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Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture + Design

Hines College News

May 27, 2026

Now Available: The Spring 2026 Issue of DIMENSION Magazine

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.

Top Stories

June 30, 2026

Designing Better Steps

Mehdi Mortazavi has earned first place in a national rehabilitation design competition for a thesis project addressing mobility challenges for people living with multiple sclerosis. ProxiStep, a soft, passive lower-body exosuit, improves gait balance and reduces walking effort through a human-centered design approach grounded in extensive patient and clinical collaboration.

June 24, 2026

The Wearable Future

Award-winning projects from Hines College students Mehdi Mortazavi and Dillon Narcisse show how wearable technology can become more intuitive, accessible, and responsive to human needs. Recognized in the FIT Sport Design Awards, their work explores how design can translate emerging technologies into tools that support performance, usability, and everyday experience.

April 29, 2026

Holding Ground in a Changing Climate

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.

Latest News

June 30, 2026

Designing Better Steps

Mehdi Mortazavi has earned first place in a national rehabilitation design competition for a thesis project addressing mobility challenges for people living with multiple sclerosis. ProxiStep, a soft, passive lower-body exosuit, improves gait balance and reduces walking effort through a human-centered design approach grounded in extensive patient and clinical collaboration.

June 24, 2026

The Wearable Future

Award-winning projects from Hines College students Mehdi Mortazavi and Dillon Narcisse show how wearable technology can become more intuitive, accessible, and responsive to human needs. Recognized in the FIT Sport Design Awards, their work explores how design can translate emerging technologies into tools that support performance, usability, and everyday experience.

May 29, 2026

Donna Kacmar Named Professor Emeritus

Donna Kacmar, FAIA, has been awarded the title of Professor Emeritus 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.

May 28, 2026

Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Chiarelli (B.Arch. & B.S. '12; M.S. '23)

Ashley Chiarelli (B.Arch. ’12, B.S. ’12, M.S. ’23) is Associate Partner and Director of Strategy and Foresight at Kirksey Architecture, helping organizations navigate complex decisions before design begins. In this month’s Alumni Spotlight, she reflects on her nontraditional career path and the value of thinking beyond traditional practice.

May 27, 2026

Now Available: The Spring 2026 Issue of DIMENSION Magazine

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.

April 29, 2026

Holding Ground in a Changing Climate

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.

Hines College in the News

Preserving Houston landmarks (Feb. 24, 2026)

Houston Public Media

The Eighth Wonder’s Next Act: How UH Architecture Students are Reimagining the Astrodome

Houston City Beat

Houston Maritime Center & Museum Hosts Special Maritime Monday Event with Lecture and Art Reception

Travel and Tour World

Time travel, C.S. Lewis, and Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: Here are some offbeat courses at Houston colleges

Houston Chronicle

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