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| Students worked in the on-site gardens with the Wind River Food Sovereignty Project team during their immersive studio visit. (Photo by Jesse Kuroiwa, CAP VRC.) |
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The Immersive Landscape Architecture Studio Designs to Support the Wind River Food Sovereignty ProjectLandscape Architecture students traveled to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming to design with—not just for—the land. Through an immersive studio experience, they explored food sovereignty, water scarcity, and community-centered design firsthand. |
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| Graduate student Summer Svedlow holds her sober living home model. (Photo courtesy of CU Denver News.) |
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The Power of Design: Architecture’s Role in Helping People HealThe College of Architecture and Planning's first-ever DESIGN/HEALth Initiative Studio, led by Professor Julee Herdt in collaboration with the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at CU Anschutz, invited students to design model sober living homes for people in recovery. The fall 2025 course focused on how the built environment affects health and well-being, specifically for those in recovery from addiction. |
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Architecture students attending AIAS FORUM 2026 met CU Regent Nolbert Chavez (center) and toured his office and the Ninth Street Historic Park on the Auraria Campus. (Photo courtesy of Kody Mahas.) |
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We were proud to host The American Institute of Architecture Students AIAS FORUM 2026 from January 7-10 on the Auraria Campus. The event was a remarkable success due to the hard work of our AIAS students on the FORUM team.
Chair: James Charbeneau
Vice Chair: Dania Morelli
Programming: Andrew Keady
Events and Site: Kelsey Gustaf
Volunteers Coordinator: Jasmine Bennett
Faculty Advisor: Leyuan Li Several students volunteered their time and talents to ensure a successful event.
Santiago Aguilera Cepeda
Hamees Gabr
Lance Holland
Kody Mahas
Hannah White
Thank you to everyone who contributed to AIAS FORUM 2026!
We are delighted to announce that Assistant Professor Leyuan Li has been honored with three 2026 Architectural Education Awards from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). The awards honor architectural educators who inspire and challenge students, advance the discipline’s knowledge base, and extend their work beyond the borders of academia into practice and the public sector. Li will be presented the AIAS/ACSA New Faculty Teaching Award, Creative Achievement Award, and Faculty Design Award during the ACSA 114th Annual Meeting, March 26-28, 2026.
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Alex Yueyan Li whose firm 11x17 is exhibiting their project Two Foundations at the Chicago Architecture Biennial. The installation explores how buildings and the ground beneath them change over time as a natural and ongoing part of building life. The exhibition is on view at the Chicago Cultural Center through February 28.
Professor Austin Troy has been designated a Fulbright Specialist. A program of the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Specialist Program is a unique opportunity for academics and established professionals to engage in project-based exchanges at institutions across the globe. Congratulations, Austin!
CAP Seed Grants directly support interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative ideas that advance teaching, scholarship, and creative work. We are delighted to announce the following awards have been made to collaborative teams representing two or more departments or units. Scholarly and Creative Work ($7,500) Teaching and Pedagogy ($5,000) Congratulations to our 2025-2026 CAP Seed Grant recipients!
Assistant Professor Priyanka deSouza was elected as co-chair of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's (CDPHE) Environmental Justice Advisory Board. She was also selected to participate in the Environmental Data Science Summit in Santa Barbara, January 27-29, 2026, and has the following recent publications. - Steinharter, L., Ibsen, P.C., deSouza, P. and McHale, M.R., 2026. "The Surface Is Not Superficial: Utilizing Hyper-Local Thermal Photogrammetry for Pedestrian Thermal Comfort Inquiry." Remote Sensing.
- deSouza, P., Ellenburg, J., Turnipseed, A., Williford, C., Pliszka, H., Schwantes, S., Dye, T., Greenidge, L., Bailly, A., Kopala, T. and Vaughan, E., 2025. "Estimating PM2. 5 in Fort Collins, Colorado Using a Robust Drive-By Correction of Low-Cost Air Quality Monitors Deployed on School Buses." Science of The Total Environment, 1008, p.180990.
- Kumar, P., Perez, K.C., Biswal, A., Sun, H., Dwivedi, A.K., Hama, S., Khalili, S., Ahlawat, A., de Fatima Andrade, M., Alves, R.A. dos Santos, E.A.A., et al. 2025. "Overlooked Considerations in Prescribing Green and Blue Infrastructure Solutions for Urban Environments." The Innovation.
