FAA
✨ Celebrating our recent graduates. Congratulations Nick, Samantha, Priscilla, Emilie, and Emmaleah!! 🧡💙
Want to be featured? DM us your fave grad pics (must be an FAA graduate)!
@illinoismusic
@illinois_artanddesign
@archatillinois
@illinoistheatre
Congratulations to Urban Studies student, Rebecca Song, for being selected as an @illinoisihsi 2026 Community-Academic Scholar!
Rebecca Song is studying conservation biology and urban studies. They serve as vice president of the Asian Student Association and volunteer with Downtown Greens, a nonprofit dedicated to providing publicly accessible, park-like green space, gardens, and related educational opportunities, in downtown Fredericksburg, VA. Rebecca has conducted research as part of Dr. Blubaugh’s team to better understand ecological trade-offs between immunity and reproduction in insect populations.
This summer, Rebecca will join community partner, C-U Farm2School, and Dr. Blubaugh to examine how edible living mulches might smother weeds in urban garden beds while enhancing production capacity and protecting crops from insect pests. They will then translate the results of their experiments and make them accessible for their diverse audience of teachers, school-age students, and community members.
Read more about the project with the link in bio!!
Rehearsing commencement with those who do it best: @illinoistheatre.
To ALL our FAA students: Break a leg on the real deal this weekend!! 🎓
So. Many. Feelings. 😭🥹 We are so proud, but we`re also going to miss you seniors!
Video by @ella_entertexthere
Congratulations to Art & Design professor Mania Taher for winning the 2026 ARCC Dissertation Award for her dissertation, "Shifting Dwellings: Place, Culture, and Identity of Bangladeshi Immigrant Women in New York, 2000- Present!" 🎉
Taher`s dissertation explores how first-generation Bangladeshi immigrant women in New York shape a sense of home, identity, and community through their daily lives, dwellings, and neighborhoods. Focusing on routines, objects, and shared spaces, the research highlights how women adapt environments not originally designed for them while preserving cultural memory and building new forms of belonging in the Bangladeshi diaspora.
Congrats!!
@illinois_artanddesign
Had the best time at FAA`s Senior Celebration last week! Lots of laughs, indulging in college nostalgia, and sharing post-graduation plans. (And the Papa Del`s pizza was 😋)
Congrats #ClassOf2026!
@faastudents
"What is a campus?" Architecture and Landscape Architecture students interrogated this question on Reading Day with professor Kate Holliday on her Historical Walking Tour with "At Risk U: the Past, Present & Future of Academic Freedom" Lecture Series.
@archatillinois
@illinoislandarch
On May Day (May 1) 2026, Unreliable Beastiary artists Deke Weaver and Jennifer Allen led a sunrise procession to the Illinois Arboretum to plant a pocket forest of over 2,800 new seedlings. Hosted by Krannert Art Museum, the Department of Landscape Architecture, and the Illinois Arboretum, the event featured live music by Jason Finkelman, and a whole group of participants including students, faculty, and community members. This was presented in conjunction with the art museum`s exhibition "Another Place: Storymaking the Entangled Prairie." 🌱🎶💚
Video by @ella_entertexthere
@kamillinois
@illinoislandarch
@illinoismusic
BSSD
Today we are featuring Opportunity Scholarship awardee Lauren Wright and her project, “Lawngevity.” This scholarship supports Sustainable Design majors pursuing ambitious academic or professional projects.
Lauren`s scholarship funded LEED Green Associate certification preparation, SketchUp design software, and sustainable prototyping materials for her BSSD Capstone.
BSSD: Tell us about your project.
LW: I successfully presented my Sustainable Design capstone project along with a physical prototype that showcased the concept and overall functionality of the design. In addition, I earned my U.S. Green Building Council LEED Green Associate certification, which strengthened my knowledge of sustainable building practices, environmental stewardship, and responsible material selection. I have also continued developing my digital modeling and visualization skills through SketchUp, allowing me to create more detailed and professional design renderings to support future project development and presentation materials.
BSSD: How has the BSSD Opportunity Scholarship supported your academic or professional development?
LW: The BSSD Opportunity Scholarship has had a major impact on my growth as a student and designer. It allowed me to earn my U.S. Green Building Council LEED Green Associate certification, improve my skills in SketchUp, and create a physical prototype for my capstone. These experiences helped me feel more confident in my abilities and gave me hands on experience applying sustainable design concepts to a real project that I am passionate about pursuing in my future career.
BSSD: What are your future goals or plans for the project?
LW: My future goals for the project are to continue developing my skills in sustainable and ecological design while beginning my professional career after graduation. I also plan to bring the project into a real world setting by planting the native plants from my capstone project in my own yard. Doing this will allow me to continue learning from the project beyond the classroom while creating a pollinator friendly space that reflects the sustainable values and goals that inspired the project in the first place.
Congrats Lauren!
Happy Summer! This month we are featuring the work of six students awarded the Spring 2026 BSSD Opportunity Scholarship. This scholarship supports Sustainable Design majors pursuing ambitious academic or professional projects that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive. Today we are featuring awardee Aarushi Kaul and her project, “The Thinking Chair.”
BSSD: Tell us about your project.
AK: My project consisted of creating my own plywood from raw wood and creating a chair out of that plywood. I have completed the chair, and it is now ready to use.
BSSD: How has the BSSD Opportunity Scholarship supported your academic or professional development?
AK: The BSSD Opportunity Scholarship allowed me to purchase all the necessary materials to complete this project. It allowed me to develop myself academically in a way I had never had before. Prior to this class, I had never done woodworking before, and the Opportunity Scholarship allowed me the opportunity to learn about a new drafting method.”
BSSD: What are your future goals or plans for the project?
