Awards

Donna Kacmar, FAIA, has been awarded the title of Professor Emerita following her retirement at the close of the Spring 2026 semester. For twenty-six years at the Hines College, Kacmar shaped generations of architects through design studios, research, and mentorship while advancing scholarship in architecture, materiality, and the built environment.

As environmental, technological, and social challenges continue to reshape our communities, the Hines College is expanding how we think about the future of design education, research, and practice. This issue, Designing What’s Next, highlights faculty and students whose work is opening new directions for a changing world, from climate adaptation and post-oil futures to historic preservation, cultural sustainability, and emerging approaches to landscape and resilience.

Gustavo Gonzalez Contreras earned first place in the The Ecological Design Challenge student category for Aftercast, a modular bench system that reimagines site furniture as ecological infrastructure. Developed in a studio, the project addresses flooding and erosion by stabilizing soil, guiding water flow, and supporting plant life.