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The SoA Teaching Award

David Brubaker

David is a graduate of the B.Arch program and has been teaching the past several years with us. He is returning to full time practice and will not be here next year. We have been very lucky to have him with the school for that time and hope he will return to teach soon.

This Award is voted on by the students.

The SoA Research Award

Beth Weinstein

This year’s award goes to a faculty member that worked feverishly to complete a book project amongst a heavy teaching load. The text is already gaining international attention, and she will be focusing on this during a much-deserved sabbatical this fall. She was also recently promoted to Full Professor.

The SoA Service Award

Susannah Dickinson

This year the winner is someone who has worked as the chair of the CFM for the past 3 years, advancing the voice of the faculty in the college and beyond. The outcome of the committee has led to transparency in shared governance and more discourse between the Dean, faculty and administrators. Further, the committee structure of the college is becoming more efficient and streamlined.

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The SoA Curriculum Committee:

Shruti Penumarthty

Alyssa Fink

Jordan West

Francisco Encinas

The SoA Events and Lectures Committee

Khadija Didan

Ella Parsons

The SoA DPRC Committee

Linea Skura

Nicolas Montaño

The SoA ASAC Committee

Brett Lewis

Nicole Patek

Cademon Burgtorf

Saday Bowles

Serena Huaraque

Dillon Tisdale

Audree Custer

Claudia Kelly

Matthew Murray

Anna Osafo

Nathan Becenti

The SoA Student Club Leaders

Doyin Oduwole, AIAS

Maritza Noriega, Puente

Alyssa Fink, Building Better Alliance

Tommy Gutierrez, Alpha Rho Chi

Pele Kruse, WIAS

Francisco Zazueta Encinas, NOMAS

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CAPLA SoA Public Acknowledgments of 3rd Party Awards

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CAPLA SoA Public Acknowledgments of 3rd Party Awards

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Solar D

We are a net zero school, meaning we have the designation of teaching net zero design to our students from the Department of Energy. To this end, the Solar Decathlon students travelled to Golden, Colorado and with Professor David Brubaker, competed in an affordable energy efficient housing competition. The project was in partnership with the U of A. The group came home with two honorable mention awards in this national competition. Will you please stand, all students from the studio and professor David Brubaker, for this excellent work.

BofA

Similarly, this year Professor Eduardo Gurrero, Daniel Kuhlman and students participated in the Bank of America Low Income Housing Challenge that included design and proforma development of a deeply affordable housing project competing against numerous teams. The students were awarded honorable mention. I would like all the students from the BofA competition and their professors to stand as well to be recognized.

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Alpha Rho Chi Medal

Winner - Laura Darby

Honorable Mention - Emily Kulka, Laura Darby, Montse Bover

ARCC King Medal

Montse Bover

Research Thesis Award

Montse Bover

R&I Capstone Award

Tectonic Inquiry - Claudia Kelly

Urban Agency - Jed Perea

Metaphysics of Light - Linea Sukra

Adaptive Futures - Nwaf Aladani

Community Design & Action - Entire Studio

The Ronald R. Gourley Award for Design Excellence

Tectonic Inquiry - Rawan Alenezi

Urban Agency - Damien Narum-Brelay

Metaphysics of Light - Linea Sukra

Adaptive Futures - Nwaf Aladani

Community Design & Action - Entire Studio

M.Arch Project Award for Design

Entire Studio

AIA Medal

B.Arch - Jed Perea

M.Arch - Nicolas Montaño

Stream Awards

Technology B.Arch - Linea Skura

Technology M.Arch - Tom Lichty

History & Theory B.Arch - Emily Kulka

History & Theory M.Arch - Jackie Hogan

Practice B.Arch - Moe Franco

Practice M.Arch - Peter Hall

Design Communications B.Arch - Annick Puchette

Design Communications M.Arch - Laura Darby

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Annheliza Jordaan – studioSAMA

Founding Principal

Annheliza has over 15 years of experience as an architectural project manager and designer.  She thrives as a leader within her projects throughout all design phases and has overseen numerous award-winning projects through construction. She brings extensive experience in coordinating large collaborative teams of architects and consultants for projects ranging from master planning, high-rise commercial, hospitality, high-end residential to retail.

Her passion to lead encourages streamlined systems which result in efficiency and a designed product of the highest quality strongly rooted in the studio’s core values. As a mentor she enjoys promoting studio operations that support team participation and learning from active construction sites.

