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Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture + Design

The gulf coast

GULFLab: Gulf Urbanism and Landscape Futures

The GULFLab (Gulf Urbanism and Landscape Futures Lab), led by Dalia Munenzon and Matthew Johnson AIA, is an interdisciplinary research hub exploring climate adaptation, resilience, and urban transformation. Located in the heart of the Gulf Coast, the lab examines the intersection of urbanism, environmental systems, and infrastructure to address the region’s most pressing challenges. As communities face increasing threats from extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and environmental vulnerabilities, the GULF Lab investigates how urban systems, ecological networks, and the built environment can be adapted for long-term resilience and sustainability.

The Lab integrates design, urban planning, policy research, and environmental science through interdisciplinary collaboration to develop forward-thinking solutions for Gulf Coast communities. The work centers on scenario planning, policy innovation, and cartographic analysis, leveraging cutting-edge mapping, simulation, and modeling techniques to visualize, design, and implement adaptive strategies in response to future weather variability, coastal transformation, and energy transition. With a particular focus on the Lower Galveston Bay area, research explores the vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities of industrial, residential, and ecological landscapes, generating innovative approaches to mitigate flooding, extreme heat, and environmental degradation.

The GULFLab fosters partnerships with academic institutions, community organizations, and government agencies, ensuring research is grounded in real-world applications. By actively engaging students in hands-on research, fieldwork, and co-design, the lab provides a dynamic platform to rethink urbanism as a tool for long-term regional resilience.

By reframing urban and landscape design as key levers for environmental and social transformation, the GULFLab aims to equip the next generation of designers, planners, and policymakers with the knowledge and tools to envision and implement sustainable and adaptive urban strategies for the Gulf Coast and beyond.

Students visiting the UH Coastal Center

About the Lab

The “Adaptive Ecofutures” studio, led by University of Houston professors Dalia Munenzon and Matthew Johnson, is an ambitious program addressing the Gulf Coast's environmental and urban challenges. Funded by a $748,848 grant from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, this initiative equips future designers with tools to build sustainable, resilient communities. The studio adopts a multi-scalar approach, ranging from large-scale watershed planning to detailed architectural interventions, with a focus on the Lower Galveston Bay Watershed—a 4,000-square-mile region facing issues such as flooding and pollution. Students collaborate with experts across various fields, engaging in projects that balance ecological preservation with sustainable urban development. Partnerships with organizations like the Hurricane Resilience Research Institute and local community organizations enhance the program's impact, fostering interdisciplinary research and community involvement to address pressing environmental and social challenges along the Gulf Coast.

Publications

  • 2024  *Double-Blind Peer Review
    Munenzon D., Co-Production for Equitable Governance in Community Climate Adaptation: Neighborhood Resilience in Houston, Texas. Urban Planning 9 (1), 2024, https://doi.org/10.17645/up.7338

  • 2023 *Double-Blind Peer Review
    Munenzon, D., & Gallagher, K. (2022). The Adaptive Island: Proving Ground for Temporal Awareness in the Anthropocene. The Plan Journal, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.15274/tpj.2022.07.01.8

  • 2020  ***Peer Review
    Johnson, M. “A Climatic Modernity: Daniel Barber’s Modern Architecture and Climate.”  Arris, Spring 2020.

  • 2015 *Double-Blind Peer Review 
    Johnson, M. “The Milieu Intérieur,”  Thresholds (MIT), January 2015  

  • 2014 ***Peer Review
    Johnson, M. “Extraterritorialized: A Guide to Data Havens, Hyper-Shenzhens, and Other Extrastate Enclaves of Globalism,” Volume, Rotterdam, Spring 2014

  • 2013 *Double-Blind Peer Review 
    Johnson, M. “Bubble Theory: Episodes in the History of Extreme Interiority,” ii Journal, Fall 2013.
  • 2025 ***Peer Review
    Johnson, M, Kubo, M. “Liquid Land: Urban Precarity and Zombie Development on the Gulf Coast.” In: Architectures of Greater Caribbean. University of Texas Press 2025 (Forthcoming).

  • 2024 *Double-Blind Peer Review 
    Munenzon, D., Noguera, M. (2023). Strategies for Compound Urban and Climate Hazards: Linking Climate Adaptation and Sustainability to Address Risk in Environmental Justice Communities. In: Chatterjee, U., Shaw, R., Kumar, S., Raj, A.D., Das, S. (eds) Climate Crisis: Adaptive Approaches and Sustainability. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44397-8_10 

  • 2023 *** Peer Review 
    Munenzon, D. (2023). Chapter 11—The Urban Commons as a Remedy to Climate Change Vulnerabilities. In C. Veddeler, J. Kuijper, M. Gath-Morad , & I. van der Wal (Eds.), Future Cities – City Futures, Emerging Urban Perspectives. Essay, TU Delft OPEN. P 177-188.

