AFFILIATED RESEARCH UNITS

The School of Architecture’s Affiliated Research Units promote faculty and student research across campus and beyond. These research units provide specialized research opportunities for faculty and students within fields ranging from housing to transportation to public interest design.

PLANET TEXAS 2050

Texas’ population could double by the year 2050. Extreme weather events will bring more floods, more droughts, and more heat. Our state's resources can’t support those demands. Making Texas resilient is Planet Texas 2050’s grand challenge. Planet Texas 2050 is an eight-year sprint to find solutions that will make our communities more resilient and better prepared. Working in partnership with stakeholders and members of the community, Planet Texas 2050 researchers seek to improve Texas’ adaptability and build its resilience as we respond to rapid growth and climate change.

Satellite image of a large hurricane swirling over the Gulf of Mexico, with dense white clouds covering much of the water and part of the surrounding land. Daylight and city lights are visible on the edges.
A close-up view of a modern building facade featuring a geometric, zigzag pattern of white, angular panels set against reflective glass windows.

THERMAL LAB

The two Thermal Labs at The University of Texas at Austin are an outdoor testing facility for state-of-the-art research on innovative façade design. The labs are designed to allow for the testing of façade elements—such as glazing, shading, or decorative / weather protective shells—and their impact on building energy use and can also be used for other energy or indoor air quality studies.