NEWS & UPDATES

Learn more about Toshiki Hirano, Ruth Carter Stevenson Visiting Professor.

Please join us on October 24 and October 25 in celebrating the life and legacy of Professor Michael Benedikt, who served the School of Architecture community for 50 years.

Architecture and interior design students, led by lecturer Ashley Heeren, explored adaptive reuse in east Waco as part of their Advanced Design Studio. Through this visit, students engaged with local professionals, business owners and community members to understand how built environments carry layered histories and how to be thoughtful in planning for future needs.

As beloved as the courtyard has been for generations of students, it became even more significant in 2011 when it became an ode to the impact of the legendary architect, educator, and former Dean: Hal Box. 

Support from the SNSF Scientific Exchange and UT’s Faculty Development Leave program will allow Dr. Gian-Claudia Sciara to join the Swiss Federal Institute’s Land Use Systems Group as a Visiting Scientist during academic year 2025-26.

Robert T. Renfro, Austin architect and retired UTSOA faculty member, passed away on September 5, 2025, in Austin, Texas. He was 94.

To recognize his recent promotion to Full Professor, we spoke with Matt Fajkus to learn more about his latest work, his approach to teaching and how his background influences him.

Jessica Garza is one of 15 undergraduate interior design students in North America to receive this honor this year in the form of a $30,000 scholarship.

The prestigious research grants will support Davis and Dudley’s research and scholarship, exploring untold narratives and expanding the architectural canon.

Join us in celebrating two exciting promotions within the UTSOA faculty: Miriam Solis is now an Associate Professor with Tenure and Matt Fajkus is now a full Professor! Their contributions to the architecture and planning fields are immeasurable and we are proud to have them as an integral part of our school's community. Stay tuned for feature interviews with both of these faculty members later this fall.

Michael Benedikt, who served the School of Architecture community for 50 years, died on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at the age of 78, leaving a legacy of architectural thought and intellectual impact.

The American Society of Interior Designers awarded Master of Interior Design students Stephanie Belov and Yuzheng Gan 2nd place in the Student Commercial Design Category, celebrated during the Awards Gala during the ASID Texas Chapter's 50th-anniversary conference in Dallas.

Three new faculty-led study abroad opportunities expose students to critical works of contemporary and emergent architecture, global perspectives, and new cultural experiences. Programs led by School of Architecture faculty and leadership will take students to Japan, South Korea, London, Copenhagen, Zurich, and Basel.

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture presents Planetary Imaginaries: an expansive series of public engagements for the Fall 2025 semester starting on September 5. Invited architects, landscape architects, planners, and historians continue the school’s legacy of intentional rooted practice through critical conversations that respond to the increasingly urgent conditions of each field. 

PRP Now! is a series of interviews that highlight a current UTSOA Professional Residency Program student every few weeks.

Sonya Sehgal is the first recipient of the Theodore Prudon Education Fund Grant from Docomomo, a national non-profit that prioritizes preservation of heritage architecture, landscapes, and design. The award offered the opportunity for Sehgal to attend a conservation course in Italy that focused on the analysis and restoration of archeological ceramics. 

Design Excellence awardees represent an exceptional level of accomplishment across our design disciplines.

In the exhibition currently on view at the Materials Lab throughout the fall semester, Associate Professor Danelle Briscoe challenges the aesthetics of “green design” and calls for more responsible, resilient material practices in architecture.