NEWSLETTER - January 16, 2026

Welcome back, students and colleagues. Happy New Year to you and all friends of the college. I hope your 2026 is off to a good start.

I'm pleased to report that late last year, the college received an official notification from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) that the Huckabee College of Architecture met all professional and academic criteria during NAAB's March 2025 visit. Additionally, our professional Master of Architecture program has received a full eight-year accreditation. The next accreditation visit will be in 2033.

Preparing for accreditation is a lengthy process. Over the past several years, our students, faculty, and staff participated in the process or collaborated with us to achieve this important milestone and I want to express my appreciation to everyone who contributed to make this visit a success.

This marks the fourth continuous, full accreditation for our program. We can move forward with confidence as we continue our mission to advance the knowledge, discipline, and practice of architecture through innovation, creative teaching, research, and regional and global engagement. We met all standards except for NAAB Criteria 5.6, Physical Resources. This was expected given the age and limitations of our building. We are confident that the plans for the Design Village, which are currently in the schematic design phase, will fully address and meet this criterion.

Special thanks to Chair of Instruction Anthony Cricchio, who led the accreditation process for the college, as well as my administrative team: Executive Associate Dean Lesley Nall Washington, former Interim Associate Dean for Research and Innovation Dr. Clifton Ellis, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Kuhn Park, each of whom made significant contributions within their respective areas of expertise.

I am excited for the new year and look forward to working with all of you to make the Huckabee College of Architecture the best it can be.

Urs Peter "Upe" Flueckiger

Professor & Dean, Dipl. Arch. SIA

David Henry

Director of Development

David is from San Antonio, Texas, and has lived in Lubbock since 2008. He received his Bachelor of Science in Spanish from Texas Tech University in 1997 and later earned his master’s in International Business from Texas Tech in 2008.

Upon graduation, David served as the Development Officer and later as the Director of Development for the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business. During this time, he worked on a capital campaign that resulted in the first LEED-certified building on the Texas Tech campus. In subsequent years, David has worked in a variety of areas, including the Texas music industry, oil and gas, and, most recently, the aggregate/concrete field.

Daniel Pruske

Associate Professor of Practice

Daniel received his Master of Architecture from Texas Tech in 2003. He later taught graduate and undergraduate design studios at the HCOA from 2009 to 2013 and went on to become a H. Deane Pierce Endowed Visiting Assistant Professor with our college.

Daniel has worked on a wide variety of project types and scales, including The Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum project in Dallas.

Join us on Monday, January 26^th, for the next event of our 2025-2026 lecture series titled "Im/Material."

Im/Material explores architecture’s capacity to engage both the tangible—matter, construction, tectonics—and the intangible—atmosphere, perception, memory, and cultural resonance.

Next Monday's lecture, titled "POINT LINE PLAIN: HAS ARCHITECTURE BECOME FRAGILE?" will be presented by HEATH MAY at 3:30 PM CT in the GALLERY on the ground floor of the HCOA.

HEATH MAY is Global Practice Director of HKS LINE (Laboratory for INtensive Exploration). Throughout his career, Heath has focused on computational design, research and development, and innovation. His expertise lies in data-driven optimization, simulation, and digital fabrication, and he has led projects across a wide range of sectors—including hospitality, healthcare, urban infrastructure, and sports. Heath is a former Adjunct Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington and a frequent contributor to leading publications on digital practice. He also holds a patent for the digital stamping and sealing of architectural documents. Read more on Heath May...

May's lecture and Q&A will be held in the Gallery on the ground floor of the Huckabee College of Architecture. The event will also be streamed live via the Zoom information below:

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: January 26, 2026 (3:30 PM CT)

Topic: Im/Material

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://texastech.zoom.us/j/98440030102?pwd=MlZhVHBIKzRMdkpEemdBZmI4RHdjUT09 

Passcode: 665526

For any further inquiries, please contact Sr. Event Coordinator Rachel Roe at rachel.roe@ttu.edu.

Studios

Students Design and Build New Civic Gateway for Lubbock’s Downtown Arts District

The Downtown Arts Gateway Pavilion is a new, permanent landmark in Lubbock’s cultural district, developed through an integrative graduate design studio led by Associate Professor Peter Raab and a technology topics course led by Assistant Professor Erin Linsey Hunt. The project was designed and built to serve as a welcoming threshold, gathering space, and public room for the arts and was supported by a $20,000 Design/Build Grant from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

Nineteen graduate students were directly involved in the design and construction of the pavilion, gaining hands-on experience working with exposed structural steel. Students learned to weld, cut, grind, and bolt steel components while developing a firsthand understanding of the material’s weight, flexibility, and strength. A focus of the project was connecting abstract structural concepts to lived knowledge, directly informing students’ future design work.

In parallel, students designed, fabricated, and installed a series of custom 3D-printed ceramic components that currently form a climate-responsive screen within the pavilion. These ceramic elements were developed through iterative digital modeling, environmental simulation, and material testing, and were produced using robotic clay extrusion. Integrated with the steel structure, the ceramic system introduces shading, texture, and passive cooling potential through porosity, airflow, and evaporative performance, while also demonstrating how emerging fabrication technologies can be combined with traditional earthen materials.

Situated along a strip of land between Two Docs Brewing Co. and the LHUCA Icehouse, the pavilion is intended to establish a new civic gateway for the downtown arts district. Developed in collaboration with the Charles Adams Studio Project (CASP) and community partner and HCOA Instructor Chad Plunket, the project highlights community-facing design, public engagement, and experiential learning that can be used as platforms for architectural education, research, and civic impact.