Prior to establishing studioSAMA in 2023 she played a pivotal role at Studio Rick Joy for over 7 years as Senior Project Manager and Designer and was involved with overseeing general studio management.  She has also worked for other internationally renowned offices throughout South Africa and the UK.

Along with her professional practice she teaches at the University of Arizona and regularly participates in student design reviews.

Annheliza is passionate about designing strong conceptual spaces that find inspiration in the observation of the surrounding environment in order to capture the spirit of the place.

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Design Excellence Winners - Team Project: Elena Aubree, Francisdo Fernandez, Jackie Hogan, Julie Polovitch

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Design Excellence Winners - Team Project: Elena Aubree, Francisdo Fernandez, Jackie Hogan, Julie Polovitch

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Studio Project: Yasmina Dashti, Caro Durazo, Souhayla Farag, Ashlea Hume, Graciela Keymolent, Christian MacKay, Daniela Navarro, Olivia Nelson, Chloe O'Hail, Alberto Ramirez, Berenice Ramos Pena, Alondra Rodriguez, Mariana Rodriguez, Josh Russell, Jordan West, Connor Worley

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Studio Project: Yasmina Dashti, Caro Durazo, Souhayla Farag, Ashlea Hume, Graciela Keymolent, Christian MacKay, Daniela Navarro, Olivia Nelson, Chloe O'Hail, Alberto Ramirez, Berenice Ramos Pena, Alondra Rodriguez, Mariana Rodriguez, Josh Russell, Jordan West, Connor Worley

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Jacob Woods

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Jacob Woods

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Team Project: Sierra Minotti, Maritza Noriega, Joy Chou, Francisco Zazueta Encinas, Tiffany Sanchez, Darvell Fatt

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Team Project: Sierra Minotti, Maritza Noriega, Joy Chou, Francisco Zazueta Encinas, Tiffany Sanchez, Darvell Fatt

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Design Excellence Awards Chair

Cade Hayes | DUST Architects

Founding Principal, Licensed Architect. As co-founder of DUST, based in Tucson, Arizona, Hayes views architecture as an embodied response to light, time, and terrain. Raised along the northern edges of the Chihuahuan Desert and educated on the Llano Estacado plains of West Texas, the vast, arid landscapes have profoundly influenced his sensibility. His work is shaped by a deep connection to the tactile and the temporal: walls that breathe, thresholds that invite slowness, and spaces that listen, revealing life through intimacy and stillness. With each project, DUST continues its search—for essence, for place, and for the timeless presence of being.

Hayes has shared his dedication to architecture with emerging architects through past teaching roles at the University of Arizona and Texas Tech University, where he led design studios and fabrication courses. A licensed architect in six states and a member of the GSA’s National Register of Peer Professionals, Hayes has served on design award juries across the country and frequently lectures on DUST’s work.

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Gustavo Silva | Studio Rick Joy

Gustavo is a Project Designer at Studio Rick Joy. Born in Venezuela and raised in Mexico City, he earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad Iberoamericana. He began his career at the studio of Frida Escobedo, where he contributed to and led projects across all stages of development—from architectural and urban design to objects and furniture. Since relocating to Tucson, he’s become an active advocate for housing, engaging directly in shaping local policy and providing accessible design alternatives. He shares a deep commitment to fostering equitable and sustainable urban environments, with a focus on inclusive housing, sustainable transportation, and community-centered development.

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Richelle Bruner | studioCABAN

Richelle is an Architectural Designer at studioCABAN, where she plays a key role in designing luxury hospitality and residential projects throughout North America. Her background as a poet influences her understanding of design as a creative practice of investigative storytelling that transcends the bounds of language and assumes a physical form.

Previous to her work at studioCABAN, Richelle completed an award-winning workshop (2022-2023) led by Estudio Macías Peredo (Guadalajara, MX) and El Dorado (Kansas City, US), where her work was recognized for outstanding design and selected for further development by the partners Estudio Macías Peredo.

