Professor Joseph Aranha directed the Warmadewa Architecture Village Involvement (WAVI) studio on heritage documentation in Indonesia at the invitation of Warmadewa University (UNWAR) in Bali. The summer workshop lasted two weeks and built on a similar project that Professor Aranha directed as a Fulbright Specialist in 2023. The workshop included fieldwork in a traditional Balinese village where Professor Aranha worked with 22 architecture students and several architecture lecturers from UNWAR. The studio used digital and analog techniques, sketching, drone photogrammetry, interviews, videography and still photography to document dwelling types, a village map, and a short video.

The drawings and other products of the studio were exhibited at a national meeting of architectural schools in Indonesia and the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI) hosted by Warmadewa University in mid-August. The exhibit was a tribute to the late Ir. I Nyoman Gelebet, a traditional architect and foremost expert on the Hasta Kosala Kosali, a collection of ancient lontar (manuscripts written on palm leaves) which form the foundation of Balinese architecture. 

Professor Aranha also explored opportunities for collaborations in research, teaching, and community engagement with local NGOs, prominent local architects, and others. A letter of intent to collaborate was developed and signed by the rector at UNWAR and the vice provost for international affairs at TTU for collaboration in research, teaching, and other activities that would enhance the educational experiences of students and career development of faculty. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $299,946 grant to Texas Tech University (TTU) for the Co-DREAM Tech research project titled "Building Community-Driven Resilience and Empowerment through Adaptive Manufacturing Technologies." 

The project is led by faculty members from the Huckabee College of Architecture (HCOA), and Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering (CECE) at TTU, and was awarded through the NSF's Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies (ReDDDoT) program.

In addition to this significant grant, the project has garnered support from several philanthropic sources, including the Ford Foundation, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Pivotal Ventures (a Melinda French Gates Foundation), the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, and the Siegel Family Endowment. These foundations and the NSF support research focused on the responsible and ethical integration of emerging technologies into society.

The Co-DREAM Tech project is spearheaded by Principal Investigators:

Associate Professor Dr. Sina Mostafavi (PI), Director of the Hybrid Intelligence Design & Architectural Robotic Systems (Hi-DARS Lab) - TTU HCOA

Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan (Co-PI), Director of the Architectural Humanities and Urbanism Lab (AHU_Lab) - TTU HCOA

Associate Professor Dr. Ali Nejat (Co-PI), Director of the HUD Center of Excellence in Climate Resilient and Equitable Housing (CECREH) - TTU CECE.

If you're interested in reading more about the grant awarded to the Co-DREAM Tech research project, you can view the HCOA's official announcement by clicking here.

Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan has been chosen as the newest editor-in-chief of plaNext–Next Generation Planning, an international peer-reviewed open-access e-journal. Founded by the young academics network of AESOP, plaNext provides prospective authors with an opportunity to engage their ideas in international planning debates as well as to make their research available to the wider planning audience. The journal invites authors to submit original work that includes empirical research, theoretical discussions, innovative methodologies, case studies, and book reviews on selected books, textbooks, or specific topics dealing with planning.   

Dr. Mehan will be supported by an editorial team including Dr. Esra Kut Gorgun, Faiza Ansari, Dr. Francesca Dal Cin, Dr. Pavel Grabalov, Subhashree Nath, and Saebom Song. 

To learn more about plaNext click here. 

Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan contributed a chapter titled “Decolonizing Architectural Pedagogy” in the edited volume Educational Research and the Question(s) of Time, published by Springer Nature. The book explores the rarely examined concept of time in education, with the editors urging an analysis of time ‘in itself,’ highlighting its many dimensions through personal reflections and educational events. Challenging linear and neoliberal notions of progress and efficiency, the work avoids the “Time’s-(killing)-arrow” mode and introduces themes such as temporality, timescapes, timetables, and the finality of time. 

The book draws on philosophical works by Gilles Deleuze and Henri Bergson, physics studies by Karen Barad, and literature by T.S. Eliot to inspire new ways of thinking about time. The volume has received recommendation from Karen Malone, Professor of Environmental Studies, Swinburne University, Australia, Jayne Osgood, Professor in Education, Centre for Education Research & Scholarship, Middlesex University, UK, and Elizabeth Adams St. Pierre, Professor of Educational Theory & Practice, University of Georgia, USA. 

To access the edited book, click here.  

To read the chapter, click here. 

Associate Professor Dr. Sina Mostafavi and Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan have been invited as speakers at the upcoming Tech+ Conference in Dallas on September 25, 2024. The conference, presented by The Architect's Newspaper and AEC + TECH, will explore advancements in AEC technology, covering topics such as AI and automation, construction technologies, generative design, climate and energy tools, and innovative collaboration methods. 

For more information, access the conference website here.  

Join us for Alumni & Family Weekend!

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, click either of the button below:

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

Join the Huckabee College of Architecture for an Alumni Reception in conjunction with the Texas Society of Architects Annual Conference next month in Houston, Texas!

CONNECT WITH ALUMNI, SUPPORT THE COLLEGE, AND JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THE DLA AWARD WINNERS FOR 2024! 

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

MARRIOTT MARQUIS HOUSTON  - SCOT COTTON BALLROOM

1777 WALKER ST, HOUSTON, TEXAS

Please submit your RSVPs by 5:00 PM on September 26th.

For additional assistance related to the reception, please contact Sr. Event Coordinator Rachel Roe at rachel.roe@ttu.edu. More information about the TxA 85th Annual Conference & Design Expo can be found by clicking here.

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.

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