Welcome Back, Students, Colleagues, Alumni, and Friends,

Over the summer, my colleagues worked on a variety of projects to welcome you this academic year, including providing exciting new classes, seeding new creative and research endeavors, installing new technology, and making logistical improvements and updates to our facilities. We are prepared to educate and support over 900 students in Lubbock and El Paso, marking another record year of enrollment at the Huckabee College of Architecture. You are joining (or continuing with) a robust and expanding program on a path toward shaping the future of our built environment, and I want to express my gratitude to the colleagues who have worked hard to make this happen.

As we launch the first newsletter of the fall semester, I am excited to amplify the voices of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This newsletter begins with our fourth-year student, Yumeng Wu, whose designs are being brought to reality for the first time. We end this edition with a project led by architecture alumni Noel Barrick ('72) and Gary Lindsey ('72 & '98), which will celebrate the first 100 years of architecture at Texas Tech through a forthcoming book.

We are also in the early planning stages of a new home on TTU’s Lubbock Campus for architecture and affiliated disciplines. Through this project, we are working to create new pathways and to inspire teaming with other design disciplines. We want to build partnerships and to encourage integration rather than isolation. This is the future. We are setting a new and innovative academic model, and these are exciting times for all of us.

To my colleagues and students, have a great semester. To our alumni and friends, I look forward to welcoming you back to the Lubbock Campus and hope to see many of you at one of our numerous events this fall.

Go Tech! 

Urs Peter 'Upe' Flueckiger

Professor & Dean

Undergraduate student Yumeng Wu designed a combined cafe and gift shop that will be constructed in Kunming, China. The project was completed at Tongji Architectural Design (TJAD), one of the largest design institutes in China, where Yumeng interned in both the Shanghai and Kunming studios. KK’s Cafe & Shop is part of a community renovation project located in the plaza of the TJAD office. Construction is set to begin in late October to early November, with the plaza scheduled to open to the public on Christmas Day. 

The renovation project includes an outdoor staircase and a connecting bridge above, developed by Yumeng’s mentor at TJAD, as well as KK’s Cafe & Shop. The focus of the design was a fashionable environment that would encourage younger demographics to take pictures while patronizing the cafe and shop. Additionally, the cafe is pet-friendly, featuring “dog parking spots" and special dog doors. A wall featuring a dog’s face in glass was also included to honor KK, the owner’s Shiba Inu. 

Lesley Nall Washington

Executive Associate Dean

Ersela Kripa

Full Professor

Chris Taylor

Full Professor

RECLASSIFICATIONS

Adrian Anaya

Lecturer

Marianna Gonzalez-Cervantes

Lecturer - El Paso

Jessica Deaver

Visiting Assistant Professor H. Deane Pierce Chair 

Jaclynn Herbein

Lecturer

Carla Moncayo

Lecturer - El Paso

Karla Padilla Rivera

Lecturer - El Paso

Chandler Cooke

Part-Time Instructor

Skyler Perez 

Graduate Part-Time   Instructor

Derek Williams

Graduate Part-Time Instructor

NEW STAFF

Zack Smith

Business Coordinator

Yssis Hotchkins

Coordinator for Alumni Relations

Rae Lopez

Student Success Specialist

Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan is participating as a jury member in the “Architectures of Woman, Life, Freedom” exhibition which opened on August 12th at the National Museum of World Cultures in Mexico City. The exhibition focuses on architecture, social justice, and the influential role of artists and architects in shaping contemporary cultural narratives. 

The exhibition is a highlight of the Iranian Studies Conference at UNAM Mexico City and considers the impact of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in establishing new cultural paradigms. 

For more information, please refer to the official program of the Iranian Studies Conference here.

Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan published a chapter titled “From Exported Modernism to Rooted Cosmopolitanism: Middle East Architecture Between Socialism and Capitalism” in the book Rooted Cosmopolitanism, Heritage and the Question of Belonging: Archaeological and Anthropological Perspectives recently published by Routledge and edited by Lennart Wouter Kruijer, Miguel John Versluys, and Ian Lilley. The volume offers a comprehensive look into how cosmopolitanism influences our heritage and sense of belonging. 

Dr. Mehan’s chapter uses rooted cosmopolitanism as a theoretical lens to explore the interplay of exported modernism and architecture between socialist and capitalist countries during the Cold War. Through various case studies in the Middle East, Dr. Mehan examines the circulation and local applications of urban development and modernization paradigms in so-called ‘Third World’ countries. The chapter compares cosmopolitan and trans-cultural architecture created by both global and local influences, providing an analysis of their relative rootedness and the intricate, multifaceted planning transfers and architectural exportations. 

To access the full book, click here.  

To read the chapter, click here.

H. Deane Pierce Endowed Visiting Assistant Professor Jes Deaver authored an article featured in the July/August 2024 edition of Texas Architect magazine. The piece, titled “Connect Four,” explores the opportunities and challenges of international work, featuring Christian Ducker, Kirby Liu, Nkiru Gelles, AIA, and Stephanie Mason. Deaver relates the experiences of these architects as they navigate careers that take them all over the world, demonstrating the importance of global exchange in architecture. 

To access the article, click here. 

Associate Professor Peter S. Raab authored an article featured in the July/August 2024 edition of Texas Architect magazine. The piece, titled “Marfa Meets Midland,” explores the design and inspiration behind the interiorrenovation of a single-floor office within the historic Midland Tower, a 10-story office building located in Centennial Park. Architects from the Marfa-based Remote studio stripped down to the concrete shell to create an art-filled space inspired by the unique geology, landscape, and history of West Texas.

