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The 2022-2023 Design Excellence Exhibit showcases the best studio work from all levels and programs in the School of Architecture at CAPLA. This body of work was nominated by their studio faculty to represent Design Excellence from each studio.

From this exhibit, an Awards Chair selected by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Southern Arizona assembles a diverse jury made up of local and non local professional to select student projects to receive AIA monetary awards and recognition for Design Excellence.

This years' Design Awards Chair is Laura Vertes, AIA from the Tucson, AZ based architecture office, Swaim Associates.

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Option Studio

COMPOSITE ARCHITECTURES

Spring 2023

Prof. Michael Silver

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Capstone (P3) + ARC909
(TEAM PROJECT)

Critical Practice Laboratory
Studio MOYO

Spring 2023

Prof. Christopher Trumble
Prof. Altaf Engineer

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M.Arch lll

Urban Land Ethic

Garfield Housing
Phoenix, AZ

Spring 2023

Prof. Christopher Domin

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Julie Stewart, AIA

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M.Arch ll

Native American and Indigenous Community Center

Spring 2023

Prof. Laura Carr

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Design + Build
(TEAM PROJECT)

Design Development and
Construction of Stadium Rowhouses
Tucson, AZ

Fall 2022

Prof. Eric Weber

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MS. Arch

Climate Change + Design

Fall 2022

Prof. Susannah Dickinson

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Option Studio

Mindfulness + Social Justice
Tucson, AZ

Spring 2023

Prof. Teresa Rosano

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Solar Decathlon
(TEAM PROJECT)

Spring 2023

Prof. David Brubaker

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Integrations of Place

Performance + Art Center
Bisbee, Arizona

Fall 2022

Professor's:
Teresa Rosano (studio coordinator), Trevor Watson, Siri Trumble, Eduardo Guerrero, Morgan Oster

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Composition: Site, form, and space

The Domestic Domain
Tucson, AZ

Fall 2022

Professor's:
Clare Robinson (studio coordinator), Bill Mackey, June Williamson, Mike Silver, Dan Sylvester

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Urban Threshold

Social Space
Tucson, AZ

Fall 2022

Prof. Oscar Lopez

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Principles + Precedent

5 Points Library
Tucson, AZ

Fall 2022

Prof. Christopher Trumble

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Capstone (P3)

Policy Design

Spring 2023

Prof. Bill Mackey

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Capstone (P3)

Urban Agency

Spring 2023

Prof. Beth Weinstein

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Capstone (P3)

(Meta)Physics of Light

Spring 2023

Prof. Christopher Domin

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Capstone (P3)

Material Matters

Spring 2023

Sheehan Wachter & Jesus Robles

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Tectonic Inquiry
(TEAM PROJECT)

Design Build Studio
Tucson, AZ

Spring 2023

Prof. Eric Weber

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Climate Change and Design

RegenCity

Fall 2022

Prof. Susannah Dickinson

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Poetics of Light

(Meta)Physics of Light P3 Cluster
White Sands, New Mexico

Fall 2022

Prof. Jesus Robles

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Border Studio

Re-envisioning the Border
Ambos Nogales

Fall 2022

Prof. Teresa Rosano

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Design + Build
(TEAM PROJECT)

Design Development and
Construction of Stadium Rowhouses
Tucson, AZ

Fall 2022

Prof. Mary Harden & Jessica McQuillen

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Architectural Systems | Speculation and Integration

resourceXchange
Tucson, AZ

Fall 2022

Professor's:
Michael Kothke (studio coordinator), Michael Becherer, Laura Carr, Brian Farling/Shawn Swisher, Craig Nealy

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Design Studio IV

Urban Housing
Tucson, Arizona

Spring 2023

Professor's:
Siri Trumble (studio coordinator), Eduardo Guerrero, Trevor Watson, Mary Hardin, Jessica McQuillen

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The Meaning of Making | Making Meaning

Museum for All Souls
Tucson, AZ

Spring 2023

Professor's:
Michael Kothke (studio coordinator), Oscar Lopez, Michael Becherer, Craig Nealy, Dan Sylvester

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Liam G. Leonard, AIA
Liam Leonard, AIA has been working in the field since 2009. Liam has a bachelors of Architecture from the UofA College of Architecture in 2017. He is a licensed Architect in the state of Arizona. He was a member of the Arizona AIA Associates Committee, is now a member of the Arizona AIA 10 Committee, and has been a member of the Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce since 2017.

Liam has worked on a variety of different project types including custom Homes, general Office, Medical Office, Industrial, and Flex Office projects. At CAPLA Liam helped work on the Sentinel House, a Drachman Design-Build Coalition design studio project. The Sentinel House received an AIA Design Excellence Award.

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Maurita Harris, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP
Maurita joined the PHX Architecture team in 2010. She is a licensed Architect in the State of Arizona and has attained her NCARB Certification. She is also a LEED-​Accredited Professional and has completed the Certified Sustainable Building Advisor Program. Maurita is also a founding member and is the current President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), Arizona Chapter. In the Spring of 2021, she was appointed by the Mayor and City Council to the City of Phoenix Alhambra Village Planning Committee.

