sustainable Materials

The pavilion combines lightweight cantilevered tree trusses made from dimensional lumber with custom CNC (computer numerical control)-plasma cut steel joint plates, CNC-fabricated wood connections, 3D-printed joint nodes, and off-the-shelf EMT pipe canopy framing. Its structural system integrates a post-tensioned steel cable network developed through computational modeling and 3D graphic statics (3DGS) analysis. The project also incorporates 3D-printed ceramic elements into furniture and seating, expanding the pavilion beyond shade structure into a larger investigation of material systems, fabrication processes, and collaborative construction.

M.Arch students attend their summer course remotely until the final week of class when they meet in person for the first time to build their final project.

Led by Associate Professor of Architecture Lee-Su Huang, Assistant Professor of Architecture Teng Teng, PhD, and Adjunct Professor Ryan Kahen, owner of Kahen Design of Detroit. “What’s remarkable about this experience is how quickly these students moved from remote collaboration to building a single cohesive structure together in one week. That kind of coordination reflects real growth in how they think and work as designers,” said CoAD Interim Dean Lilian Crum.

“For most of these students, this studio is the first step to receiving their master’s degree in architecture. It is a testament to their creativity and commitment to their profession. It is also a point of pride for their professors who encourage and witness the substantive growth in architectural talent and capability in a single semester,” she said.

�鶹���� Lawrence Technological University

Lawrence Technological University,����is one of only 13 private, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

Editor’s note: Images of the students’ year-end project in process appear below as well as at . Interviews with Interim Dean Lilian Crum and Professors Huang and Teng are available by contacting Renée Ahee at 586-484-2390 or rahee@yellowflagproductions.com.

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Faculty to expand and disseminate public discourse on Spatial Determinants of Health

Washington, D.C., July 15, 2026��—��The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (�鶹����) and the���鶹���� Research & Scholarship Committee, in partnership with The OpEd Project, are pleased to announce the 2026 Cohort for the Academy for Public Scholarship on the Built Environment: Spatial Determinants of Health.

This cohort brings together twelve architecture faculty whose research explores the spatial determinants of health and seeks to strengthen its impact on public discourse and policy. They will participate in The OpEd Project’s online Write to Change the World workshops, connecting participants with diverse disciplinary backgrounds, voices and ideas. The cohort members will be researching and writing articles that examine the relationship between the built environment, human health, and well-being, as well as architecture’s role in shaping healthier communities.��

The 2026 cohort for the Academy for the Public Scholarship on the Built Environment: Spatial Determinants of Health includes:��

Julio Bermudez, Catholic University of America

Sandra Bernal, University of Arizona

Sara Carr, Northeastern University

Farhana Ferdous, Howard University

Valerie Greer, University of Utah

Tasoulla Hadjiyanni, University of Minnesota

Zorana Matić, Northeastern University

Rodrigo Pantoja, Tecnológico de Monterrey

Terri Peters, Toronto Metropolitan University

Sarah Ruel-Bergeron, Kean University

Korydon Smith, University at Buffalo

Christina Chi Zhang, Lehigh University

Following the workshop, the cohort will have up to three months of access to The OpEd Project’s Mentor-Editor network for support and individualized feedback as they develop their op-ed drafts. By the end of the training, cohort members are expected to complete the workshops and submit an op-ed for publication in a local, regional, or national news outlet.

+ Learn More about the 2026 Cohort for the Academy for Public Scholarship on the Built Environment: SPATIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

View the 2026 Cohort

The Academy for Public Scholarship on the Built Environment reflects the work of the 2025-2026 �鶹���� Research and Scholarship Committee, which has been charged with leading �鶹����’s efforts to support faculty in scholarly endeavors; monitoring and assessing peer-review and recognition programs; and recommending actions to advocate for architectural scholarship.

2026-2027 �鶹���� Research & Scholarship Committee Members:

Ian Caine, University of Texas at San Antonio (Co-Chair)
Anne-Catrin Schultz, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Co-Chair)
Mara Marcu, University of Cincinnati
Dahlia Nduom, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Pari Riahi, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Traci Rider, North Carolina State University
Staff: Eric Ellis, �鶹���� Senior Director of Operations and Programs

�鶹���� the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (�鶹����)
The mission of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture is to lead architectural education and research. Founded in 1912 by 10 charter members, �鶹���� is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association of over 200 member schools in several categories. These include full membership for all accredited programs in the United States and government-sanctioned schools in Canada, candidate membership for schools seeking accreditation, and affiliate membership for schools for two-year and international programs. Through these schools, over 5,000 architecture faculty are represented.

