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Catholic University of America

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CUA Faculty Member Milton Shinberg’s New Book: Bridging the Divide Between Design Research and Design Reality

 

WASHINGTON, DC  — Milton Shinberg, AIA, LEED AP, Adjunct Professor in the School of Architecture & Planning at The Catholic University of America and long-time practitioner, has a new book out, People-Centered Architecture: Design, Practice, & Education.

Shinberg has been on the adjunct faculty at CUA since 1978, teaching a wide range of courses, from all studio levels to inaugurating courses on graphic communication and technology. Since 2004, he has led Beauty & Brains, an inquiry into the junctures between the human sciences and architecture. Those junctures include neuroscience, neuroaesthetics, psychology, anthropology, and phenomenology.

He is on the Advisory Councils of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture and the International Arts+Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University. Shinberg has lectured for programs in Spain, Brazil, and Italy, in addition to many talks for architectural conferences and the National Academies of Science. He has also contributed as a peer reviewer.

Praise from all quarters has greeted People-Centered Architecture by long-time architect and teacher Milton Shinberg. With 45 years of practice, and even more as an adjunct professor, the book is a compendium of well-curated information and insights that he has brought to his students and leveraged in his many professional projects.

“Out of decades of a successful and reflective architectural practice and teaching career come Milton Shinberg’s timely insights on pursuing human-centered architecture. Far from subjective observations, these discernments and recommendations are grounded in a nuanced reading of science, psychology, and education, and the thoughtful consideration of many other respected voices and perspectives.

“The result is a book that expands our understanding of design thinking, making, and pedagogy by inviting us to go beyond what we know. Using a friendly and engaging writing style, Shinberg brings us on a journey exploring the most relevant topics in today’s architectural world.

“This book will prove useful to the seasoned architectural practitioner or academic, the college student, and any ordinary citizen intrigued by the value and power of the built environment.”

Julio Bermudez, PhD, Architect, Author, ACSA Distinguished Professor of Architecture
President of the Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum

Among the themes of the book:

  • Translating Current Research on Environmental Experience into Design Strategies
    With a background in science as well as architecture and art, and music, the author has developed an integrated framework to land in the real worlds of education and practice.
  • Deepening the Knowledge of Practitioners by Sharing Knowledge and Insights About the Sciences of People.
    Shinberg invokes neuroscience and the behavioral sciences, along with the cognitive underpinnings of aesthetics. The book argues and evidences that having a better understanding of beauty to help design with precision isn’t only possible; it’s essential.
  • Connecting Empathy and Wisdom with Design Excellence
    Architects can go beyond solving logistical design problems and aim high for wise architecture that helps people flourish.
  • Listening to Non-Architects and Capturing Their Wisdom for Better Design
    Using structured interaction to get below the surface of needs and wants, tapping hard-to-access experiences and insights, with techniques for using words and images to draw them out.
  • How Intuition and Design Accuracy Relate, Both Well and Badly
    The author probes the value of intuition in design, addressing how to leverage it and build on it, going beyond initial impressions to well-founded ideas. Design thinking usually begins with intuition, but shouldn’t end with it.
  • Warnings About Misapplication of Evidence-Based Design
    Architects need, and can access, assistance to help understand the power and the limits of Evidence-based Design. Conclusions can be misinterpreted and over-extended without deeper examination, leading to unintended consequences.
  • How to Forge Agreement from the Diverse Goals and Insights of Clients, Stakeholders, Users, and the Public
    Getting the design right the first time not only saves hours and design budgets. When the ideas arise through dialogue with clients and stakeholders, and users, an agreement that is durable can happen quickly. A much smoother, less contentious, more productive, and collaborative project process can result.

More information is available at https://www.miltonshinberg.com/people-centered-architecture.

University at Buffalo, SUNY

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Celia Chaussabel Named 2025-26 Banham Fellow for UB School of Architecture and Planning

 


 

For a quarter of a century, the UB School of Architecture and Planning has supported design work that situates architecture within the field of socio-cultural and material critique through the Peter Reyner Banham Fellowship. Named in honor of architectural historian Peter Reyner Banham – who taught at UB from 1976-80 – the fellowship honors his influential scholarship on material and visual culture as a reflection of contemporary social life.