AK: In the future, I would like to experiment with different types of wood, different methods to make plywood, and different staining techniques. I`d also like to create a cushion tailored to the chair itself, so that it is comfortable for long-term sitting.
Congratulations Aarushi!
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and our surrounding community is a living lab for sustainability! These photos are from a tour of key sustainable building sites in the area led by professor Mark Taylor this April, as part of FAA 330 Making Sustainable Design. The field trip included stops at the Solar Decathalon House in Rantoul, the Gabel Home at the Energy Farm, and the Miscanthus Lab Facility at the University of Illinois.
About this core course: All Sustainable Design majors take FAA 330, which introduces techniques and tools for representing and realizing sustainable design at multiple scales. The class includes hands-on assignments, tutorials, workshops, and field trips.
Students visited the Solar Decathalon House in Rantoul, IL, a home designed to optimize energy efficiency alongside comfort and livability.
The Gabel House, nearby, is an earlier iteration and learning prototype for advancing ongoing research in sustainable residential design.
The tour concluded at the Miscanthus Lab Facility, a research and demonstration space exploring alternative bio-based building materials. The lab features experimental wall assemblies, including miscanthus, hemp-based materials, and conventional insulation. The facility connects material research to real-world applications, highlighting how agricultural byproducts can shape the future of sustainable construction.
BSSD is hiring a gallery assistant! Application Deadline 5:00 pm June 29! Undergraduate and Graduate Students are Encouraged to Apply for this Student Hourly Position.
8-10 hours per week, $16-19 per hour, hybrid location
To apply, email your materials to Karin Hodgin Jones, Director, Sustainable Design Program khodgin2@illinois.edu with the subject line Gallery Assistant Application
Include the following materials: Resume; Cover Letter describing your interest and qualifications; and Work Samples (photography, design, video, writing, or related work) as a single PDF or link
The Sustainable Design Program seeks an undergraduate / graduate student hourly Gallery Assistant to work with program staff in support of exhibitions, events, communications, and gallery operations for the Sustainable Design Gallery. Located in the Architecture Building, the Sustainable Design Gallery is the University’s first exhibition space dedicated to sustainable design, presenting exhibitions and public programs featuring students, faculty, researchers, visiting designers, and campus partners. This position provides hands-on experience in exhibition production, arts administration, photography, marketing, and event planning.
Responsibilities:
- Assist with exhibition installation and deinstallation
- Support receptions, lectures, workshops, and special events
- Prepare exhibition and promotional material
- Photograph and document exhibitions and events
- Maintain physical and digital archives
Support outreach, submissions, and research activities
- Assist with social media and communications
Required Qualifications:
- Strong organizational skills and reliability
- Availability to assist with gallery events
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Excellent communication skills
- Timely and professional email communication
- Willingness to learn and take direction
- Access to a computer
- Photography experience
- Ability to perform light physical tasks, including lifting 20 pounds and using a ladder
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with Registered Student Organizations or community groups
- Familiarity with Google Docs and Sheets
- Graphic Design skills u
Our alumni go on to do incredible work and we couldn’t be prouder! This week we’re featuring Sasha Vry, who you may have seen recently in the Chicago Tribune! Sasha graduated this spring and now works with FARMZERO, a vertical farming company in Chicago that grows food in vacant office buildings.
Sasha Vry: “Since graduating, I have had the opportunity to work with a bunch of passionate people to spearhead the conversion of vacant office buildings into vertical gardens. Through hydroponics, we nurture a seed into a plant, and a plant into food for consumers. I am constantly learning from my environment, and FARMZER0 is where I bridge what I have learned from Sustainable Design into reality. For my capstone project, I researched how plants cannot only communicate with other plants but also interact with humans. Like my project, my desire is to become a vessel of information about the world of plants and to create connections to our environment. With all their intricacies, plants thrive around other plants, just as humans need connection to reach their highest form of self, and I hope to bridge the educational wealth around what keeps us alive and in community.”
@farmzerochicago
@chicagotribune
Congratulations to our graduates, the BSSD class of 2026! 🎓🎉🙌
🌱 As we close out the semester, we are highlighting Charley Marchis, another student supported by a Fall 2025 BSSD Opportunity Scholarship!
Charley used the Opportunity Scholarship to prepare for an take the LEED Green Associate exam.
🌱 CM: “The BSSD Opportunity Scholarship supported my academic and professional development by covering the cost of registering for the LEED Green Associate exam. Preparing for this exam has deepened my understanding of sustainable building principles and helped me connect coursework in sustainable design with real-world industry standards. The credential aligns closely with my academic interests and career goals in sustainability and the built environment.”
Congrats, Charley!
It was great to see so many of you at last week’s opening of the 2026 BSSD Capstone Exhibition. If you missed the reception, the work remains on view in the Sustainable Design Gallery on the second floor of the Architecture Building through September 6! Free and open to the public.
At the opening, Director Karin Hodgin Jones shared remarks on the creativity, tenacity, and care of BSSD students reflected through their projects:
“It has been my honor to work with you over the four years that I have led the BSSD program, and to grow with you as this program has grown and changed. I’m so pleased to see your work hanging in the new Sustainable Design Gallery for the entire community to see.
At this moment—a full step into the middle of the 21st century—you are confronting, interrogating, and constructing new forms and types of work. Some of your paths emerge from, and tackle, decades-old problems that have reached their most urgent need for attention. Some of you are recognizing newly emergent matters that require urgent care.
You are the visionary leaders who can think across scales, across disciplines, and between communities to imagine true solutions for our collective future. I may be a bit biased, but I am firmly of the belief that your work is essential for visioning and implementing creative and viable solutions to this moment in history. I hope you all believe that about yourselves, too.”
