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Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture + Design

Hines College News

May 21, 2025

The New Issue of DIMENSION Magazine is Now Available!

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.

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 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.

May 29, 2025

Resilient by Design: A New Blueprint for Urban Futures

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.

Hines College in the News

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

Gulf Research Program Provides Nearly $6M for Eight Interdisciplinary Design Studios to Investigate Complex Challenges in the Gulf of Mexico Region

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine