Auburn University Urban Studio

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Auburn University Urban Studio

Auburn University Urban Studio, located in Birmingham, is a teaching and outreach program of Auburn.

08/14/2026

Urban Studio’s Welcome Back Breakfast is next Friday, August 21!

To finish off our alumni series, Tom Hyun Shin of Krumdieck A + I shares how Urban Studio prepared him for a career in architecture.

"Urban Studio prepared me to go out into the real world... 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Setting up tasks to stay on top of deadlines. Countless site visits during different times of the day and season. Meeting people, listening to their needs, coming up with design solutions and developing the designs based on critiques."

08/07/2026

Urban Studio’s Welcome Back Breakfast is just two weeks away! This week, alumna Alexxys Montalvo of TurnerBatson shares the effect that Urban Studio had on her career.

“My time at Urban Studio transformed the way I think about our built environment and how people interact within it. Walking around and studying movement throughout Birmingham helped shape my perspective on creating places versus spaces and when and where to use each. Also being in an environment where I was able to collaborate with classmates and community members was truly invaluable and helped me prepare for the collaborative environment I am currently in.”

07/31/2026

In anticipation of Urban Studio’s Welcome Back Breakfast on Friday, August 21, we’re sharing experiences from alumni. This week, Ashley Askew from KPS Group shares about her time with Urban Studio.

“Looking back, my time at the Urban Studio was so much more than just learning how to design buildings—it completely changed how I see the world. Being right in the heart of downtown Birmingham meant the city was our actual classroom. I loved walking out the door and immediately being caught up in the energy, the history and the pulse of the community. It gave me the freedom to really dive into things that fascinated me, like exploring how color transforms a space in the Parkside master plan, which completely opened my eyes to a brand-new side of architecture. Working so closely with others taught me how to listen, collaborate and realize that good design is always about people, connection and the environment. It challenged the way I think and helped me grow in ways I never really expected.”

07/24/2026

Urban Studio’s Welcome Back Breakfast is fast approaching!

To celebrate, we’re sharing experiences from alumni, starting off with Josh Adams of Poole and Company Architects!

“My time at Urban Studio offered a unique opportunity to transition the skills developed during my on-campus studio work into a real-world setting. The program took the urban design theory I learned and placed it in an urban context where those concepts were physically playing out right outside studio’s doors. Engaging directly with the city taught me to navigate actual site constraints and see how individual projects weave into a larger neighborhood scale. That practical immersion directly prepared me for the complex master planning and spatial challenges I navigate now as a project architect.”

05/22/2026

Excited to be a part of Auburn University's growing presence in Birmingham!

04/14/2026

This past week, 3rd-year students had the opportunity to tour the new lodge under construction at Cheaha State Park—a project led by Chambless King Architects.

For students, the visit offered something rarely accessible in architectural education: the ability to see design decisions in real time—before finishes, before completion—when structure, material and intent are fully visible.

04/07/2026

APLA recently hosted a two-day “Forest-First” mass timber workshop in downtown Birmingham. 🌲

The event brought together designers, foresters, ecologists and sociologists to rethink how Alabama’s forests shape—and are shaped by—the growing mass timber industry.

03/03/2026

At Urban Studio, collaboration is a priority. The curriculum is structured like a professional firm—working on multiple team projects with milestone deadlines throughout the semester.

The 2025 fall semester featured a roster of architects, planners and professionals, like Kyle D’agostino of Poole & Company Architects, Louis Nequette ‘93 of Nequette Architecture & Design and Amanda Loper ‘05 of David Baker Architects, who shared their knowledge with the fifth-year students.

These experiences help students build collective and individual thesis projects and broaden their knowledge as they finish their studies and prepare to enter the workforce.

aub.ie/UrbanCollabs

02/27/2026

Over the course of its 30 years as a program, Urban Studio has become a member of the downtown Birmingham community, known by alumni and downtowners alike. 🏙️

Kinetic Communication’s Jay Brandrup ‘95 is both—an alum and a business owner who invested in downtown and Morris Avenue as his company’s headquarters.

As part of their work on a development plan for the railroad tracks between Morris and Powell Avenues, fifth-year students presented their ideas to Brandrup and with his friend Carlton Wood of the Historic Morris Avenue Coalition. The presentation provided an opportunity to get feedback from people who live, work and care about the areas.

🔗 aub.ie/MorrisAve

11/08/2025

Guest lectures are a fixture at Urban Studio, and each semester local architects share their knowledge and experience with students. 🗣️

This fall, Director Alex Krumdieck ’86 invited New Orleans-based architect and Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction alum Jonathan Tate ’97 to speak with the students.

“The lecture was fascinating. He didn’t focus on large, extravagant buildings but on spaces that people considered unusable,” fifth year Jordan King commented. “His projects took the idea of filling in the gaps in a city fabric to a new level.”

aub.ie/TateLecture

Address

2013 4th Avenue N
Birmingham, AL
35203

Website

http://cadc.auburn.edu/urbanstudio

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