E-news letter for Archtecture

OCTOBER 2018

Mallory Kohut creates a virtual food truck during the viz Summer Industry Workshop.

Grad Vizzers create animated short films with Disney Pixar pros

During a summer-long workshop known for testing the mettle of Texas A&M graduate visualization students, four teams, mentored by visiting artists from Disney’s Pixar Animated Studios, crafted short animated films featuring odd-couple robots.

Laura Bush touts student’s rooftop garden design

Former First Lady Laura Bush recently announced a health research initiative that will feature a Houston healing garden designed by Phillip Hammond, a Texas A&M landscape architecture student.

Renowned architect joins College of Architecture faculty

World-renowned architect and Texas A&M Distinguished Alumnus Harold L. Adams ’61, who has worked with a United States president, holds elite international licenses and earned innumerable accolades for his work, will join the Texas A&M College of Architecture faculty.

College to honor 6 outstanding alumni at Nov. 15 ceremony

Six Texas A&M College of Architecture former students who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their respective fields will be honored as outstanding alumni at a Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 banquet in College Station.

Oct. 29 symposium spotlights college, faculty research

The wide variety of research and creative work by faculty and doctoral students will be showcased at “Natural, Built, Virtual,” the college’s 20th annual research symposium, October 29, 2018, at Preston Geren Auditorium.

Students to create games in 48 hours at Chillennium 2018

Student video game designers will create electronic games from scratch in Chillennium 2018, a giant, Texas A&M student-run game jam competition Oct. 12-14, 2018 in the university’s Memorial Student Center.

RESEARCH

Eric Du navigates a virtual reality emergency simulation.

CoSci prof earns grant to develop virtual reality firefighter training

Current firefighter training methods fall short of preparing new recruits for dangerous missions, a problem Jing “Eric” Du, Texas A&M assistant professor of construction science, is targeting by creating a virtual reality emergency simulation system with the aid of a $465,000 National Institute of Standards and Technology grant.

Design prof’s paper describes gardening, brain health links

Typical gardening tasks can help older adults stave off age-related cognitive decline, said Susan Rodiek, associate professor of architecture, in an award-winning paper that brought international attention to research by two colleagues.

Prof develops new tool to help planners in shrinking cities

Urban planners in shrinking cities grappling with a growing number of vacant lots could get help from a new planning tool developed by Galen Newman, associate professor of urban planning, and a team of university researchers.

Faculty to develop 'green' 3-D printing building material

To prepare for a future in which structures are built with material from large-scale, 3-D printers, College of Architecture faculty are developing and testing environmentally responsible printing methods in a two-year study funded by a $500,000 X-Grant.

Prof’s model used to study effects on kids left in hot cars

A mathematical model developed by Robert Brown, Texas A&M professor of landscape architecture, was used in a highly publicized study quantifying the time it takes for kids to become dangerously hot when accidentally left in the back seat of a sweltering car.

CoSci prof to make firefighting safer with VR wayfinding

First responders’ lives depend on their ability to navigate structures during an emergency — a task Jing “Eric” Du, assistant professor of construction science, aims to make easier and safer with wayfinding research funded by a $220,000 NSF grant.

Ph.D. student says land trusts can ease gentrification effects

The ill effects of gentrification, like pushing lower-income families from their homes and reducing affordable housing availability, are decreased by programs that lease public property to low-income households, said Myungshik Choi, a Texas A&M Ph.D. graduate.

Professor studying effectiveness of municipal natural hazard planning

As flooding costs worldwide threaten to top $60 billion annually, Sierra Woodruff, Texas A&M assistant professor of urban planning, is studying whether natural hazard plans created by municipalities actually improve flood resilience.

CoSci prof studying road safety and construction costs

Researchers are learning how to reduce highway repavement costs and maximize rural highway safety in two multiyear research projects that include Kunhee Choi, Texas A&M associate professor of construction science, and scientists from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

CoSci prof studies method to reduce presenter anxiety

Virtual reality devices could become a new tool to help students who struggle with public speaking anxiety, said Amir Behzadan, Texas A&M associate professor of construction science.

IN THE STUDIO

A rendering by Manasa Hegde and Hardik Jariwala.

