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Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture + Design

Hines College News

July 30, 2025

OPEN-GROUND: Public Space as Climate Infrastructure

University of Houston (UH) Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design professor Daniel Jacobs' innovative project OPEN-GROUND: Public Space as Climate Infrastructure offers a new vision for urban resilience. Along with Brittany Utting (Rice University), co-founder with Jacobs of the design research practice, HOME-OFFICE, and co-investigators Daniel Floryan (UH), and Kelly Huang (UH), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Upjohn Research Initiative recently awarded the team a $15,000 grant to pursue their research.

Top Stories

June 18, 2025

Designed to Make You SIT Up

Take a seat — the winners of the annual SIT Furniture Design Awards include four industrial design students from the Hines College! Camila Campos, Mary Leath, and Diya Suresh Nair were part of associate professor and industrial design co-director Jeff Feng’s INDS 3500 studio. Rachel Feine (M.S. ’25) entered the competition independently, wanting to explore playful, modular design in furniture to foster imaginative play.

June 16, 2025

NOMAD Project Secures International Design Acclaim for PXD LAB

What began as a classroom exploration in advanced UX design has quickly evolved into an internationally recognized achievement for the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. Last week, Red Dot announced that NOMAD, a groundbreaking AI-powered, screen-free hiking system by recent industrial design graduate Varshini Chouthri, has been awarded the prestigious recognition of Red Dot’s “Best of the Best,” placing it among the top design innovations worldwide.

June 11, 2025

Good Design FITs Everyone

Industrial design students at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design have broken their own record in this year’s international FIT Sport Design Awards. Nine students won a total of twelve awards, up from six students and awards in 2023. The annual competition calls for both professional and student work, shining a spotlight on designs that are innovative, performance-enhancing, sustainable, and accessible.

Latest News

July 30, 2025

OPEN-GROUND: Public Space as Climate Infrastructure

University of Houston (UH) Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design professor Daniel Jacobs' innovative project OPEN-GROUND: Public Space as Climate Infrastructure offers a new vision for urban resilience. Along with Brittany Utting (Rice University), co-founder with Jacobs of the design research practice, HOME-OFFICE, and co-investigators Daniel Floryan (UH), and Kelly Huang (UH), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Upjohn Research Initiative recently awarded the team a $15,000 grant to pursue their research.

July 10, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Emine Canak (M.Arch. '16)

Emine Canak (M.Arch. '16) has always been passionate about how spaces shape human experiences. Now the founder and principal designer of E Plus Interiors, her design philosophy is to create soulful, thoughtful spaces that reflect her clients. To students, she advises, "Go beyond studio walls, socialize, attend events, and connect with creative minds. Design is how you see and respond to the world."

June 18, 2025

Designed to Make You SIT Up

Take a seat — the winners of the annual SIT Furniture Design Awards include four industrial design students from the Hines College! Camila Campos, Mary Leath, and Diya Suresh Nair were part of associate professor and industrial design co-director Jeff Feng’s INDS 3500 studio. Rachel Feine (M.S. ’25) entered the competition independently, wanting to explore playful, modular design in furniture to foster imaginative play.

June 17, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Claudia Morles (B.Arch. '19)

Claudia Morles (B.Arch. '19) recently got her master's in production design. A film she worked on, Red Egg and Ginger, had its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 8. She said, "My background in architecture gave me a solid understanding of space and how people move through it, how it affects emotion, and how different elements relate to one another physically and visually. That foundation really helped as I shifted into designing for story-driven, cinematic environments."

June 16, 2025

NOMAD Project Secures International Design Acclaim for PXD LAB

What began as a classroom exploration in advanced UX design has quickly evolved into an internationally recognized achievement for the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. Last week, Red Dot announced that NOMAD, a groundbreaking AI-powered, screen-free hiking system by recent industrial design graduate Varshini Chouthri, has been awarded the prestigious recognition of Red Dot’s “Best of the Best,” placing it among the top design innovations worldwide.

June 11, 2025

Good Design FITs Everyone

Industrial design students at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design have broken their own record in this year’s international FIT Sport Design Awards. Nine students won a total of twelve awards, up from six students and awards in 2023. The annual competition calls for both professional and student work, shining a spotlight on designs that are innovative, performance-enhancing, sustainable, and accessible.

Hines College in the News

2025 Studio Award Winners

Texas Architects

WithIt awards $26,000 in student scholarships

FurnitureToday

Screen-free hiking app developed in Houston earns 'Best of the Best' award

InnovationMap

Next-Generation Wearable Technology for Children with Motor Impairments

AZoSensors

Future100 Interior Design Undergraduate Winners

Metropolis Magazine

Furniture Library Announces Winners of Student Design Competition

Home Furnishing News

Architecture Students Fabricate Sculptural Benches at the University of Houston

Rhino3Dzine

Courses on climate budgeting and resilience selected for 2025 Course Development Prize in Architecture

Archinect