Originally from Ohio, Maurita received both her Bachelors of Science in Architecture and Bachelor of Architecture degree from Kent State University. As part of her undergraduate studies, she also participated in the KSU CAED European Program in Florence, Italy and Lugano, Switzerland.

In her role as Senior Architect and Project Manager, she directs many of our restaurant and hospitality projects from design through construction, mentoring junior staff and collaborating with clients, consultants and builders to provide guidance and technical expertise. Maurita’s design inspiration comes from being a family-oriented person and the desire to create “gathering places”. Recent projects include the Historic Arizona Biltmore Resort Adult Pool, Event Lawn and Spire Bar, Paradise Slide, Entry and Cabanas, Saint Marc USA in California, True Spec Golf Studios on the East and West coasts, and Tia Carmen restaurant at the JW Marriott at Desert Ridge.

Past projects include SumoMaya Mexican Asian Kitchen, the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors Headquarters, Assumption Greek Orthodox Fellowship Hall, Serenity Hospice, Burger Theory Restaurant in Phoenix and the Historic Wigwam Resort. She also has experience in aviation, higher education, financial and retail projects.

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Rick Joy FAIA, Int. FRIBA
Rick Joy is the founder of Studio Rick Joy, an award-winning architecture, interiors, and planning firm based in Tucson, Arizona. Originally from Maine, Rick studied music and was a classical percussionist and rock/blues drummer until the age of 28 when he moved to Tucson to study Architecture at the University of Arizona. Upon graduation in 1990, Rick began a 3-year appointment as part of the design team for the 280,000sf Phoenix Central Library with William Bruder Architects in Phoenix.

His first major solo project, the Catalina House, was designed shortly after he graduated, and in 1993 Studio Rick Joy (SRJ) was established with Rick as founding/managing principal. Rick is also the co-founder/owner of CLL Concept Lighting Lab with his wife Claudia Kappl Joy. CLL provides full-service Lighting Design for all SRJ projects in addition to outside firms.

Rick periodically serves as visiting professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Rice University, M.I.T. and the University of Arizona, and for years has led the Immersion Vermont Masterclass, an annual week-long program for mid-career architects that he founded. Rick has lectured internationally and is considered an important contributor to the ongoing global discourse on conceptual and sustainable architecture. His work expresses innovation and exactitude in modernism and reflects a unique sense of place.

Most significantly, Rick received the 2002 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture and in 2004 won the prestigious National Design Award from the Smithsonian Institute/Cooper-Hewitt Museum (White House Ceremony). In 2015 Rick was vested into the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows and the Royal Institute of British Architects’ RIBA International College of Fellows. In winter of 2019 he was inducted into the Design Hall of Fame.

Professional affiliations include The College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects, The American Academy of Arts and Letters, Tucson MOCA Advisory Board Member.

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Liz Farkas, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB
Originally from the Midwest, Liz received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from the University of Houston. During her time at UH she was able to study in Saintes, France for a semester and intern with EMBT in Barcelona for several months.

Upon completion of school and travels, Liz worked for a firm in her hometown, finding her way to Arizona in 2004. She’s worked with several Tucson architecture practices including Rob Paulus and Lizard Rock Designs, joining Poster Mirto McDonald in 2016 with a focus on housing and historic preservation.

Liz enjoys employing a collaborative team approach to developing solutions that respond to the specific demands of each project, with a particular interest in the environmental responsibility of those solutions. Liz has been a registered architect in the state of Arizona since 2008, is a LEED Accredited Professional, and has served as a director on the board of the local AIA chapter and as an editor of AIA Arizona’s professional journal.

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Laura Vertes, AIA
Laura Vertes, AIA has been with Swaim Associates since 2007 working from associate to registered architect to principal. She is a licensed Architect in the State of Arizona, as well as an NCARB certificate holder and LEED Accredited Professional. Laura currently holds the position of Secretary on the AIA Southern Arizona Board.

Throughout her career, Laura has accrued experience across a wide range of project types and scales, including commercial, education, health care, and university health centers. Laura’s ability to recall critical details makes her adept at translating a program into a functional design. She is committed to bringing the client’s vision to fruition through a collaborative design process. Her contagious enthusiasm and emotional intelligence inspire client trust and foster innovative solutions. Laura has been integral to the success of several large-scale projects in Tucson, including the UniSource tower downtown, the Health Sciences Innovation Building (HSIB) on the UA Health Sciences campus, the TEP Irvington Modernization project, and the Tucson Medical Center Rincon hospital (construction to be completed this year). She is currently working with SmithGroup and DPR on the new AZPM facility to be located at the Bridges.

Laura’s proudest achievement and most complex project remains raising two intelligent and feisty daughters. As a proud University of Arizona CAPLA alumni, she enjoys cheering on the Wildcats and working on University projects whenever she can.

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Prof. Christopher Trumble + Altaf Engineer

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Jury Comments
The response felt inevitable and reflected the cultural identity of the site. The jury appreciated the thorough amount of research and documentation from research through design.

