Dezeen School Shows: a proposal informed by video games that examines how society might adapt to living in a desert is among the architecture projects from Academy of Art University.

Also featured is a community centre in Texas to bring together grieving families and an outdoor school in California to promote sustainability.

Academy of Art University

Institution: Academy of Art University
School: School of Architecture
Courses: NAAB Accredited M Arch 1, M Arch 2, B Arch MA, BA M Arch and B Arch IPAL programmes
Tutors: Mark Mueckenheim, Karen Seong, Sameena Sitabkhan, Aurgho Jyoti, Eric Reeder, Diego Romero Evans, Simon McKenzie, Antonio Lao and Jason Austin

School statement:

"We are a progressive design laboratory of highly passionate students and a distinguished faculty of practising architects who work together to explore the boundaries of architecture.

"Our interactive on-site and online studio experience harnesses digital tools to mentor students throughout our rigorous curriculum.

"We offer an excellent design education by developing each student's capacity to synthesise critical thought, architectural vision and technical comprehension.

"Our programmes engage with current global issues, empowering students to be change-makers and leaders, who are able to address relevant questions about the future of our society.

"Our diverse international community enables us to propagate a unique cultural response to build a better world."

Animal Centre in Boise River Flood Plain by Joanna Gonzales

"Companion Haven reimagines an animal shelter as a multi-species performative system – one that challenges anthropocentric norms by fostering spatial and sensory connections among human and non-human species.

"Situated within the Boise River watershed, the project engages the temporal rhythms of a dynamic riverine ecosystem, integrating seasonal design strategies for both flooding and drought conditions.

"Through cross-species programming, habitat-responsive site design and community-oriented spaces, the proposal advances architecture as an adaptive infrastructure – supporting interspecies coexistence, environmental literacy and shared use across shifting climatic and ecological conditions."

Student: Joanna Gonzales
Course: Bachelor of Architecture B.Arch
Tutor: Diego Romero Evans
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Everglades Market by Stefan Underwood

"With modern farming practices, humans have created a divide between agriculture, suburban, urban and protected land. These boundaries have caused numerous challenges that far outweigh the benefits.

"South Florida and the region's fragile ecology are a perfect case study that represents these global challenges we face locally. The boundaries created need to be reanalysed and applied more traditionally, where all regions sustainably coexist.

"Traditional cultures – such as the south Florida Native Americans – have successfully blended the three regions and blurred the boundaries between agriculture, nature and urban.

"By taking inspiration from Native American architecture, the Everglades Market creates a model in which all three regions can survive together through agriculture."

Student: Stefan Underwood
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis M.Arch
Tutor: Aurgho Jyoti Architect AIA
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

The Station Revival Centre: A New Hub for West Oakland by Jeffery Luc and JD Nguyen

"The Station Revival Centre restores a derelict train station into the crucial hub it once was by creating a wellness centre for the community in West Oakland.

"The new centre offers culinary training and cooking for local youth as well as a basketball court at the heart of the station.

"The West Oakland Bike Link Project extends to and winds through the building creating a connection to an existing bike path infrastructure in East Bay.

"The Station Revival Centre mitigates the isolating effects of adjacent I-880 Freeway and BART tracks by reconnecting West Oakland's communities to the greater Bay Area."

Students: Jeffery Luc and JD Nguyen
Course: Bachelor of Architecture Studio 5 – B.Arch
Tutor: Sameena Sitabkhan, RA NOMA
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

School of Roots by Eva Shaw

"This elementary school teaches sustainability through direct exposure and lived experience. Targeting elementary-aged students is intentional – piaget's concrete operational stage marks a critical period when children form logical ideas from concrete experiences.

"School of Roots embraces the developmental window in this age group to cultivate future stewards of the land. Designed with a rotating visiting schedule, it serves as a learning model for other schools and opens to the public when not in use, broadening its educational impact.

"Located in a dense urban area in Berkeley, California, the site minimises sprawl and transportation needs, with direct access to public transit.

"This ensures both environmental responsibility and community accessibility. The building includes flexible workspaces, demonstration labs and dining areas.

"Its strong emphasis is on outdoor learning, which reconnects users with nature. School of Roots is a foundational effort to align education with planetary health.

"Engaging children at their most formative stage offers a hopeful path toward a sustainable future."

Student: Eva Shaw
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis M.Arch
Tutor: Eric Reeder, Architect
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Modules of Hope by Kouassi Simon Yao and Mohammed Abdulhabeb

"Steeped in history, the 16th street station and the community that cherishes it are calling for a revival. This transformation aims to preserve its past while providing a sustainable, forward-looking vision to serve future generations.

"The revitalised station will feature spaces that honour its history and connection to the civil rights movement and the rise of the black middle class, while offering economic knowledge and opportunities.

"A branch of an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) will host a graduate business programme, complemented by a civil and labor rights centre, shops and pop-up food stalls. This blend of learning, activism and commerce will create a vibrant hub that resonates with the community's needs.

"Closely linked with the West Oakland neighbourhood, the modular design, using repurposed shipping containers, will present a modern and dynamic approach to house the college.

"This design is separate from the station's walls and roof, allowing the Beaux-Arts interior to remain in its original beauty. The vertical arrangement of the bright shipping containers creates a feeling of a small cityscape and offers opportunities for community engagement and a welcoming atmosphere, contrasting with its former image as an isolated relic.

"In doing so, the station will not only preserve its heritage but also anchor itself in a future full of purpose and connection."