�鶹����, unique in its representative role for schools of architecture, provides a forum for ideas on the leading edge of architectural thought. Issues that will affect the architectural profession in the future are being examined today in �鶹���� member schools. The association maintains a variety of activities that influence, communicate, and record important issues. Such endeavors include scholarly meetings, workshops, publications, awards and competition programs, support for architectural research, policy development, and liaison with allied organizations.

�鶹���� seeks to empower faculty and schools to educate increasingly diverse students, expand disciplinary impacts, and create knowledge for the advancement of architecture.��www.acsa-arch.org.

�鶹���� the OpEd Project
The OpEd Project is a global thought leadership organization that accelerates the ideas and impact of underrepresented voices. They are a community of journalists and thought leaders who actively share knowledge, resources, and connections.��

Questions

�鶹���� Press

Hanifah Jones
Digital Marketing and Communications Manager
202-785-2324
hjones@acsa-arch.org

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�鶹���� Announces June Williamson as 2026-2027 President

Washington, D.C., July 1, 2026 – The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (�鶹����) is pleased to announce June Williamson, AIA LEED-AP, as the organization’s 2026-2027 president. Williamson is a Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in Architecture at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture of The City College of New York (CCNY).��

June Williamson is a longtime supporter of �鶹���� and has been elected to the �鶹���� Board of Directors twice: as Second Vice President in the 2024-2025 term and as a Director-At-Large from 2018-2021. “I’ve had a long association with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, going back to my very first academic paper—it was such a thrill—presented at an international conference in Copenhagen in 1996, when I was somewhat fresh out of architecture school, teaching evening studio,” she shared.��

“The provision of formative entry opportunities—like mine—to aspiring and junior faculty members into academic scholarship and creative fellowship is at the core of our association with one another in this organization.”

She’s been nominated to represent �鶹���� on key committees and initiatives with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Regionally, she served as a Public Director representing academia on the Board of the American Institute of Architects New York City chapter (AIANY) and on the AIANY Oculus Committee, providing editorial input to the quarterly magazine. She is also a member of the Urban Design Academic Council (UDAC), the Society for American City and Regional Planning History (SACRPH), the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU), the Architectural League of New York, and the Urban Design Forum.

A US-licensed architect since 2003, Williamson is registered to practice in New York State. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Yale College, a Master of Architecture from MIT, and a Master of Urban Planning in Urban Design from CCNY. Williamson has taught architecture and urban design since 1995, in Boston (Boston Architectural College), Salt Lake City (University of Utah), Atlanta (Georgia Tech), Tucson (University of Arizona), and New York City (Columbia GSAPP, CUNY CityTech, and CUNY City College).

June Williamson joined the faculty of the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School in 2008. She served a term as elected Architecture Department Chair and was appointed as Director of Graduate Programs in Architecture in 2022, overseeing the M.Arch and M.S.Arch programs.��

“I’ve been fortunate to teach for the past 18 years at one of the most truly diverse professional architecture schools in North America, the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York, a senior college of CUNY, in West Harlem, New York,” said Williamson. “Our wonderful students take many, many different paths to get here, overcoming significant personal and structural challenges.”��

As an architect and urban designer, Williamson documents transformations of obsolete suburban built form. She’s delivered over 200 professional and academic papers, talks, podcasts, webinars, and workshops all across the United States and internationally, recently in Sydney, Olomouc, Calgary, and Toronto. The author/co-author of three acclaimed, award-winning books on the architecture and urban design of northern American suburbs—Case Studies in Retrofitting Suburbia (2021), Designing Suburban Futures (2013), and Retrofitting Suburbia (2009)—Williamson is a foremost international expert on retrofitting suburban form, and has shared her expertise on prominent forums (The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNBC, CityLab, Curbed, Governing, Next City, Politico, VICE, WNYC, and others).

Williamson and her writing and research partner, Professor Ellen Dunham-Jones, were awarded the 2025 Seaside Prize for their groundbreaking Retrofitting Suburbia series. Presented by the Seaside Institute, this accolade honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of architecture, urban planning, and community development. For over 20 years, Williamson and Dunham-Jones have documented and advocated for the successful redevelopment, reinhabitation, and regreening of dead shopping malls, aging office parks, and other parking-lot-dominated real estate into more resilient, just, and community-serving places.