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Natalia Zieman Hayes | DUST Architects Senior Designer and Project Manager

Natalia’s experience spans over 16 years, and comprises a wide variety of project typologies, scales, and geographies.  Originally from Dallas, she graduated from The University of Texas at Austin. She is a Senior Designer and Project Manager with DUST. She has overseen the full development of projects from initial design concepts through their construction and has directed the collaboration and coordination of large teams for multi-faceted projects. She is passionate about designing spaces that are both conceptual and sensitive in spirit while honoring the connection to the surrounding environment and cultural roots. Her previous work experience includes over a decade with Studio Rick Joy, where she played a key role in designing and managing the studio’s work and team

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Jose Luis Ibarra | Design Principal IBARRA ROSANO DESIGN ARCHITECTS

Luis Ibarra is the Design Principal and Co-founder of Ibarra Rosano Design Architects, a nationally and internationally acclaimed studio known for creating architecture that forges meaningful connections between people, place, and purpose. Since 1999, Luis has led the firm with a deep sensitivity to site, climate, and culture—especially in the Sonoran Desert—crafting spaces that are not only environmentally responsive but emotionally resonant. Guided by a philosophy that architecture should inspire belonging, Luis designs with the land, not just on it. His work invites human connection and honors natural patterns, drawing influence from his mentorship with Australian architect Glen Murcutt. Under his leadership, the studio has earned over 70 design awards and global recognition for its thoughtful, modern desert architecture.

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Class Project: Anna Osafo, Kersten Ellsworth, Jae Keun Jun, Alondra Azurdia, Anna Liisa Cheshire, Katlin Mouisset, Sam Goecke, Luba Mikhadziuk, Steven Burkett, Shruti Penumarthy, Austin Flaute

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Class Project: Anna Osafo, Kersten Ellsworth, Jae Keun Jun, Alondra Azurdia, Anna Liisa Cheshire, Katlin Mouisset, Sam Goecke, Luba Mikhadziuk, Steven Burkett, Shruti Penumarthy, Austin Flaute

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Phoebe Martinez

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Phoebe Martinez

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Laura Vertes | AIA Southern Arizona President

Laura Vertes, AIA, is a Principal at Swaim Associates, Ltd. in Tucson. She joined Swaim Associates, Ltd. in 2007 and became a principal in 2019. Laura has been in the architecture field for 20+ years, specializing in managing complex projects from concept through construction and serving as a client advocate to uphold the project vision through every stage. Laura is passionate about helping clients develop their project vision in a way that positively supports their core identity and mission. She approaches design empathetically, seeking to gain a deeper understanding of each team member to create a positive atmosphere for design. With persistent optimism and a solution-oriented approach, Laura aims to resolve challenges head-on to deliver exceptional results. She brings her passion and skills to her current service as President-Elect for the AIA Southern Arizona Board of Directors, helping to support a vibrant professional community for architects.

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Minha Saadi

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Minha Saadi

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Design Excellence Winners - Linea Skura + Sasha Terpilovskaya

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Design Excellence Winners - Linea Skura + Sasha Terpilovskaya

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Team Project: Alberto Ramirez, Emily Kulka, Jed Perea, Jordan West, Olivia Nelson, Connor Worley

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Team Project: Alberto Ramirez, Emily Kulka, Jed Perea, Jordan West, Olivia Nelson, Connor Worley

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Joy Chou

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Joy Chou

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Lauren Harper

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Design Excellence Honorable Mention - Lauren Harper

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Oscar Lopez, Assoc. AIA

Senior Lecturer

CAPLA Academic Events Committee

Events Committee Chair

Oscar Lopez, Assoc. AIA

Senior Lecturer

Committee Members

Teresa Rosano, Morgan Oster, Ashley Simone, Khadija Didan, Ella Parsons

School of Architecture Director

Ryan Smith

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Laura Vertes, AIA

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Urban Faultlines | M.Arch Masters Project

Spring 2025

Prof. Christopher Trumble

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Community | Native Peoples Design Coalition

Architecture of Possibility

Spring 2025

Prof. Laura Carr

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Civic Studio

North Phoenix Town Center

Phoenix, AZ

Fall 2024

Prof. Craig Nealy

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Advanced Design Studio I: Urban Design

Laos Transit Center–El Pueblo Center Community Gateway

Fall 2024

Prof. Kenny Wong

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Tucson Typo(ologies) Rewritten

The Book, The Banister, The Belfry, The Bath House, and The Block

Fall 2024

Prof. Brendan Shea

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Adaptive Futures

Spring 2025

Prof. Susannah Dickinson