Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture + Design

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.

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.

At the Hines College, resilience is a defining trait of who we are. This past year, our community demonstrated that spirit firsthand, adapting and working collaboratively through limited space and ongoing repairs to our building following Hurricane Beryl. Even amid challenges, our students and faculty continued to lead with purpose, designing solutions that strengthen, uplift, and prepare vulnerable communities for an uncertain future. Explore this issue of DIMENSION to see just how resilient the Hines College truly is.

On May 8, the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design celebrated the Class of 2025 – 195 graduates whose academic experience is defined by resilience and adaptability. Many of these students started their academic journeys under unexpected circumstances at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging stronger and more prepared to tackle the demands of their future professional careers. As they close this transformative chapter, several graduates reflect on their unique experiences, offering insight and inspiration to those who follow in their footsteps.

At the Hines College, the QuadZero Studio is training the next generation of climate-conscious architects and designers. Founded in 2016 by Hines College architecture professor Dr. Bruce Race, FAIA, FAICP, the studio has become a crucible for exploring what it truly means to design resilient cities. The name reflects the studio’s core mission: zero greenhouse gas emissions, zero energy waste, zero water waste, and zero landfill waste.

The University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design continues to shape the future of the Gulf Coast through its investigative Gulf Futures studios, supported by a major grant from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Awarded to advance community resilience and adaptation strategies along the Gulf Coast, the grant has catalyzed groundbreaking work by faculty and students, focusing on climate-responsive design, environmental justice, and sustainable infrastructure.

From April 14 to 18, the University of Houston Career Services partnered with the National Student Employment Association to celebrate student workers across campus during Student Employment Week. Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design second-year architecture student Sanam Davariar took home the prize for Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year for her role as a digital media work-study student on the College’s marketing and communications team.

Hines College senior interior architecture student, Lene Fourie, has been named a top interior design student in the METROPOLIS Future100 list. She collaborated with associate professor Marta Rodriguez on two projects —Fan House and Habitable Curtains — challenging notions of space, fostering environments that evolve with human needs.

Hines College professor Gail Peter Borden, FAIA, along with Michael Bell (Columbia University) and Eunjeong Seong (Pratt Institute), opened Is Housing Still Housing? Houston’s Single-Family House. As economic, environmental, and technological shifts redefine how and where people live, the exhibition challenges the conventional understanding of housing and proposes new frameworks for addressing shelter at scale.

At the beginning of March, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Fort Worth Design Awards celebration honored Hines College students for their outstanding projects in the 2024 AIAFW Student Design Awards. This year’s class of winners not only continued a tradition of winning high praise from the AIAFW Student Design Awards for the fourth year in a row, but they also took home three out of the four top prizes.

Hines College Assistant Instructional Professor Sam Clovis and his co-founder at clovisbaronian, Georgina Baronian, assistant professor at the Rice School of Architecture has earned high honors in two international competitions recently for their proposals that emphasizes design in the context of their environments.

Browse the wealth of information on our website regarding our College, degree programs, special programs, and student resources. Take a look around!

Our new Construction Robotics and Fabrication Technology (CRAFT) Lab is coming to fruition under the direction of the inaugural Bill Kendall Memorial Professor of Design Technologies Andrew Kudless.

The Hines College is internationally recognized for bringing exceptional student work to the world stage. We make a global impact by sharing with the world what we learn from our exploration of Houston. Our extensive study abroad programs immerse students in local cultures and reveal the impact of design on all peoples.

Community impact is at the heart of all we do. The Community Design Resource Center and our student studios at every level are always striving to develop design that betters local, national, and international communities.