E-news letter for Archtecture

DECEMBER 2018

Celebrations to mark the college’s 50th anniversary in 2019

The Texas A&M College of Architecture will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019 with a yearlong series of festivities culminating in a slate of special events Nov. 14-16.

Hurricane-battered towns get planning help from grad students

Two small Texas towns recovering from Hurricane Harvey are getting help from Texas A&M urban planning graduate students.

CoSci head aims to link department to space-based initiatives

As plans to settle the moon and Mars continue to gather steam, Patrick Suermann, head of the Department of Construction Science, is positioning the department as a leading research consultant to visionaries shooting, literally, for the moon.

Arch profs studying distinctive baptismal font canopy

An incredibly rare piece of medieval church furniture, a monumental, five-centuries-old canopy installed over a baptismal font in eastern England, is the subject of a new research initiative co-organized by Zachary Stewart, assistant professor of architecture.

New, viz prof-led institute to study best tech learning methods

To succeed in tomorrow’s workplace, employees will need fluency in technical tasks such as 3-D fabrication, programming and electronics, said Francis Quek, professor of visualization and head of the new Institute of Technology-Infused Learning.

Serious, growing threat of urban flooding reported by planning professor

Urban flooding is a serious, expanding threat to lives, property and economic and infrastructure development, said a team of researchers that includes Sam Brody, professor of urban planning, and additional Texas A&M and University of Maryland researchers, in a new report.

RESEARCH

Ahmed Ali shows guest William Zahner the partially completed Living Wall.

Innovative ‘green’ wall features sheet metal, native Texas plants

Merging waste metal from the automotive industry, native plants and the ingenuity of design students and professors, a new “Living Wall” adorns the side of Langford B, adding beautification and reducing heat gain effects on the wall and surrounding area.

Acropolis research reveals ancient site’s social history

In her research trips to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Nancy Klein, associate professor of architecture, is seeking to answer questions about the historic complex’s relationship to Greek social history and religious practice.

Arch prof helping restore original hues of Bermuda houses

Historic houses in Bermuda could be restored to their original colors with help from a team of U.S. architects and conservation experts that includes Brent Fortenberry, assistant professor of architecture at Texas A&M.

Prof finds how ‘green’ roofs can best mitigate heat waves

As memories linger of a fatal 1995 Chicago heat wave, urban planners have new knowledge to help them use “green” roofs to counteract the effects of future heat waves from researchers that included Sierra Woodruff, assistant professor of urban planning.

Planning profs studying systems, hazard plan links

Two urban planning professors are looking to improve communities’ resilience to flooding by investigating the relationships between flood infrastructure systems, the communication networks between planning agencies and the natural hazard plans they create.

ACADEMICS

Landscape architecture programs again 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 design and construction firms, as well as built environment educators, anticipate future industry trends.

CoSci student creates immersive Francis Hall 3-D model

Richly detailed, immersive tours of Francis Hall, the home of Texas A&M’s Department of Construction Science, are now available to anyone with an Internet connection.

Study abroad prof edits Archimedes exhibit catalog

Study abroad students in Italy learn about ancient Greece and the Renaissance from Giovanni Di Pasquale, adjunct professor of science history and design philosophy, and the editor of a new Archimedes exhibit catalog.

ENDS major scores historic preservation internship in D.C.

Texas A&M environmental design major Christine Miterko learned in detail about aspects of the federal government’s role in preserving historic sites at an internship in the nation’s capital last summer.

HONORS

Ann McNamara’s research is revealing where users are looking in virtual spaces on flat screens or in immersive environments.

Pioneering research earns honor for visualization prof

For her pioneering research that reveals where a viewer’s gaze lands in virtual and digitally augmented spaces, Ann McNamara, associate professor of visualization, earned one of the university’s most prestigious recognitions for scholarly impact.

Teaching excellence by arch prof honored with Montague award

The teaching excellence of Juan Carlos Baltazar, Texas A&M associate professor of architecture, was recognized Nov. 5 when he and eight fellow Aggie faculty were honored as 2018-2019 Montague-Center for Teaching Excellence Scholars.