This year, the School enthusiastically welcomes Celia Chaussabel as the 2025-26 Banham Fellow. Chaussabel recently earned her master of science in architecture studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has a bachelor of architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University. Her prior experience includes design roles at firms in New York and San Francisco, along with research work focused on material reuse, notably at Belgian cooperative, Rotor.

Four years ago, Chaussabel was living in Brooklyn and working as a project manager and designer for Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects.  Her responsibilities included contributing to the Manual of Biogenic House Sections, a publication that examines the carbon emissions associated with the lifecycle of building materials and the benefits of using biomaterials as sustainable alternatives.

Simultaneously, in her free time, she developed an interest in “stooping,” the practice of collecting free, unwanted items that had been left atop her neighbors’ stoops, signaling that they were up for grabs. Over time, she noticed that certain types of items were consistently swiped first – particularly furniture and pieces that were still intact or in good condition. But not Chaussabel. She was drawn to the leftovers, the ones whose purpose was more ambiguous. “They weren’t telling you what they were supposed to be,” she explained. “Somehow, because they were maybe tilted sideways on the street and isolated, I started seeing them as other things. There was some ambiguity to their form that, as an architect and designer, I really liked. These two ideas – increasing the sustainability of building materials and the creative reuse of discarded materials – began to blend together in her mind, sparking a lasting interest in the creative reuse of materials in architectural design and their corresponding narratives. Her portfolio vividly reflects this creative ethos, showcasing a range of inventive projects.

Chaussabel will join the School in the fall, where she’ll have the opportunity to instruct students, deliver a public lecture, and prepare an exhibition culminating from her research and creative work. She’s enthusiastic about participating in a fellowship with such a rich history and was especially drawn to the role after learning about the original and thought-provoking work produced by past fellows.

Drawing from her own undergraduate experience, she plans to integrate creative projects into the curriculum to help foster her students’ creative growth. “In undergrad, it really helped me to reach beyond studio for inspiration,” she reflected. “Doing other types of projects like drawing or creative writing helped – things that were less pressure than a studio project and more exploratory. You could have fun with it. This freed up my architectural work in a way that was really, really helpful. I would love to engage students in creative side projects and help them get outside of studio a little bit.”

She’s also looking forward to exploring Buffalo and connecting with its network of architects, designers, and reuse organizations. Even more exciting is the chance to dedicate time to her own research. “That’s one of the things that drew me to the fellowship – the chance to talk to a community of architects and students and designers at the end about my work,” she noted. “I think that’s amazing, and not every fellowship has that.”

University at Buffalo, SUNY

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UB School of Architecture and Planning Unveils New Brand Identity

 

 

Since their founding in 1967, the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning has used their disciplines to question everything and build better futures. Over the last year, they’ve partnered with Pentagram — the largest independently-owned design consultancy in the world — to lead the evolution of the School’s visual and verbal brand expression along with a new website.

Although the website is still in development (coming soon), the School engaged in a process of collective self-discovery and reconnection, and clarified their purpose and brand persona – the values, character traits and behaviors that set them apart – and are now ready to articulate their story through a bold platform of creative expression.

It was clear they needed a unifying brand strategy — actionable tools that could help the School communicate what they do, how it’s different, and why it matters. That’s where their brand statement comes in, “We make design matter,” as the highest and most succinct articulation of their distinct point of view. The School believes in their community, field, and disciplines. At the intersection of architecture, planning, and real estate, the School believes in the power of transformation with a focus on impact. They are committed to their state, region, and the world with optimism for a more inclusive and resilient future.

The School of Architecture and Planning cultivates a culture of opportunity and possibility from the moment students arrive. With access to a community of makers and doers alongside experiential learning opportunities, they prepare upcoming designers to build better futures through the following values:

  • Question everything.
  • Start here. Go anywhere.
  • Think through making.
  • Build better futures.

These values are embedded in each of the School’s degree programs, where innovation is inherent, entrepreneurship is every day, making is second nature, and grand global challenges are always top of mind.

Follow along this week on UBSAP’s social media pages as they reveal their new brand identity and stay tuned for their new website, coming soon!

Penn State

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Stuckeman Professor’s New Book Explores ‘Socially Sustainable’ Architecture

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alexandra Staub, author and professor of architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School at Penn State, examines how architects can better serve society by changing their approach to the building process in her latest book titled “Architecture and Social Sustainability: Understanding the New Paradigm.”

