FIU Department of Architecture

FIU Architecture Master Project Awards 2026 ✨
Congrats to our recent grads! Read and swipe to learn more about their featured projects.

Eric Goldemberg Studio: The Radical Hive- Housing Amalgamations 

Fabiana Garcia

Reconstructing Genoa’s Lost Geography  
Can housing, conceived as an extension of ground, transform genoa’s reclaimed marina into an inhabitable artificial
terrain through topographic mass and
water-based
spatial organization?
This project responds to the disconnect between Genoa’s historic identity and its modern waterfront. While the city’s heart is defined by a deep, vertical relationship with the mountains, the reclaimed marina has become a neutral, horizontal plane. This thesis seeks to bridge that gap by bringing the essence of that missing geography back to the sea…




Camila Martinez
Reconstructing Genoa’s Lost Geography  
This thesis proposes housing in Genoa as an extension of the ground, transforming the reclaimed marina into an inhabitable artificial terrain. While the historic city is defined by its mountainous landscape, the marina exists as a flattened condition that has lost the essence of Genoa’s identity.
The project brings Genoa’s terrain back to the waterfront, reconstructing its lost geography through a continuous topographic mass. Rather than existing as separate buildings, housing, circulation, and public space are carved into a continuous terrain, subtly shaped and oriented by the presence of water.

Leah Edmondson-Wood, Fragmented Continuity: Reimaging Social Housing in Begato

Mass social housing, particularly in post-war developments across Italy, often prioritized efficiency and scale at the expense of social and spatial quality. The “Diga” complexes in Begato, Italy illustrate these failures, where large, monolithic structures have led to isolation, disconnection, and a weak relationship with the surrounding Ligurian hillside landscape.
This project proposes an alternative approach through fragmentation. Instead of a single continuous form, the design is composed of smaller, dispersed volumes that step down and adapt to the steep topography

Interior Architecture Graduate Two, Workplace Design Studio visited HOK Miami for an engaging “Ask the Designer” session focused on entry roles in the profession and deepening understanding of space planning in contemporary workplace environments.

In the Issue-Based Design studio, led by sammoshaver gabrielaluaces , students are exploring solutions to workplace problems.

A special thank you to our Distinguished Studio Mentor and the HOK team for their insight and generosity.

✨Fun fact: One of our own alumni, Carolina Gonzalez was part of the panel. A full-circle moment and powerful reminder of where design education can lead.

FutureDesigners

FIU Architecture Master Project Awards 2026 ✨
Congrats to our recent grads! Read and swipe to learn more about their featured projects.

Marcelo Ertorteguy Studio (UN) Build

Jorge Rumeo
NEW SUBURBIA (Master Project Super Jury First Award !🥇)
This rebalancing effort forces us to rethink two traditionally distinct environments and how they adapt to new circum-stances. On the ‘Brickell’ side, the landscape has evolved into a sprawling vertical farm, integrating food production directly into the existing functional architecture. Conversely, the floating district redefines the suburbs through radical density…




Emily Hernandez
Anderson’s Corner

Anderson’s Corner in the Redlands, Florida celebrates the agricultural identity and multifunctional dynamic of this fertile landscape.
By revitalizing the once treasured merchandise store and using it as a catalyst to reframe growth in the Redlands, the project explores the preservation of agricultural character while allowing for change that supports community and production.
Historically shaped by the Florida East Coast Railway, the area’s connection to movement and trade informs the use of repurposed shipping containers as a sustainable building strategy for the farmers market, linking past systems of distribution with contemporary reuse.

Their linear arrangement is also inspired by the organization of agricultural crop rows, where efficiency, circulation, and functionality shape the landscape…

Students from the Goldemberg–Ottchen Studio continued their Tokyo study abroad experience this week with visits to some of the city’s most influential architectural landmarks.

The group explored the dynamic forms and urban presence of the Tokyo National Gymnasium by Kenzo Tange in Yoyogi Park, Tokyu Plaza Omotesando by Akihisa Hirata in Harajuku, the Miu Miu Store by Herzog & de Meuron in Aoyama, and Azabudai Hills by Thomas Heatherwick.

Through firsthand engagement with Tokyo’s layered architectural landscape, students are deepening their understanding of design innovation, materiality, and the relationship between architecture and urban culture on a global scale.

The Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design Industry Advisory Board convened at FIU on May 6 for its Spring Board Meeting. Chair Ebru Ozer, Associate Dean of Strategic Communications John Stuart, and Associate Dean of Architecture Marilys Nepomechie welcomed members and thanked them for their continued guidance, insight, and support of the department, college, and institution.

The meeting highlighted award-winning students, faculty and alumni achievements, curriculum updates, student and faculty activities, and the department’s continued growth and accomplishments.

Thank you to our board members and representatives:
Ben Hutchens ’06 (), Carolina Monteiro ’10 (), George Puig (), Jennie Rogers ’07 (), Justine Velez (), Laura Reyes (), and Patricia Matamoros ’19 representing Barry Miller and .

Special thanks to Helen Cohen for moderating the deliberation and voting process for the ASLA Student Honor and Merit Awards presentations.