Japan trip yields designs for multigenerational community

Texas A&M architecture and landscape architecture students collaborated to develop concepts for a Japanese retirement village designed to enhance the health of elderly residents by integrating them with young families and college students.

Arch profs showcase transformable design in iMOTION exhibit

Design concepts, created by architecture faculty and students, that convert, flex and adapt to changing needs were displayed in a summer exhibit at the MSC's Stark Galleries.

LAND students help boost efforts to preserve habitats

Future initiatives to ensure the preservation of plant and animal habitats in a suburban Houston public recreation area will be aided by land use maps and master plans created last spring by Texas A&M graduate landscape architecture students.

ACADEMICS

An integration of arts and science learning is the best approach, said a landmark National Academies report.

Viz prof’s advocacy culminates in NASEM report supporting STEAM

Whether regenerating the earth, feeding the world, or colonizing space, tomorrow’s thought leaders will be better prepared by an initiative integrating science and the arts, concludes a May 2018 landmark report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

LAND programs ranked among nation’s best

Texas A&M’s landscape architecture programs were once again ranked among the nation’s best in annual lists published by DesignIntelligence, a company that helps firms and built environment educators anticipate future industry trends.

Students craft plans to relieve La Grange flooding problems

As La Grange, Texas recovers from Harvey flooding, residents and elected officials are considering Texas A&M student proposals that address the town’s infrastructure, housing and transportation needs.

Arch students aid restoration of historic train depot

Using high-tech tools including photogrammetry, laser scanning and 3-D modeling, Texas A&M architecture students created historic documentation and restoration plans for a beloved 105-year-old Deanville, Texas-based train depot.

Viz-developed game helps calculus students in China

Variant: Limits, a video game developed in part by Texas A&M visualization students, is helping Chinese undergraduates succeed in introductory calculus, one of the toughest classes to pass on a university campus.

CoSci undergraduate program lauded for faculty, facilities

Numerous strengths of the Texas A&M Bachelor of Science in Construction Science program were noted by a team of educators and industry professionals from the American Council for Construction Education, who recently reaccredited the program for six years.

TAMU team uses robot to design complex structure

Working with an industrial scale robot and polystyrene blocks at the renowned Autodesk BUILD Space in Boston, a Texas A&M team is developing a full-scale, light-weight vault structure from interlocking and uniquely dimensioned structural modules.

Student's project showcased on international blog

A Texas A&M student's design proposal for a coastal Texas city’s commercial and residential development, including natural and engineered solutions to prevent flooding, was featured on WLA, an international website showcasing student and professional work.

HONORS

College passes $20 million mark In ‘Lead by Example’ campaign

The College of Architecture achieved an important fundraising benchmark in Texas A&M University’s $4 billion Lead by Example comprehensive campaign, reaching the $20 million mark of its $30 million goal last March.

Vanegas, Banks elevated to NAC membership

Two Texas A&M University deans, Jorge Vanegas, dean of the College of Architecture, and Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering, have been elected to the National Academy of Construction for championing construction science education.

Texas A&M video game design program among best in nation

Texas A&M, ranked among the top video game design school in the nation and among public universities, is the premier game design school in Texas, according to new ratings by Animation Career Review, an online career resource for aspiring artists.

CoSci prof honored with ASC Lifetime Achievement Award

In recognition of more than 30 years of distinguished leadership in construction education, Kenneth C. Williamson III, a Texas A&M associate professor of construction science, received a Lifetime Achievement award from The Associated Schools of Construction.

Architecture prof named fellow in elite healthcare group

For his work enhancing healthcare design standards, Kirk Hamilton, professor of architecture at Texas A&M, was elevated to fellowship in the American College of Critical Care Medicine. He is only the second architect to be inducted into this elite national society.

Grad arch student’s steel housing tower design earns national contest honor

A concept for an affordable housing tower structured with steel and flexible enough to adapt to residents’ changing needs earned its designer, Kengo Kawagahira, a graduate architecture student, an award in a nationwide steel design competition.

Faculty envision 3-D printing’s future, earn ‘Vision Award’

In the future, structures will be created onsite by 3-D printers, and the construction and manufacturing industries will have much more in common, according to a multidisciplinary Texas A&M faculty team envisioning how technology will change building.