Published by Routledge, the book presents examples of “how we can better design for stakeholder agency, serve historically marginalized populations, and further our theoretical thinking about sustainability writ large,” according to the book’s abstract.

As Staub discusses, sustainability is usually presented as having three components: ecological, economic and social. Architects often talk about ecological sustainability, such as designing energy-efficient buildings or using materials that don’t harm the planet. Social sustainability in the context of the built environment is less discussed and remains poorly defined.

“The book explores the design of buildings and urban settings to illustrate how we can create more inclusive and equitable communities through broadening our design approach,” she said.

The first section of the book traces the history of how architecture and urban design became exclusionary and identifies theoretical and practical tools that can be used to bring more stakeholders into the process of constructing a building.

Part two of the book offers nine case studies from the United States, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and India that illustrate instances of socially sustainable design at a variety of scales.

Thanks to a grant from the College of Arts and Architecture, the book is open-access and can be viewed and downloaded via the Routledge website.

“Having the publication readily available was important for me because a book that discusses social sustainability should be available to everyone, regardless of [their] ability to pay,” Staub said.

“Architecture and Social Sustainability: Understanding the New Paradigm” is written for students, professionals, educators and anyone interested in how the built environment is shaped – and what could be done to make that process more sustainable.

Penn State

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Architecture Student Awarded Justice Alliance in Design Education Fellowship

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Tavia Mitchell, a third-year architecture student in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School at Penn State, was recently a recipient of DesignPhiladelphia’s 2025 Justice Alliance in Design Education (JADE) Fellowship, which aims to help create a more welcoming and inclusive culture for all students in architecture and design education.

JADE is a collaborative effort by Pennsylvania-based higher education schools including the Community College of Philadelphia, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University, Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania. The primary objective of the six fellows in the cohort is “to design experiences for other design students that foster a thriving, joyful and inclusive culture.”

“I am honored to have received acceptance into the JADE Fellowship program where I will learn how to positively impact communities through design and inclusivity,” Mitchell said. “I am glad to join a program that values designing inclusively for community development, which is a personal career goal of mine.”

Fellowship recipients receive a $10,000 stipend award to support leadership development, career advancement, student organizing, and community outreach and service.

“I personally value community outreach/service, so that goal spoke to my heart when I first applied for the JADE Fellowship, and it was one of the many things that inspired me to apply for the program,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell, who is from West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, will return to her studies in the fall as the secretary of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, Penn State chapter, and co-president of the Growth International Volunteer Excursion (GIVE@Penn State), which aims to “promote sustainable volunteer efforts, global-minded initiatives and environmentally conscious lifestyles” within the State College community. She is also a recipient of the Bunton-Waller Fellow Award through the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity at Penn State.

Mitchell said she credits Felecia Davis, associate professor of architecture, as her mentor and as one of the instructors who opened her eyes to the importance of creating positive design education communities.

As for her hopes and expectations of the program, Mitchell said, “I’m excited to grow as a student and spread the lessons I’ve learned to those around me so I’m excited to take what I will learn through the JADE Fellowship program to connect students in the design community at Penn State.”

Penn State

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Stuckeman Architecture Department Welcomes Three New Faculty Members

 

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Stuckeman School’s Department of Architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State will welcome three new faculty members this summer: Teisha Bradley, lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Environmental Design at Morgan State University; José Ibarra, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Colorado; and Delphine Lewandowski, lecturer at Nantes and Paris-Val-de-Seine Schools of Architecture.

“We’re thrilled to welcome three new hires whose expertise not only advances the field of architecture but also expands our capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration within and beyond the school,” said Chingwen Cheng, Stuckeman School director. “Their diverse perspectives and approaches to design will foster richer dialogue, open up new ways of thinking, drive innovative research and pedagogy, and create space for embracing worldviews to deepen our impact in communities and the environment.”

Teisha Bradley

Bradley’s research explores spatial storytelling and maps the lived experiences of Black bodies within the built environment, particularly through the lens of the African diaspora.

Bradley serves on the executive board of the National Organization of Minority Architects Baltimore chapter as its parliamentarian and was recently published by the National Conference for the Beginning Design Student, where she highlighted the role of architecture as a storytelling tool and emphasized the importance of identity-centered education and discourse.