Congratulations to our outstanding students:
✨ ASLA Student Honor Award recipients: Brittney Silva, Cesar Deschamps, and Maya Alawa
✨ ASLA Student Merit Award recipients: Andres Beltran, Joseph Andrew Higgins, and Manuel Echeverri

Cesar Deschamps and Maya Alawa will also present their work at the ASLA Florida Annual Conference in Orlando this July.

We are deeply grateful to our board members and ASLA leaders for their steadfast support and invaluable contributions to the continued success of our department.

FIU Architecture Master Project Awards 2026 ✨
Congrats to our recent grads! Read and swipe to learn more about their featured projects.
Jaime Canaves Studio: Expanding Territories for FIU
Paulina Hurtado, FIU BBC Expansion: Arts, Media and Performance Campus
Daniela Pujala, FIU Marine Gateway

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Paulina Hurtado, FIU BBC Expansion
Arts, Media and Performance Campus
The proposal expands FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus into a multidisciplinary arts district integrating film, music, theater, and dance within a collaborative, culturally and ecologically engaged environment.
Rooted in South Florida architecture, it emphasizes climate responsiveness, indoor-outdoor continuity, and a porous system of shaded walkways, courtyards, and elevated volumes for passive cooling.
Organized around a central courtyard linked to the nature preserve, it balances intimate rehearsal spaces with larger venues, while landscape supports biodiversity, water management, and microclimate
More than an arts campus, it embeds Biscayne Bay’s ecosystems into daily experience, fostering environmental awareness and stewardship.




Daniela Pujala
Spring 2026
FIU Marine Gateway
This project reactivates the Miami Marine Stadium site by transforming it into a dynamic hub for marine research, education, and public engagement, strategically positioned to bridge FlU and MAST Academy.
By leveraging its adjacency to MAST’s maritime program, the design fosters collaboration between secondary and higher education, creating a shared ecosystem for learning and innovation. The project introduces direct open-ocean access to significantly enhance FlU’s research capabilities, allowing for more efficient deployment, testing, and data collection in real conditions.
At its core, the proposal establishes a living microbiome. An immersive, controlled-yet-authentic environment where coral restoration, robotics, and water quality research can be piloted and observed-ultimately turning the site into a functional interface between architecture, science, and the marine landscape.

FIU Architecture Master Project Awards 2026 ✨

Alfredo Andia Studio: Archipelagos of Retreat, High-Density Habitatas on Biscayne Bay
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Mariah Barbosa, Ecotone Complex
Dior Crooks + Zachary Pinthieve + Anthony Barney, Infinite Cloud
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The project proposes an architectural design inspired by the concept of an ecotone, a transitional zone between two ecosystems to create a building that acts as a living threshold between Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline.
The architecture emerges from the landscape and blends natural and urban systems. It creates a gradual spatial transition from water to city through layers allowing ecological processes and human activity to coexist.
A key idea is controlled perception through shifting horizons, inspired by Lençóis Maranhenses. Some spaces feel enclosed and immersive, while others open outward toward expansive views, producing a continuous experience that moves between compression and release. Overall, the design becomes an
“architectural ecotone” a dynamic interface where ecology, infrastructure, and human experience intersect to generate new spatial and environmental possibilities.
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.architecture

Congratulations Department of Architecture! 🥳 On Monday, April 27, families and friends gathered ahead of commencement for a final celebration, as the 2026 School of Architecture Awards were held in the BEA Gallery during the 2026 School of Architecture Graduating Class Exhibition.

In a moment to reflect on the talent, dedication, and merit displayed over years of hard work, we’re happy to say the Spring 2026 semester concluded on a celebratory note!

We’re excited to see where our talented alumni go next 🥳

.architecture

Congrats, Class of 2026! Your journey has been marked by courage, growth, and an unwavering commitment to your craft. You showed up, pushed through challenges, and continued to believe in what you’re capable of becoming. No wonder we’re ranked among the Top 15 in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject in Architecture & Built Environment | U.S. Public Universities 🥳🤩

It’s been an honor to witness your evolution and to be part of your story.

Graduation is more than a celebration of what you’ve achieved. It’s a reflection of who you’ve become and the impact you’re ready to make. Your future is bright, and it’s yours to shape.

We’re so proud of you and excited to see where life takes you next.

Sincerely FIU SoA 🤩🥳💫



CARTALeads

Congratulations to the FIU LAEUD Department and the Class of 2026 on an exceptional semester, celebrated with a memorable awards ceremony held on Earth Day, April 22. The event honored talent, dedication, and achievement across the program, with proud families and friends in attendance. LAEUD faculty and professionals in the field also took part in presenting awards.

Students were recognized with scholarships and honors from leading organizations, including the Rotary Club of Miami, the Landscape Architecture Scholarship Fund, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Landscape Architecture Foundation, the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, the Honor Society of Sigma Lambda Alpha, and FIU LAEUD Faculty Awards.

The evening also marked the presentation of the inaugural FIU SOA LAEUD Outstanding Alumni Awards.

A special recognition goes to MLA student Krystal Schneider, who was awarded a $2,500 scholarship by the Rotary Club of Miami in acknowledgment of her outstanding work. The award was presented by RC Miami President Angel M. Rodriguez.

Congratulations again to all of our students, award recipients, and supporters. 🥳💫


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