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Jury Comments
Graphically and narratively strong, an elegant design cohesively presented. The jury appreciated the materiality and scale of the design, the juxtaposition of masonry to the steel and wood screens hits just the right balance. The massing of the project allows it to effectively reach out to the city, engaging people on all levels. Well done.

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Abdullah Alobaid

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Abdullah Alobaid

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Jury Comments
A journey through the senses, universal even in its approach to cuisine. The jury appreciated the strong thematic development of the spaces related to the technique of cuisine, supported by the project's evocative graphics.

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Selected Honorable Mention Project               Gabriel Garcia        

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Selected Honorable Mention Project               Gabriel Garcia        

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Jury Comments
The jury appreciated the very contextually responsive design which was well supported by the modeling and light studies.

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Selected Winning Project Hallie Letsinger

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Selected Winning Project Hallie Letsinger

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Jury Comments
Simple and evocative with an ethereal quality. The jury felt that the project captures the timelessness and otherworldliness of the site, creating a space for reflection.

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Nhan Vo

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Nhan Vo

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Jury Comments
Optimistic and explorative of the "space between", the design activates the border, blurring the lines between the two countries. The jury wishes this could be reality. The elegant graphics were very powerful in supporting the concept.

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Victor Sidy, AIA, LEED AP
Victor Sidy, AIA LEED AP, is an award-winning architect, educational leader, and advocate for quality in the built environment. He received his architectural training from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture after receiving the Flinn Foundation Scholarship and Robert C. Byrd Scholarship. He has worked with artists, architects, and planners in Russia, the Netherlands, France, Vietnam, and throughout the United States. Mr. Sidy hosted a television series on architecture for EMG Satellite Television that aired from 1996 to 1998 and was the youngest member of Architecture Magazine's 1999 feature "Young Americans." Mr. Sidy has been managing principal of the architectural firm Victor Sidy Inc./ Victor Sidy Architect since 2000, and is professor of practice for the Master of Real Estate Development program at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Mr. Sidy served as Head of School and Dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in Scottsdale, Arizona and Spring Green, Wisconsin from 2005 to 2015.

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Selected Winning Project Merle Weisshaupt

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Selected Winning Project Merle Weisshaupt

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Jury Comments
The jury appreciated the way the project transitioned from the open gathering space adjacent to the site, funneling procession participants and visitors through a wide aperture and stairs. Supported by the massing and transparency of the building, the interior procession becomes introspective.

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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
Beth Weinstein, Bob Perkins, Eric Weber, Hallie Letsinger, Alfredo Quezada

School of Architecture Director
Ryan Smith

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Prof. Brian Farling + Shawn Swisher w/ Studio Coordinator, Michael Kothke

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Jury Comments
A soaring celebration of water, anchored to the earth through the massing and programmatic functions. The jury appreciated the way the roof element funnels the water to an active circulation space, with the intent to evaporatively cool the central gathering spaces.

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Prof. Craig Nealy w/ Studio Coordinator, Michael Kothke

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Brandon Willmon

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Brandon Willmon

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Jury Comments
A cohesive campus design utilizing distinct geometries to clearly express the programmatic elements. The jury appreciated the project scale and campus organization of the site.  Beautifully illustrated to express the sustainable concepts.

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Prof. Michael Becherer w/ Studio Coordinator, Michael Kothke

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Prof. Laura Carr w/ Studio Coordinator, Michael Kothke

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Prof. David Brubaker w/ Alyssa Fink, Seunghu Kim, Michelle Munguia, Kedar Sitapati

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Selected Honorable Mention Project CASA VERDE Solar Decathlon Design Challenge

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Selected Honorable Mention Project CASA VERDE Solar Decathlon Design Challenge

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Jury Comments
Contextually appropriate design that cultivates community. The jury felt that the design fit the context and the design team gave specific attention to the way that residents would live and socialize in the spaces. The extensive environmental analysis and research was appreciated.

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Selected Winning Project Melack Albargash

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Selected Winning Project Melack Albargash

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Jury Comments
Evocative and immersive video that drew us into the project as participants, discovering the concept experientially. The jury appreciated the attention to representation and inclusion that permeated the design.

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Matthew Dulong & Serena Wahl

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Matthew Dulong & Serena Wahl

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Jury Comments
Aspirational yet realistic. The jury appreciated the way the project tackled the policy issues that are hindering infill development in the City of Tucson.

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Nicolas Montano

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Selected Honorable Mention Project Nicolas Montano

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Jury Comments
Environmentally appropriate response, massing and material selection is thoughtful. The jury felt the success of the project lies in its siting in proximity to the density of ASU and Downtown, as well as its response to the arid environment. The special attention to the private vs. public processions is commended.

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Selected Winning Project Christian Walker

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Selected Winning Project Christian Walker

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Jury Comments
The apertures and angles of the shade structure create moments along the path for activity and reflection. The jury appreciated the way the shade structure morphed into inhabited space. The project is a place that we wanted to be, welcoming and peaceful for the entire community.