Students: Kouassi Simon Yao and Mohammed Abdulhabeb
Course: Bachelor of Architecture Studio 5 – B.Arch
Tutor: Sameena Sitabkhan, RA NOMA
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Valley sports complex – sports, recreation and fitness opportunities for every season by Blake Douglas

"The community of Flathead County, Montana, requires indoor recreation space. Long winters with short daylight hours significantly impact the community's ability to be active and recreate through winter months and shoulder seasons.

"Snow is on the ground for up to eight months of the year, limiting available outdoor recreation opportunities.The winter climate also has an impact on mental wellness, as seasonal depression due to lack of sunlight is common.

"Combined with a lack of recreation opportunity, the community would be well served to have a place to commune and interact through the winter season. Montana is known for its rugged and beautiful landscape; the built environment should respect and respond to that.

"The structure of the building will be locally sourced mass timber, creating a form that respects the context in which it sits. A sports centre that will respect the landscape, enhance a sense of community and provide recreation."

Student: Blake Douglas
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis M.Arch
Tutor: Aurgho Jyoti Architect AIA
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Community garden and library – building a multigenerational bridge by Giewel David

"A community centre focused on gardening encourages interaction between different age groups, especially between the elderly and young adult immigrants.

"The three-story tall atrium garden runs along the length of the building. An outdoor amphitheatre provides views of Hamilton Park to the east and connects it to the herb garden on the second floor.

"The roof garden is an additional programme for multigenerational engagement. Glulam frames structurally support the building. Vertical wood fins wrap the façade with varied spacing depending on amount of privacy and shade needed.

"Wellness rooms, meditation spaces and physical exercise areas are tailored to the elderly's needs. Technology literacy training is offered for the elderly to stay connected with family and to access essential services online.

"Workshops help young immigrants understand the cultural, historical and social dynamics or their new environment helping to ease their transition and foster a deeper sense of belonging."

Student: Giewel David
Course: Bachelor Of Architecture B.Arch
Tutors: Simon McKenzie, AIA and Antonio Lao, RA
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Project Nomad – solution to adaptable desert living by Nick Pshegodskyy

"This project is positioned as a utopian vision that speculates its dystopian realities. The temperatures on planet earth have reached triple digits. The record-breaking temperatures are making uninhabitable large cities with vast surfaces covered with asphalt and concrete.

"This project assumes that as a consequence some people will move away from large urban centres to remote locations such as the Joshua Tree Desert. Open landscape, climate adaptation and renewable energy production provide a safe haven for the newly transplanted residents.

"The architecture provides cool breezes, fresh air and beautiful views of the site. The implementation of the latest technology provides a continuation of services like internet and deliveries in this remote location.

"The project's dystopian elements draws from social community prototypes based on sci-fi movies, video games and historical precedents.

"While project nomad provides residents some conveniences, there is no way to ignore that, beyond the project boundaries, the emptiness of the desert is enormous and hostile to life. This project imagines how humanity might adapt to such a setting."

Student: Nick Pshegodskyy
Course: Bachelor Of Architecture B.Arch
Tutor: Jason Austin
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Annex for the National Museum of Finland – Helsinki by Dalia Alkhatib

"This project proposes an annex to the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki, developed in response to a 2019 open international competition.

"The site adjoins the historic main building by renowned Finnish architects Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren and Eliel Saarinen, architects whose influence extends well beyond Finland's borders.

"The new annex is designed to host large-scale international exhibitions and support a broad range of cultural, artistic and civic events, from performances and conferences to public gatherings.

"It will also include the museum's main restaurant, helping to form a cohesive cultural campus with the existing museum and park.

"At its core, the project reinterprets Finnish national heritage through a contemporary lens. The concept of the museum annex reflects the evolving identity of modern Finnish society, grounded in a shared responsibility for the future.

"Architecturally, the annex contrasts and complements the historic structure with a bold design of four hyperbolic paraboloid roofs, supported by concrete columns and a ring beam.

"This lightweight and transparent form introduces openness and accessibility, offering a powerful new symbol for culture as a catalyst for change.

"By framing national heritage as a dynamic and welcoming narrative, the annex fosters dialogue between the past and the present, creating a vibrant space that embodies Finnish culture's contemporary values."

Student: Dalia Alkhatib
Course: Master of Arts in Advanced Architectural Design – MA
Tutor: Mark Mueckenheim – Architekt AKNW, AIA Int. Assoc., NOMA Int. Architect (Graduate Director)
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Uvalde Strong – youth and community centre by Eric Grossman

"The proposed youth and community centre in Uvalde, Texas, aims to address two tragic questions: the nature of social isolation and its ties to violence and the nature of community healing.

"On 24 May 2022, 19 elementary school students and two teachers were murdered by an 18-year-old active shooter at the Robb Elementary School.

"The shooting directly affected 21 families and indirectly several more. Uvalde is a small town where people know each other. An uncle of one of the victims stated, "if the shooter was involved and was able to be active and play, maybe this wouldn't have happened".

"A few months later, on 9 September 2022, two teenagers of 16 and 18 years were shot in an alleged drug deal at the same site.

"According to US News, "the only mental health centre in the area – just blocks from Robb Elementary – was seldom used or discussed, raising worries about the lack of awareness regarding signs and symptoms of mental illness and the stigma surrounding seeking help."

"Grieving together through recreation and community has helped Uvalde begin to heal. The parents of one victim started an organisation that hosts wilderness retreats for victims' families and survivors.

"A recreation centre, a youth and community centre can be a place to gather and can give these kids an opportunity to engage in play and change their direction.

"A chance to compete in sports and be a part of a team can also lead children through self-discovery.

"The proposal is a youth and community centre that can facilitate these activities."

Student: Eric Grossman
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis M.Arch
Tutor: Eric Reeder, Architect
Email: architecture[at]academyart.edu

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Academy of Arts. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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