Exhibitions & Publications

Dr. Mehan and Dr. Mostafavi co-author chapter on the architectural humanities

Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan and Associate Professor Dr. Sina Mostafavi contributed a book chapter titled “Architectural Humanities: Decolonizing Perspectives in Mapping Resilience and Urban Psychology” to the recently published Routledge volume Radical Humanism: Decolonizing Perspectives in Critical Psychology (Taylor & Francis Group, New York, 2026), edited by Robert K. Beshara.

The chapter brings architectural humanities into dialogue with radical and decolonial humanism, examining how spatial practices, lived environments, and Indigenous and marginalized epistemologies reshape contemporary understandings of resilience and urban psychology. The study combines ideas from architecture, critical psychology, and urban theory to develop an understanding of how our surroundings affect our social lives and mental health.

"Architectural Humanities" is a culmination of sustained interdisciplinary dialogue originated through scholarly exchanges during the Radical Humanism Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2023.

The chapter can be viewed here. 

To access the book, click here.

Exhibitions & Publications

Assistant Professor Dr. Wan Publishes Article in Opus Incertum

Assistant Professor Dr. Sim Hinman Wan has published an article titled  "The Global and the Planetary: Postcolonial Ecocriticism in Architectural Historiography" in Opus Incertum, an international journal of peer-reviewed contributions addressing the historiography of architecture and the history of architectural theory.

To access the article, click here.

Exhibitions & Publications

Alumnus Publishes Article on Michael Benedikt's Exploration of Reality in Architecture

HCOA alumnus Darwin Harrison has published an article in Texas Architect titled "Kerchunk!: Reflections on For an Architecture of Reality." Written by distinguished architect Michael Benedikt and published in 1987, For an Architecture of Reality presents four elements that constitute the "foundation of realness" in design. In his article, Harrison expands on the potential of applying these definitions to architecture today, stressing their necessity in an era where machine-generation is often used in creative spaces.

To read the article, click here.

Photo by Darwin Harrison, AIA

Exhibitions & Publications

Rhotenberry Wellen Architects’ Church Design Featured in Texas Architect

Rhotenberry Wellen Architects, co-owned by HCOA alumnus Mark Wellen, was featured in Texas Architect for the design of a 300-seat sanctuary and bell tower for Christ Church Anglican in West Texas. The project was led by HCOA alumnus Andy Chandler and focused on traditional and functional architecture to provide a tranquilizing atmosphere, making particular use of the aesthetic effect of light through stained glass.

To learn more about the project, click here.

Photo by Ayala Vargas Architectural Photography

Exhibitions & Publications

Daniel Pruske Featured in Texas Architect for Athenaeum Project

Associate Professor of Practice and HCOA alumnus Daniel Pruske was featured in Texas Architect for his work as a project designer with Morphosis for The Edith and Peter O'Donnell Jr. Athenaeum project in Dallas, Texas.

The project, which is being released in three phases, is part of an initiative to support the arts through "architectural and landscape interventions." The first phase included the Crow Museum of Asian Art which strives to provide educational experiences and promote dialogue about the arts and cultures of Asia.

To learn more about the Athenaeum, read the Texas Architect article here.

Photo by Leonid Furmansky

Upcoming Events

Career Fair Registration is Open Until February 2nd!

This event offers prospective employers a valuable chance to meet talented undergraduate and graduate students from the Huckabee College of Architecture who are eager to learn about full-time, part-time, internship, and seasonal opportunities with your firm!

Dates: February 17th - 19th, 2026

Space is limited - REGISTER BEFORE THE DEADLINE ON FEBRUARY 2^nd!

Wednesday, Feb. 18th: Registration Full

Thursday, Feb. 19th: REGISTER HERE

Career Fair Mixers: Join us for an informal networking event with students, firm representatives, and faculty the evening(s) prior to your scheduled interviews.

Booth Setup: Private draping, chairs, 6 ft. tables with 8 ft. booths, electricity, and internet access.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Parking will be available at the Flint Avenue parking garage conveniently located across the street. A link to register for vehicle permits will be provided soon.

Click the video below to look back on last year’s Career Fair experience!

For any additional questions regarding the career fair, please contact Sr. Event Coordinator Rachel Roe via email at Rachel.Roe@ttu.edu or by phone at 806.834.4154.

For questions on registration or scheduling, please contact Brittainy Klemme at Brittainy.E.Klemme@ttu.edu.

THANK YOU TO OUR CAREER SEASON SPONSORS!

Publications

Share your Stories: 100 Years of Architecture at Texas Tech

CALLING ALL STUDENTS, ALUMNI, FACULTY, FORMER DEANS, AND STAFF: As we look forward to celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Texas Tech’s architecture program in 2027, we’re calling on the HCOA community to share their memories and experiences with the program.

YOUR STORIES are a vital part of the shared history of our College. Our upcoming book, Limitless Horizons: The First 100 Years of Texas Tech’s Architecture Program, will highlight this rich legacy.

We invite YOU to help us fully capture the impact and influence of Texas Tech’s architecture program with stories that reflect the experiences we all remember, share, and celebrate!

All contributors will be recognized in the book.

To share your stories or make a contribution to the publication, please reach out to Noel Barrick and Gary Lindsey at architecture.limitlesshorizons@ttu.edu.

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, X, 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.communications@ttu.edu for a possible feature in the next newsletter!