As president, June Williamson will advance �鶹����’s work to shape the future of architecture by empowering faculty to understand and act within a dynamic world. “I look forward to our upcoming conferences: the 2026 AASA/�鶹���� International Conference in Brisbane, Australia; the 2026 Intersections Research Conference: URBAN DESIGN MATTERS in New York City; the 2026 Administrators Conference in Tucson; the 115th Annual Meeting: INSIDEANDOUTSIDE in Atlanta, and the 2027 �鶹����/EAAE Teachers Conference in Riga, Latvia,” shared Williamson. “These meetings will convene architectural educators and leaders from northern America and across the world, and provide enriching venues for scholarly engagement to help strengthen the field of architectural education.”

“I know that the membership of �鶹���� is brimming with people who possess abundant creative talent, intelligence, and industriousness, and who care deeply about the issues at the forefront of �鶹����’s values and strategic priorities,” she continued. “I’m ready to continue to contribute my energy and skills in service to them as their president.”

�鶹���� the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (�鶹����)

The mission of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (�鶹����) is to lead architectural education and research. Founded in 1912 by 10 charter members, �鶹���� is an international association of architecture schools preparing future architects, designers, and change agents. Our full members include all of the accredited professional degree programs in the United States and Canada, as well as international schools and two- and four-year programs. Together, �鶹���� schools represent some 7,000 faculty educating more than 40,000 students.

�鶹���� seeks to empower faculty and schools to educate increasingly diverse students, expand disciplinary impacts, and create knowledge for the advancement of architecture. For more information, visit .

Questions

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Hanifah Jones
Digital Marketing & Communications Manager
202-785-2324
hjones@acsa-arch.org

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Students Help Construct “A Good Wall” for the Medina Triennial

On the front lawn of the historic Medina High School stands artist James Beckett’s largest North American project to date—a collaboration with the UB School of Architecture and Planning titled A Good Wall. It was conceived as part of the inaugural , a site-responsive contemporary art exhibition that seeks to activate the landscapes and histories of Medina, NY, and the surrounding Western New York region.

To support the work, Bruscia dedicated a Spring 2026 ARC 404 studio to the effort, calling it “Digitizing and Designing Towards Spolia.” The term spolia refers to the reuse of stone materials from older structures—in this case, sandstone salvaged from demolished buildings, roads, and ashlar block walls. Some of the sandstone pieces even still contained evidence of their past use, like cornice fragments and windowsills. Fifteen senior students took part in the studio, co-led by Adjunct Instructor Timothy Noble.

The team of Beckett, Bruscia, and Noble not only created a thoughtful, well-crafted installation for the Medina Triennial, but they also delivered a meaningful hands-on learning experience for the students. Beckett met with them virtually almost weekly, inspiring the students to think differently, stretching their comfort zones, and making sure their voices were heard.

The studio offered those students a rare, immersive learning experience, exploring first-hand what it takes to see a project from concept to completion. They worked through every stage: building a foundation, drawing details for a permit set, collaborating with engineers, and ensuring the stability of a structure. Along the way, they also navigated the realities of working within an evolving design process, adapting to uncertainty and change—the type of environment they will likely experience in professional practice.

Ultimately, A Good Wall stands not only as a powerful installation, but also as a testament to collaboration, experimentation, and the power of design to connect past and future.

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AALA Column, June 2026

Co-Editors Barbara Opar and Alisha Rall

Column by Barbara Opar

counter | balance

48th��Annual AALA Conference��|������– virtual –���� |������May 27 – 29, 2026

The 48^th Annual Association of Architecture Librarians and Archivists Conference was held online from May 27-29, 2026. The conference serves as an important communication and training venue for members. AALA truly enjoys meeting with �鶹����, but this year decided the virtual format would allow more members to participate. Indeed, there was a substantial increase in the attendance of new members. We were able to reach more librarians working in or interested in learning about architectural librarianship, including some unique aspects of the field.

The conference was designed to prepare members for addressing new and ongoing challenges. ��Digital posters, presentations, virtual tours and open and topical discussions addressed a wide variety of topics ranging from instruction partnerships between faculty and librarians, the changing landscape of collection development, to the possibilities and issues presented by artificial intelligence.

Specific sessions included the librarian’s role in architectural education, which ranges from helping to prepare students for e-portfolios submissions to supporting design research. Designing spaces to help facilitate the research process was another topic covered.

Participants learned about options for collecting, accessing and using Materials Libraries. The keynote conversation concerned architectural archives and was presented bilingually. Speakers from CEPT University in Ahmedabad, India, the Museo de Arquitectura Leopoldo Rother in Bogota, Colombia, as well as the University of Texas at Austin spoke to the content of their collections, how they are used, as well as hurdles faced.