Viz-developed video game helps calculus students in China

Variant: Limits, a video game developed in part by viz students and in use throughout the U.S., is helping Chinese undergraduates succeed in introductory calculus, one of the toughest classes to pass on a university campus.

Arts council honors viz prof for her 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.

Innovative urban projects cited in arch prof's new book

Some of the world’s most vibrant urban areas spring from partial developments and upgrades, not the “scrap and build” approach widely applied in urban regeneration, said Koichiro Aitani, associate professor of architecture, in his new book.

Modernism, sacred architecture explored in prof's new book

A new book edited by Anat Geva, Texas A&M professor of architecture, challenges its readers to consider how Modern architects sought to create sacred buildings imbued with a divine presence.

Planning prof notes post-Harvey city planning changes

Hurricane Harvey’s widespread damage forced cities throughout the U.S. to take a more critical look at their infrastructure and hazard mitigation plans, said Galen Newman, Texas A&M associate professor of urban planning.

EVENTS

Legendary developer Gerald D. Hines and his namesake firm will be featured at Texas A&M Feb. 8.

Two Feb. 8 events to showcase leading land developer Hines

Gerald D. Hines, founding chairman of the legendary namesake firm, a global powerhouse in real estate investment, development and management, will head a team of company executives who will discuss the multibillion-dollar firm’s operations in two public events at Texas A&M Friday, Feb. 8, 2019.

Workshop to explore role of materials in landscape design

Students will team with leading design professionals Feb. 15, 2019, at Aggie Workshop, a series of lectures and an afternoon design charrette hosted by the Texas A&M student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

College honors 6 outstanding former students at annual event

Six former students from the Texas A&M College of Architecture who have distinguished themselves as leaders and humanitarians in their respective fields were honored as outstanding alumni at a Nov. 15, 2018 banquet in The George hotel in College Station.

Tech startup launch features Texas A&M architecture prof

The Austin launch of a new incubator for business ventures that feature sustainable practices was headlined by Ahmed Ali, Texas A&M assistant professor of architecture.

LAND prof, students teach youth at Schob Preserve

To help young minds in College Station learn about nature and design, Texas A&M landscape architecture students, led by associate professor Eric Bardenhagen, recently accompanied seven first grade classes from College Hills Elementary School to Schob Preserve, a 7.5 acre nature preserve.

Students created games in 48 hours at Chillennium 2018

Student video game designers created 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.

VISUAL ART

Texas A&M will host the 2019 Architecture and Film Symposium May 4-5, 2019.

May 2019 architecture and film symposium to explore design theory, teaching and practice

A wide variety of research and creative work by film and design scholars and filmmakers will be featured in the 2019 Architecture and Film Symposium, a new forum at Texas A&M May 4 - 5, 2019 that endeavors to promote innovation in design theory, teaching and practice.

Wright Gallery exhibit explores digital storytelling

Digital artist Lisa Woods is exploring technology as a means of collaborative storytelling in “Gathering,” an exhibit scheduled through Dec. 9, 2018 at the Wright Gallery, Langford Architecture Center building A on the Texas A&M campus.

Viz prof’s exhibit opens new Arts Council gallery

The first exhibit at the new Arts Council of Brazos Valley location, 4180 Highway 6 South in College Station, launched in October with colorful, abstract oil paintings and a sculpture created by Dmitri Koustov, Texas A&M visualization lecturer.

Wright Gallery to feature esteemed Austin-based painter

The opulent, abstract work of Austin-based artist Sydney Yeager will be featured in “liminal,” Jan. 14 – Feb. 15, 2019 at the Wright Gallery, Langford Architecture Center building A on the Texas A&M campus.

HIGH-TECH MAPPING

Associate professor Galen Newman presents “GIS for Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning” Nov. 13 during Texas A&M’s GIS Day activities. He was joined by additional department faculty and Ph.D students in the group presentation.