To learn more about the renovation, access the article here. 

The Timber Dowel Reciprocal Lattice (TDRL) System, a recent innovation that addresses the challenges of fabricating lattice structures, is now officially filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent was invented by Associate Professor Dr. Sina Mostafavi, PhD students Tahmures Ghiyasi and Edgar Montejano, and former student assistant Cole Howell. The TDRL system builds upon the research done at the Hi-DARS Lab to create a self-balancing lattice structure.

The system is set apart by its elimination of traditional joint-based connections and adhesives. Instead, TDRL uses reciprocal displacement of timber dowels, positioned at specific angles within pre-designed placeholders, creating counterbalancing forces that naturally stabilize the structure. The system uses a voxel-based design approach, where linear structural members and horizontal panels are precisely produced and assembled using robotic fabrication and augmented reality. Filed as a utility provisional patent, the application has undergone independent reviews and received support from the TTU Office of Research Commercialization.

Brian H. Griggs, AIA, was featured in the July/August 2024 edition of Texas Architect magazine. The article explores Griggs’ debut book, Opus in Brick and Stone: The Architectural and Planning Heritage of Texas Tech University. The work seeks to provide a thorough account of the campus’s architectural development and growth, as well as the architects behind the design process who were inspired by the Spanish Renaissance style, while highlighting the intricacies of campus design and implementation. 

To access the article, click here.

An interview with César A. Lopez, an alumnus of the HCOA El Paso program (2011), was featured in the July/August 2024 edition of Texas Architect magazine. In the article, “Shaped by the River,” Lopez relates how his upbringing and educational journey in El Paso influenced his research focus on the Texas borderlands. Utilizing his professional and personal experiences, Lopez describes how his non-traditional path to architecture has informed his approach to design and inspired a desire to promote accessibility in the architectural discipline.  

To access the article, click here.

Photo by Daniele Molajoli, courtesy American Academy in Rome, 2024

Lee Hill, AIA, authored an article featured in the July/August 2024 edition of Texas Architect magazine. Titled "Zen Rose," the piece examines the design principles of the Jeff Garnett Architect studio, which is influenced by Japanese styles of space and arrangement. Located in Glen Rose, Texas, the studio features a unique entryway through a Japanese-style offset gate, leading to a narrow interior space inspired by the Japanese engawa—a traditional side porch. 

To access the article, click here.

Principal Jonathan R. Card, AIA, of Card and Company Architects was featured in the July/August 2024 edition of Texas Architect magazine in an article titled "New Foundations." The studio was commissioned in 2017 to design satellite foundation offices for the H.E. Butt Foundation, established in 1933 to serve communities in Texas. The design focused on creating a welcoming atmosphere that reflected the organization's benevolent history. The studio faced unique challenges, including several large live oaks and groves of red oaks that had grown between the existing buildings. These trees were largely preserved and incorporated into the final design. 

To access the article, click here.

Photo courtesy of Tim Hursley.

Join us for Alumni & Family Weekend at the Huckabee College of Architecture! 

Tailgate tickets and parking are free but an RSVP is required by September 19th, 2024.

Family Weekend 

September 27th 

Open House (1:00 - 5:00 PM)

Rotating Mock-Reviews & Lectures

(1:30 – 4:00 PM)

Alumni Tailgate & Football Game

September 28th

(TIMES TBD)

If you're interested in discounted tickets for the TTU vs CINCINNATI football game or additional information on reserving a hotel under the HCOA's room blocks, click either of the buttons below:

For additional assistance related to Alumni & Family Weekend, please contact Sr. Event Coordinator Rachel Roe at rachel.roe@ttu.edu for more information.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!

Alumni Reception - TxA Annual Conference 2024

CONNECT WITH FELLOW ALUMNI AND SUPPORT THE COLLEGE!    

THURSDAY | OCTOBER 3, 2024  6:30 – 8:00 PM CT

HQ MARRIOTT MARQUIS HOUSTON  

All alumni and friends of the college are welcome to attend! Additional information related to the TxA 85th Annual Conference & Design Expo can be found by clicking here.

In preparation for the 2027 celebration of the 100-year anniversary of Texas Tech’s architecture program, we need your stories because you represent the shared history which defines the College. The book, Limitless Horizons: The First 100 Years of Architecture at Texas Tech, will tell the history of the College. However, to complete the book your stories are vital to fully reveal the meaning and importance of the College. Therefore, we request that you click the button below to access prompts and to submit your HCOA stories and professional accomplishments.  

For additional questions related to the centennial book project, please contact Gary Lindsey or Noel Barrick at architecture.limitlesshorizons@ttu.edu for more information.

Donations are critical to the advancement of our program. With your contributions, we can fund our merit-based scholarships, recruit extraordinary faculty, fund research endeavors and improve our facilities. No gift is too small to make an impact on our students, faculty, and staff. If you're interested in giving, the Texas Tech University Office of Institutional Advancement has a convenient web portal for making secure, online donations to one of the established Huckabee College of Architecture funds. Click here to donate.

If you're not already, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for the latest updates from the HCOA and be sure to like and share our content within your own networks! Do you have news or updates to share? Email architecture@ttu.edu for a possible feature in the next newsletter!