Pascale Sablan, FAIA, Chief Executive Officer of Adjaye Associates’ New York Studio, delivered an engaging lecture and discussion session on her recent book, . Sablan discussed her ongoing activism, including exhibitions held in over fifty locations.

Conference Vendors

This conference was supported by several important library vendors. Thanks go to: Actar: UrbanNext, the Art and Architecture e-Portal, Charles Wood Bookseller, Jordan Antiques and Antiquarian, OnArchitecture, Pidgeon Digital, and The Plan Journal. Check out their information below.

OnArchitecture:

A & Aeportal:

Vendor video:��

Pidgeon Digital:

Vendor video:��

The Plan Journal:

Vendor Video:

Actar: urbanNext:

Jordan Antiques & Antiquarian Books:

Charles B. Wood Antiquarian Books:

Their support enabled us to provide a robust, low-cost learning opportunity to our members.

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —��, Stuckeman Chair in Design Innovation and director of the Stuckeman Center for Design Computing (SCDC) at Penn State, has been appointed interim head of the Department of Architecture in the Stuckeman School, College of Arts and Architecture, effective July 1.

He takes over for Frank Jacobus, who was recently named director of the Knowlton School at Ohio State University after spending three years as the architecture department head at the Stuckeman School.

“We are deeply grateful to Frank for his leadership as department head in architecture and for his many contributions to the school and college,” said Chingwen Cheng, Stuckeman School director. “We are also grateful to José for his leadership in the SCDC and for the important role he plays across the architecture, graphic design and landscape architecture communities at the Stuckeman School. His experience, collegiality and demonstrated leadership make him exceptionally well-suited to serve as interim department head in architecture and to help guide the department through the 2026-27 academic year.”

A professor of architecture and landscape architecture at Penn State since 2016, Pinto Duarte is an affiliate professor of architectural engineering and engineering design. He co-founded the Penn State Additive Construction Laboratory and X-Hab 3D, leading initiatives in digital architecture and building information modeling.

“José has been instrumental to the sustained success of the SCDC and has been an integral member of the architecture and landscape architecture faculty over the past 10 years,” said Cheng. “With his extensive academic experience and deep commitment to the Stuckeman School, we are grateful for his willingness to step up and provide leadership during this transition.”

Pinto Duarte said he looks forward to working with colleagues to “support the department’s continuity, strengthen connections across the Stuckeman School, and maintain the conditions that allow our faculty, staff and students to thrive.”

“I see this interim role as an opportunity to serve the department with care and attentiveness — supporting stability, fostering open communication, and building on the strong culture of collaboration that defines architecture at Penn State,” Pinto Duarte said.

Pinto Duarte co-led the Penn State team that experienced tremendous success in the NASA 3D-printed Mars Habitat Challenge, including a����in the third phase of the competition in 2019. He has numerous honors and awards to his name and has presented his work at both national and international conferences.

Prior to his arrival at Penn State, Pinto Duarte served as dean of the School of Architecture at the Technical University of Lisbon (now University of Lisbon). He also taught in the Department of Architecture at the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he helped to establish the MIT–Portugal program.

Pinto Duarte is a past president of eCAADe – education and research in Computer-Aided Architectural Design in Europe.

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Tulane University Launches Sustainable Urbanism Major and Minor

The Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment has launched a new undergraduate program. Offering both a major and a minor, the program equips students with the knowledge and skills to analyze and address the environmental, social, and economic challenges shaping cities today. Rooted in the principles of urbanism and sustainability, the program trains students to study the built environment and its impact on human well-being and ecological systems.

As the global urban population rises — projected to reach 68% by 2050 — cities face mounting challenges, including housing affordability, climate resilience, environmental degradation, and social inequality. The Sustainable Urbanism Program takes an interdisciplinary approach to these issues, drawing from fields such as urban planning, environmental studies, architecture, sociology, political science, landscape architecture, and social innovation. Students will explore how cities develop, how they function, and how they can be improved—all while developing strategies to make urban environments more socially just, universally accessible, and environmentally responsible.

A key emphasis of the program is its alignment with global sustainability frameworks, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and the United Nations Urban Agendas for 2030 and 2050. Courses will examine sustainable city-making practices, climate action, green infrastructure, disaster resilience, and policies that support equity and inclusion in urban spaces. Through both theoretical study and applied research, students will learn to propose urban development pathways that promote environmental and social justice while ensuring cities remain vibrant, livable, and adaptable to change.