  • 2022 *Double-Blind Peer Review
    Munenzon, D., Titelboim, Y. (2022). Transformative Actions in the Boston Harbor: Lessons Learned from Past Projects Toward a Resilient and Sustainable Urban Future. In: Alberti, F., Amer, M., Mahgoub, Y., Gallo, P., Galderisi, A., Strauss, E. (eds) Urban and Transit Planning. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97046-8_5

  • 2022 * Double-Blind Peer Review
    Lotfata, A., Munenzon, D. (2022). The Interplay of Intersectionality and Vulnerability Towards Equitable Resilience. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_324-1

  • 2021
    Zweig, P., Johnson, M., Logan, J.  Houston Genetic City. New York and Barcelona: Actar Publishers, 2020. 
  • 2024 
    Munenzon, D. Galvez, L. Collective Comfort: A Public Program for Heat Resilience. ACSA 112th Annual Meeting: Disrupters on the Edge.  (TBD)

  • 2023
    Munenzon, D. (2023). Neighborhood resilience: integrating intersectional challenges into climate-focused urban 
    Plans. In Proceedings of the International Conference: Repurposing Places for Social and Environmental Resilience (pp. 169-172). Counterarchitecture, in collaboration with UEL and Arup. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vttAIh734YYDp0BtFR42uQuXQpLygfmq/view?usp=sharing.

  • 2011 *Double-Blind Peer Review
    Johnson, M. “Polyvalent Infrastructures,” Proceedings of the 2011 ACSA National Conference  

  • 2010 *Double-Blind Peer Review
    Johnson, M. “The Weather Inside: Thermodynamic Flows and Entropy Architecture”, Proceedings of the 2010 ACSA National Conference
  • 2023
    Munenzon, D. (2023). The Giving Rock: the peninsula, the tunnels, and the territory of Gibraltar. Room One Thousand, 11, UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design. Student journal

  • 2023   
    Munenzon, D. (2023). Drawing Water from Aridlands. On Site Review, 1(42), 26–29. 

  • 2022              
    Gallagher, K., & Munenzon, D. (2022). The Adaptive Island: A Floating Living Lab. Pool: PLANT, 6. 56-59. UCLA. www.pool-la.com Student journal

  • 2020              
    Munenzon, D., & Titelboim, Y. (2020, October). Grasping for (Fresh) Air: Exposing The Inherent Conflict of Public Interiors. MONU Magazine on Urbanism, Pandemic urbanism, 33, 33–39. 

  • 2013              
    Johnson, M. “Reinventing the Firm: SHoP’s Out of Practice.” Journal of Architectural Education 6/2013

  • 2013  
    Johnson, M. “Future Animals.” Clog: Sci-Fi, August 2013 

  • 2013              
    Johnson, M., Logan, J. “Microclimatology: Five Projects by LOJO.” ii journal, Spring 2013

  • 2012              
    Johnson, M., Savino, M. “Houston’s Map of Power.” CITE 90, Fall 2012

  • 2011              
    Johnson, M. “Public Art in Four Acts: Houston Arts Alliance and its Critics.” CITE 86, Summer 2011         

  • 2010
    Johnson, M. “Is ‘Livability’ Overrated? Toward a Transactional Urbanism.” MONU: Magazine on Urbanism, 13, 2010    

  • 2010 
    Johnson, M. “Weather Rooms, Concentrated Structures.” OnSite Review,  23, May 2010

People

  • Dalia Munenzon

    Dalia Munenzon, Assistant Professor of Urban Design in Sustainable Communities and Infrastructure and Presidential Frontier Faculty

    Dalia Munenzon is an assistant professor of urban design at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design, where she focuses on researching and teaching adaptive strategies and resiliency methods for sustainable communities and infrastructure. With a background in urban systems design, environmental planning, and architecture, she works with local communities to create resilient cities. With over a decade of professional experience in architecture and urbanism, she has contributed to many high-profile, award-winning projects. Dalia is a recipient of the 2022 SOM Foundation Research Award, the 2024 AIA Upjohn Research Award, and the 2024 National Academies Gulf Futures Design Studio award.

  • Matthew Johnson

    Matthew Johnson, AIA, Associate Professor of Architecture and Urbanism

    Matthew Johnson, AIA, is an associate professor at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design, where he focuses on the intersection between architecture, urban design, ecology, and infrastructure. Johnson is co-author of the book Houston Genetic City (Actar, 2020) as well as numerous articles in global journals. He is also a partner in LOJO: Logan and Johnson Architecture, an award-winning architectural research practice. Johnson is a recipient of the 2021 ACSA/Columbia University Course Development Prize for Architecture, Climate Change, and Society and the 2024 National Academies Gulf Futures Design Studio award, among other honors.

  • Research Assistants

    Current Research Assistants 

    • Gabriel Castaneda
    • Marco Chapa
    • AnnaMarie Wallace
    • Catherine Terselich

    Alumni Research Assistants

    • Rubaiya Sultana