Maryland School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation

What do Abraham Lincoln, an Amazon mockumentary and a '90s hip-hop song have in common? They were all "Slumdog Millionaire" moments for urban planner Derek Lombardi, AICP M.C.P. ’17, who came precariously close to unseating a nine-time winner on Jeopardy! last month. How did he train for trivia greatness? What was the question that foiled victory? Is Ken Jennings really that nice? We ask, he answers (not in the form of a question) in this profile:
https://arch.umd.edu/about/news-and-events/news/alum-played-win-42nd-season-jeopardy-who-derek-lombardi

Week three of invasion at MAPP with Terps Young Scholars! This week, high school students made concrete molds for models, part of a new summer course on model making.

LUNAR ARCHITECTURE. As humanity expands its footprint to the moon (and eventually, Mars), what new design challenges will architects face?

Join Dr. Caitlin Ahrens, Assistant Research Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland to learn about lunar geotechnical research and the future of lunar architecture.

Naturally, the lecture will take place in the Great Space 👩‍🚀 on Friday, October 24 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Happening Tomorrow: Lecture by Esra Akcan

We invite you to a lecture on "Resettler Nationalism, Enforced Mass Migrations and the Right to Heal" by Esra Akcan, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Cornell University. This event, part of the Fall 2025 Architecture Lecture Series, will delve into how architecture aids in community healing post-conflict and disasters, by discussing buildings and spaces in relation to transitional justice and energy transition.

Date: October 22, 2025
Time: 4 - 5:20 p.m.
Location: Architecture Building Auditorium (Live streamed here on Facebook and on YouTube)

Learn more at: https://go.umd.edu/akcan

Lagging home construction and restrictive zoning are driving high housing prices in Maryland, a new University of Maryland report from the National Center for Smart Growth has found.

Those hit the hardest are low-income residents and a growing population of people over 65.

Read about their findings in this story: https://arch.umd.edu/news-events/umd-researchers-find-homeownership-increasingly-out-reach-marylanders

In his new book “Metaphoric Architecture: Transforming Ideas into 3D Form," Architecture Clinical Professor Michael Abrams takes a unique approach to design thinking and breaks down how elements of art, music and film can inspire abstract ideas for creating 3D objects, spaces or buildings.

Learn how a famous painting, a musical instrument and an Alfred Hitchcock's classic film can inform and inspire an architectural design here: https://arch.umd.edu/news-events/art-building-idea

Hi Terps!

If you’re in New York this week, join architecture alum Yuval Zohar '08 for the U.S. book launch of "Towards a N**e Architecture" on Thursday, July 24 at the Vitra Showroom (https://register.vitra.com/event?f=NA2025074TowardsaN**eArchitecturebook) or his book talk and signing at the Japan Society (https://japansociety.org/events/towards-a-nude-architecture-a-visual-compendium-of-japanese-hot-springs/) on Friday, July 25.

"Towards a N**e Architecture" takes readers on an amazing odyssey through the mineral-rich, warm waters of Japanese onsen, exploring how its history and architecture have built a culture of connection and friendship.

Read more about it here: https://arch.umd.edu/news-events/finding-friendship-warm-waters

Great to catch up with some of AARP's braintrust. Given my status as a RSCLFI, I have a particular interest in aging policy and who better to talk to than our URSP alums Shannon Guzman (MCP 2008) and Dr. Rodney Harrell (URPD). Enlightening discussion, not to mention great food provided in AARP's cafeteria.