Viz prof honored by arts council for hybrid creations

For making lasting, impactful contributions to the Bryan/College Station area with her creative efforts, Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo, assistant professor of visualization, was named the M.L. “Sonny” Moss Artist of the Year by the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley.

EVENTS

Premier speakers highlight fall lecture series

Leading designers, authors and educators will discuss a wide variety of completed and ongoing projects in the 2018 LAUP Fall Lecture Series. The public lectures are scheduled at 6 p.m. in Scoates Lecture Hall room 208 on Mondays throughout the upcoming months.

Arch dept. to host TxA Aggie reception Nov. 8 in Ft. Worth

Former students and friends of the Texas A&M Department of Architecture are invited to the annual Aggie TxA reception at the 79th annual Texas Society of Architects Conference and Design Expo in Fort Worth.

Fall lecture series to feature leading designers, educators

Renowned designers and educators will present a variety of past and present projects during the fall 2018 Department of Architecture Lecture Series in Texas A&M. The public lectures are scheduled in Preston Geren Auditorium.

Experts to discuss creation of resilient healthcare facilities

Leading architects and builders will reveal collaborative strategies to create healthcare facilities where caregivers provide top-flight medical care during and after natural disasters in the Texas A&M fall 2018 Architecture-For-Health Lecture Series.

VISUAL ARTS

Visitors to an interactive Wright Gallery exhibit explore the concept of respect.

Artist exploring military, Texas A&M values in interactive exhibit

Air Force veteran and artist Jenn Hassin is exploring core values instilled in Texas A&M students and U.S. military recruits in a large-scale, interactive, collaborative art installation made from military uniforms in a Sept. 11- Oct. 12 exhibit in the Wright Gallery.

MSC exhibit revealed mentorship’s impact

“Response,” an art exhibit at the MSC Reynolds Gallery, showcased mentorship’s immutable influence in works by College of Architecture professors and their current and past students.

Museum exhibited design prof emeritus’ folk art collection

Fanciful depictions of Garden of Eden imagery in Mexican folk art pieces collected by John Fairey, Texas A&M architecture professor emeritus, were displayed at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont.

Arch prof’s drawings selected for Miami juried art exhibit

Two drawings exploring the nature of human thinking and perception by architecture faculty member Alejandro Borges were chosen for a Sept. 27 – Oct. 2, 2018 juried show at a Miami gallery that highlighted exceptional mid-career and emerging artists.

CLASS ACTS

Pixar artists, including a large group of former viz students, brought the Parr crimefighting family back to life.

Former Vizzers help create Pixar’s smash cinema hit ‘Incredibles 2’

Twenty-five former Texas A&M visualization students, or Vizzers, were part of the Pixar Animation Studios team that returned a famous crime fighting superhero family to the big screen in “Incredibles 2,” smashing the opening-weekend box office record for animated films and delighting critics with mastery of technical wizardry and character development.

Former students report activities

Former students are invited to submit items for the Class Acts section of the arch|one e-newsletter, which highlights professional and personal achievements, and whatever else former students care to share. News and photos may be e-mailed directly to the editor.

Alumna’s designs elevate her to AIA Fellowship

Wendy Pautz ’86, a partner at Seattle-based LMN Architects who led the design of numerous public and private-sector projects that transformed urban settings, is one of the newest members of the prestigious American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows.

Ph.D. grad honored for her leadership in arch research

For leading studies at HKS Inc. on design’s impact on human health, former student Upali Nanda ’05 earned the Architectural Record’s 2018 Women in Architecture Award, an elite honor bestowed by the magazine on Nanda and four additional architects.

Alumna earns nine medals in elite swim competition

Former Texas A&M College of Architecture student Liliana Ibáñez ’14 is being hailed as the next Michael Phelps by Mexican news outlets after earning five gold, one silver and three bronze medals swimming in the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Former professor remembered as mentor, craftsman

Larry Priesmeyer, a master craftsman, architect and Texas A&M College of Architecture professor emeritus, passed away May 20, 2018. He was 85. For three decades, he taught design, woodworking, drafting and construction documentation and mentored hundreds of students.

A new Langford tradition

The "Pennies for Sully" Aggie tradition has a second home at the furry feet of Sulley from "Monsters, Inc." in Langford C. The building houses the visualization program, some of whose students are striving to join the many former Vizzers who help create hit animated movies at major studios.