News from College of Architecture and Planning

Matt Shea and students stand in front of ruins in Tivoli, Italy.

Summer Study Abroad Recap: CAP Students Travel to Rome, Chile, and Japan

Students visited Rome, Chile, and Japan this summer as part of the CU Denver Global Education program. These opportunities for international study provide students with immersive experiences, introducing them to cultures and perspectives that they will carry with them throughout their lives and careers.

By Carmen New

September 1, 2026

Campus

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New Vennegut Cabins at Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions as the sun begins to set in the forest.

ColoradoBuildingWorkshop Returns to Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions to Transform Its Historic Vonnegut Cabin Loop

As the University of Colorado prepares to celebrate 100 years of built environment education in Colorado, Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions is also celebrating 100 years of connecting communities to the outdoors.

Students Kara Hand and Mitch Widule laugh while reviewing a project with Matt Shea.

PCI-Supported Graduate Architecture Studio Reimagines Denver Fire Stations as Mixed-Use Civic Infrastructure

Over the last 10 years, Assistant Professor Matt Shea has taught graduate architecture studio six supported by PCI Mountain States, a chapter of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.

The headshots of all seven CAP outstanding graduates, from left to right, Samantha Guerra, Maddie Fulmer, Dania Morelli, Anna Nielsen, Phil Runnings, Bryn Hall, and Dan Schumacher.

CAP’s Spring 2026 Outstanding Graduates

The CU Denver Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony was held on Saturday, May 16 at the Denver Coliseum. We are excited to share that Samantha Guerra Bolon (Bachelor of Science in Architecture), Madeline Fulmer (Master of Architecture), Dania Morelli (Master of Architecture), Anna Nielsen (Master of Architecture), Phil Runnings (Master of Landscape Architecture), Bryn Hall (Master of Urban and Regional Planning), and Dan Schumacher (Master of Urban Design) were recognized as the College of Architecture and Planning’s Outstanding Graduates.

Jesse Kuroiwa stands at the Amache National Historic Site with students overlooking an arid field.

Gardening as Resistance in Japanese Internment Camps

Jesse Kuroiwa, director of the Visual Resource Center (VRC) and lecturer in the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at CU Denver, is investigating the lives and treatment of Japanese immigrants in the United States during World War II and how they expressed their culture through gardening.

CAP's Spotlight

Wannasiri Srivarathanabul: Designer, Architecture Instructor, Writer, Iron Chef Thailand Judge, and So Much More

Wannasiri “Vanessa” Srivarathanabul (Master of Architecture, 1996) moved to the United States from Bangkok, Thailand with her fiancé, now husband, and fellow College of Architecture and Planning alum, Vasin Srivarathanabul, as he worked on his architecture degree at the University of Arizona.

CAP Outstanding Graduates headshots. Top row (left to right) Emily Beeson and Erin Daly. Bottom row (left to right) Nicole Diaz, Willa Hendler, and Lucy O'Sullivan.

Spring 2024 Outstanding Graduates

The Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony was held on Saturday, May 11 at the Denver Coliseum. Congratulations to Emily Beeson (Master of Landscape Architecture), Erin Daly (Master of Urban Design), Nicole Diaz (Bachelor of Science in Architecture), Willa Hendler (Master of Architecture), and Lucy O’Sullivan (Master of Urban and Regional Planning) for your recognition as the College of Architecture and Planning’s Outstanding Graduates.

Portraits of Aaron Daines, Jacob Taswell, Shaima Shahbaz, and Gregory Adelberg.

Celebrating CAP’s Fall 2023 Outstanding Graduates

The Fall 2023 Commencement Ceremony was held on Saturday, December 16 at the Colorado Convention Center. We’re excited to share that Aaron Daines (Bachelor of Science in Architecture), Jacob Taswell (Master of Architecture), Shaima Shahbaz (Master of Urban and Regional Planning), and Gregory Adelberg (Master of Landscape Architecture) were the College of Architecture and Planning’s Outstanding Graduates.

Dina Bleecker working on a project at a studio table.

Student Spotlight: Dina Bleecker, Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Dina Bleecker has lived in Indianapolis, Chicago, London, Brooklyn, and currently, Denver, providing her with a wide-ranging perspective on the needs of our cities and communities as they share similarities and vast differences.

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Smiley’s demolition meant Denver lost an Art Deco building. But here are eight more examples of the rare architectural style in the city!

April 14, 2022

Smiley’s demolition meant the city had one less example of a relatively rare architectural style in Denver: Art

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Weather Shapes Bus Ridership—But Cost and Shelters Can Change the Equation

College of Architecture and Planning