Stantec promoted Robyn Linstrom, healthcare architecture expert and alum (M.Arch), to Principal. Linstrom's design philosophy focuses on creating healing environments, particularly for behavioral health, and she advocates for designs that foster dignity and support for patients and families. Congratulations!
Kevin Nguyen, CAP alum (M.Arch) and AIA Colorado’s 2025 Architect of the Year was featured in "The Architect Behind Your Favorite Restaurants" in The Denver Post. Kevin and his firm Regular Architecture have designed several popular restaurants, including Hop Alley, Uncle Wash Park, and Molino Chido.
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| CAP Welcomes Assistant Teaching Professor Morgane Copp |
Morgane Copp joins CAP faculty this spring as an assistant teaching professor of architecture. Previously, Morgane was part of the faculty at UC Berkeley, California College of Arts (CCA), and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where she served as associate director of the Architecture and Urban Design (AUD) Summer Programs. Morgane has practiced architecture internationally in Athens, New York, Basel, San Diego, and Los Angeles for firms including Young & Ayata, Herzog & de Meuron, and Rob Wellington Quigley Architects. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Nottingham and a Master of Architecture from UCLA Architecture and Urban Design, where she graduated with distinction. |
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| Lois Brink Serves as Interim Landscape Architecture Chair for the Spring Semester |
This semester, Professor Lois Brink is serving as interim chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture while Professor Jody Beck is on sabbatical. Brink joined the CAP faculty in 1988 and has more than 45 years of experience in the landscape architecture profession. She is a nationally recognized leader in community-engaged design, resilient landscapes, and child-focused public space. Brink is the chief strategist for The Big SandBox, a nonprofit that supports small-scale neighborhood efforts and helps grow them into systemwide community change. Her work reflects a long-standing commitment to building healthy neighborhoods and transforming community spaces. Well known for her experience and research in learning landscapes, in 2025, Brink's research was recognized and referenced by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in his campaign proposal for the city’s parks and playgrounds. |
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Monday, February 2, 2026 | College of Architecture and Planning Adam Haddow, Director at SJB Architects (Sydney) and the current National President of the Australian Institute of Architects, presents "Shall We Dense," exploring how sustained, values-driven practice in a city we live in and care deeply about can generate both public benefit and private gain—using housing as a powerful tool for social, civic, and urban good. From noon - 1 p.m. in CAP's Second Floor Gallery. Thursday, February 5, 2026 | College of Architecture and Planning Join us for "THAT WAS THEN THIS IS NOW," a lecture presented by Mark Lee, founding partner of Johnston Marklee, based in Los Angeles. Since its establishment in 1998, Johnston Marklee has been recognized nationally and internationally with over fifty major awards. Projects undertaken by Johnston Marklee span seven countries throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Reception from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Lecture from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in CAP's Second Floor Gallery. Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | College of Architecture and Planning Join us for a Geography and Environmental Sciences Colloquium featuring Assistant Professor Priyanka deSouza and Assistant Professor Ben Crawford and a discussion about their ongoing research into heat and air pollution in key activity spaces in Denver, including bus stops, with implications for equity and health. From 11 a.m. - noon in the CU Denver North Classroom Building, Room 3210, on the Auraria Campus.Monday, February 16, 2026 | College of Architecture and Planning The spring lecture series continues with Florencia Rodriguez, Associate Professor and Director of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Architecture. From noon - 1 p.m. in CAP's Second Floor Gallery. Thursday, February 19, 2026 | College of Architecture and Planning Laura Brudzynski, CEO of Archway Communities, joins us for an informal presentation and discussion about Archway's strategies and efforts to meet the housing and supportive services needs of our communities. From noon - 1 p.m. in CAP's Second Floor Gallery.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | Schoolyard Beer Garden
The Dana Crawford Preservation Program is hosting its first annual Saving Places Mixer for students, alumni, instructors, and friends of the program. This informal mixer will provide a space to catch up with old colleagues and connect with peers passionate about preserving the past. Non-alcoholic drinks and food to be provided by the program.Through February 28, 2026 | Chicago Cultural Center If you are in the Chicago area, stop by the Chicago Architecture Biennial where Assistant Professor Alex Yueyan Li's firm 11x17 is exhibiting their project Two Foundations. The installation explores how buildings and the ground beneath them change over time as a natural and ongoing part of building life. On view at the Chicago Cultural Center through February 28. |
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