The major consists of 40 credit hours, while the minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours, allowing students to combine their studies with other disciplines or take advantage of study-abroad opportunities. The curriculum integrates practical research methodologies, including urban data analysis, GIS mapping, stakeholder engagement, and representational design tools. By combining quantitative and qualitative research methods, students will develop the skills necessary to evaluate urban challenges and design innovative, actionable solutions.

Beyond the classroom, the program prioritizes hands-on learning through collaborative research projects, internships, and partnerships with local and international organizations. By working alongside community stakeholders, students will engage with real-world urban issues such as disaster preparedness, housing accessibility, transportation infrastructure, and climate resilience.

Details on the program are posted .

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The University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning has selected the��winner of The Resilient Campus, an international design competition. The final team submissions were showcased in an exhibition at Crosby Hall on UB’s South Campus before traveling to the Aedes architecture gallery in Berlin. The upcoming fall symposium at UB will critique the work through different disciplinary frameworks — considering climate change, biodiversity loss and human vulnerability, and how these design strategies can be replicable across all scales of the built environment.

The team of LTL Architects + Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects + Derive Engineers was awarded first place. Stoss Landscape Urbanism + Höweler Yoon Architecture placed second and MASS + EinwillerKuehl + SITELAB Urban Studio + Second Nature Ecology + Design placed third. MVRDV + RIOS received an honorable mention for their experimental visualizations.

“I extend my sincere gratitude to all of the teams for the creativity and intelligence they brought to this competition,” says Julia Czerniak, competition coordinator and dean of the School of Architecture and Planning. “The entries represent remarkable use of new building materials, strategies for carbon reduction, prioritization of biodiversity, use of innovative visualizations and even the development of new tools — all guided by knowledge of UB’s South Campus, our city and region. Using UB as a test site, this work truly advances designing for resilience.”

��launched in August of last year, with seven teams selected to compete and focus on two scales: campus and building. At the campus scale, teams had to develop and apply strategies for an ecologically robust, resilient landscape for UB’s South Campus. At the building scale, teams developed and applied an adaptive strategy for a portion of the existing Health Sciences Complex and a schematic approach to a university-assisted public school.

“The winning project, ‘Field Studies: Growing a Biogenic Campus,’ reimagines South Campus as a productive landscape shaped by geothermal wells, productive forests and buildings grown from biogenic construction materials,” says Charles Waldheim, chair of the competition jury and professor at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. “Their proposal conceives of campus resilience through circular economies of plant materials and their infrastructures shaping a robust public forest landscape.”

Stoss Landscape Urbanism + Höweler Yoon Architecture’s proposal, “Campus Entanglements: Protocols for Learning,” presented an atlas of landscape and architectural types to guide the long-term transformation of the South Campus, earning them second place, explains Jason Sowell, associate professor in the School of Architecture and Planning and the competition adviser.

The third-place proposal, “Our Future is a Forest,” developed by MASS + EinwillerKuehl + SITELAB Urban Studio + Second Nature Ecology + Design, reimagined the campus through afforestation, positioning a renewed forest landscape as both ecological infrastructure and an expanded educational resource for human and nonhuman communities.

The competing teams and their faculty liaisons and student assistants included:

• STOSS Landscape Urbanism + Höweler Yoon Architecture
  Faculty Liaison: Maia Peck
  Student Assistants: Janice Ng, Edwin Sanchez Rodriguez, Ethan Ikegami
• OBRA Architects + LOLA Landscape Architects
  Faculty Liaison: Jon Spielman
  Student Assistants: Ryan Bingham, Ben Jellinick
• MVRDV + RIOS
  Faculty Liaison: Randy Fernando
  Student Assistants: Lydia Diboun, Kaya Jost, Gianni Rinaudo
• MASS + EinwillerKuehl + SITELAB Urban Studio + Second Nature Ecology and Design
  Faculty Liaisons: Joyce Hwang, Hiro Hata
  Student Assistants: Ryan Mellen, Ashley Johnson, Will Sundell
• LTL Architects + Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects + Derive Engineers
  Faculty Liaisons: Kristine Stiphany, Nick Bruscia
  Student Assistants: Berkan Sari, Gennaro Rovello, Allison Lavis, Shruti Kunadia
• Barkow Leibinger + TOPOTEK1 + Transsolar KlimaEngineering + Guy Nordenson and Associates
  Faculty Liaisons: Martha Bohm, Mohamed Aly Etman
  Student Assistants: Danny Escandon, Jamie Jiang, Sukriti Sharma
• ASPECT Studios + Woods Bagot Architecture + Dr. Jillian Walliss
  Faculty Liaison: Elaine Chow
  Student Assistants: Alec Pitillo, Ester Rafailova, Daniel Syperski

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