Bradley holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Morgan State and a Master of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she also earned a certificate in collegiate teaching in art and design. While at RISD, she served as a teaching fellow, leading advanced design studios and thesis courses.

Professionally, she has worked with Architecture Resources Cambridge in Boston and Salazara Design Firm in Portland, Oregon. She currently consults with Fielding International, an architecture firm that brings educators and architects together to design innovative K-12 learning environments around the world.

Through her work in practice, research and teaching, Bradley remains dedicated to inclusive design and the empowerment of underrepresented communities through architecture. She will join the architecture department on Aug. 1 as an assistant teaching professor of architecture.

“Teisha Bradley brings a powerful blend of design talent and social consciousness to our department, enriching our community with a deep commitment to equity, representation and inclusive design,” said Frank Jacobus, architecture department head and professor. “She will offer our students a vital perspective on how architecture can shape more just and responsive environments.”

José Ibarra

Ibarra is a Venezuelan designer, researcher and educator whose interdisciplinary work explores the intersection of architecture and environmental uncertainty. He is the director of Studio José Ibarra and co-founder of House Operations and the Agency for Work and Play.

Ibarra’s research centers on architecture’s capacity to “meaningfully engage with crisis, whether social, ecological or planetary.” Through design, curation, writing and teaching, he develops multifocal approaches that reframe architecture as a responsive and relational practice amid social unrest, environmental degradation and climate crisis.

Ibarra’s recent projects include “Werewolf: The Architecture of Lunacy, Shapeshifting, and Material Metamorphosis,” published by AR+D in 2022 and co-edited with Caroline O’Donnell; “Table Manners,” a series of performative, academically grounded events that bring people together in unexpected ways; and Casa Libertad, a private residence in Tecate, Mexico.

An assistant professor of architecture at the University of Colorado Denver since 2022, Ibarra previously taught at the University of Virginia and served as Urban Edge Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has also taught at Cornell University and practiced architecture at firms including Barkow Leibinger, CODA and Studio Eber.

His teaching has earned numerous accolades, including the 2022 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)/American Institute of Architecture Students New Faculty Teaching Award, the 2024 ACSA/American Institute of Architects Housing Design Education Award and the 2025 Tulane Honorable Achievement for Interdisciplinary Climate Change Curriculum in Architecture. His design and scholarly work have been recognized and published internationally, including with a Graham Foundation grant for his collaborative project with Liz Gálvez titled “Latinx Coalition Chats.”

Ibarra will begin his work at Penn State on Aug. 1 as an assistant professor of architecture.

“We are thrilled to welcome José Ibarra to the Penn State Department of Architecture. His innovative work at the intersection of design and environmental uncertainty will profoundly enrich our academic and creative community,” Jacobus said. “His interdisciplinary approach to architecture — as a responsive practice in the face of ecological and social crises — will inspire our students and faculty alike to think more critically and expansively about the role of architecture in a rapidly changing world.”

Delphine Lewandowski

Lewandowski is a licensed architect, researcher and lecturer currently based in Paris. She explores the relationships between nature and architecture through a multidisciplinary practice that integrates ecological sciences and environmental ethics. Her objective is to develop architectural responses — both technical and theoretical — to the ongoing biodiversity and climate crises.

Lewandowski completed her doctoral studies at the Paris-Malaquais School of Architecture–PSL and the French National Museum of Natural History, in collaboration with the Paris-based firm ChartierDalix, where she reimagined the wall as “a living, autonomous habitat that hosts biodiversity.” Her contributions have earned several awards, including the International Prize for Ph.D. Dissertation on Cities from the French government.

Her teaching focuses on integrating non-humans into architectural design, advocating for alternative perspectives and an ethics of care in architecture.

Lewandowski has collaborated with various architecture practices and is regularly invited as a guest lecturer and critic at prestigious institutions including the Royal Danish Academy, KU Leuven and École Spéciale d’Architecture.

She will join Penn State as an assistant professor of architecture, effective July 1.

“We are excited to welcome Delphine Lewandowski to our department, where her groundbreaking work at the intersection of ecological science and architectural design will deepen our engagement with pressing environmental challenges,” Jacobus said. “Her research on architecture as a living habitat offers a compelling bridge to our school’s landscape architecture department, opening new opportunities for collaboration around biodiversity, environmental ethics and the integration of non-human life into the built environment.”

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