Effective September 1, the University of Texas at San Antonio will launch its College of Engineering and Integrated Design (CEID), one of the few academic programs in the U.S. that combine engineering, architecture, and construction.
The new college will have 4,300 students, 117 faculty members, and 41 staff. It is the result of a year-long discussion by the University’s Integrated Design Initiative Task Force, that was formed in April 2020. Also instrumental in encouraging this consolidation is the San Antonio office of LPA Architects, whose Principal Mark Oppelt sits on the University’s Professional Advisory Council, and whose firm has long advocated the cross-pollination of engineering and architecture, especially now when the industry’s response to climate change requires more complicated solutions that involve both disciplines.
“This is the path the industry will need to travel for a more sustainable world,” Oppelt tells BD+C. He explains that as LPA has honed its specialty in sustainable design, it has come to appreciate the importance of incorporating engineering into the design process that often calls for complex MEP and HVAC systems to achieve sustainable results.
LPA Architects, with six offices in the U.S., is the largest architecture firm to meet or exceed AIA’s 2030 Challenge targets over the last two years. “We want our designers to understand engineering, and our engineers to understand design,” says Oppelt.
“LPA is a national leader in integrated design, and having Mark on the Advisory Council has been very impactful in informing the best way to shape this new program,” states Sedef Donager, Ph.D, Interim Director of the School of Architecture and Planning.
ONE COLLEGE, TWO SCHOOLS, THREE DEPARTMENTS
The new college brings together the academic departments and programs formerly under the College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Planning, and Construction. CEID is organized administratively into two schools: one for Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Management; and another for Architecture and Planning. The new college has three departments: biomedical and chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical and computer engineering.
While students and faculty had collaborated on projects when the two colleges were separate entities, this combination will present more students with greater opportunities to work together, and—perhaps more important—prepare for working in an industry where firms are expanding their disciplines to remain competitive. (Oppelt says that at least half of LPA’s workforce in San Antonio graduated from UTSA.)
At present, the new college will use existing buildings on its campuses, but Oppelt suggests that UTSA’s plans to beef up its physical presence in downtown San Antonio could impact the new college down the road. Also in the future, all students in this program will be required to complete either an internship, a research project, a study abroad experience, or a service-learning initiative while pursuing their undergraduate or graduate degrees.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jun 14, 2023
Calif. State University’s new ‘library-plus’ building bridges upper and lower campuses
A three-story “library-plus” building at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) that ties together the upper and lower campuses was recently completed. The 100,977-sf facility, known as the Collaborative Opportunities for Research & Engagement (“CORE”) Building, is one of the busiest libraries in the CSU system. The previous library served 1.2 million visitors annually.
Higher Education | Jun 14, 2023
Designing higher education facilities without knowing the end users
A team of architects with Page offers five important factors to consider when designing spaces for multiple—and potentially changing—stakeholders.
University Buildings | Jun 9, 2023
Cornell’s new information science building will foster dynamic exchange of ideas and quiet, focused research
Construction recently began on Cornell University’s new 135,000-sf building for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (Cornell Bowers CIS). The structure will bring together the departments of Computer Science, Information Science, and Statistics and Data Science for the first time in one complex.
Student Housing | Jun 5, 2023
The power of student engagement: How on-campus student housing can increase enrollment
Studies have confirmed that students are more likely to graduate when they live on campus, particularly when the on-campus experience encourages student learning and engagement, writes Design Collaborative's Nathan Woods, AIA.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 30, 2023
How design supports a more holistic approach to training
For today’s college athletes, training is no longer about cramming team practices and weight lifting sessions in between classes.
Higher Education | May 24, 2023
Designing spaces that promote enrollment
Alyson Mandeville, Higher Education Practice Leader, argues that colleges and universities need to shift their business model—with the help of designers.
University Buildings | May 17, 2023
New UC Irvine health sciences building supports aim to become national model for integrative health
The new College of Health Sciences Building and Nursing & Health Sciences Hall at the University of California Irvine supports the institution’s goal of becoming a national model for integrative health. The new 211,660-sf facility houses nursing, medical doctorate, pharmacy, philosophy, and public health programs in a single building.
University Buildings | May 11, 2023
New ‘bold and twisting’ building consolidates School of Continuing Studies at York University
The design of a new building that consolidates York University’s School of Continuing Studies into one location is a new architectural landmark at the Toronto school’s Keele Campus. “The design is emblematic of the school’s identity and culture, which is centered around accelerated professional growth in the face of a continuously evolving labor market,” according to a news release from Perkins&Will.
Digital Twin | May 8, 2023
What AEC professionals should know about digital twins
A growing number of AEC firms and building owners are finding value in implementing digital twins to unify design, construction, and operational data.
BIM and Information Technology | May 8, 2023
3 ways computational tools empower better decision-making
NBBJ explores three opportunities for the use of computational tools in urban planning projects.