News and Events

CoA faculty members receive research grants

As part of the increased emphasis placed by the College of Architecture on developing funded research activities, four CoA faculty were recently awarded grants to conduct research in a variety of topics including urban planning, healthcare design, smart materials, and high-performance buildings.

Dr. Richard Tangum, Professor of Architecture and Planning in the College, was awarded $10,750 from the Windcrest Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to study development and revitalization options for the Walzem Road Corridor. The planning research team, led by Dr. Tangum, will examine landuse patterns, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, and street improvement options for the corridor from Interstate Highway 35 to Midcrown Drive. This study represents one of many ongoing urban and regional planning research studies in which Dr. Tangum is involved. These studies provide much needed planning assistance to local communities in San Antonio and the South Texas region.

Dr. Gayle Nicoll, Associate Professor of Architecture, received a $5,000 grant from the New York City Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control to develop evidence-based active living guidelines. The guidelines will help encourage everyday physical activities and will provide input into the overall outline and focus of the NYC department of Design and Construction Active Living Guidelines. Nicoll specializes in the impact of the built environment on physical activity.

Two CoA professors were awarded the UTSA Faculty Research Award in its 2007-2008 cycle. This highly competitive award is open to all tenured and tenuretrack faculty in the university and this year represents the fi rst time two CoA faculty received the award in the same year.

Mahesh Senagala, Associate Professor of Architecture, was awarded $4,450 for his work on Energy- Generating and Smart Fabric Structures. Senagala is exploring this topic in a senior studio he is teaching in Spring 2008. In this studio, Senagala aims to explore the design and fabrication of responsive fabric structures and fabric-integrated sustainable energy resources, as well as the integration of smart systems to manipulate the topology of fabric surfaces and achieve the various design and technical objectives of architectural scenarios. More information about the grant and project at www.mahesh.org.

Dr. Hazem Rashed-Ali, Assistant Professor of Architecture, was also awarded $5000 for his work on Carbon-Neutrality in Architectural Design Studios. Rashed-Ali is also using the award in a seminar he is teaching in Spring 2008. The seminar examines the use of digital performance simulation software as design- decision-support tools, which can facilitate the design of high-performance and carbon-neutral buildings. The seminar is part of a collaborative research project involving more than 30 instructors from across the country aiming to investigate different methods of integrating carbon-neutrality consideration in architectural design studios.

These research activities come in the context of both the university’s and CoA’s new strategic plans, which place an increased emphasis on research with the goal of establishing UTSA as a premier public research university.