Architecture | Penn Today

For dual architecture degree candidate Kelvin Vu, design begins with the body

Master of architecture and master of landscape architecture candidate Kelvin Vu, who was a professional dancer before coming to Weitzman, says “dance and landscape design are about change, flux, and dynamism.”

2 min. read

Fourth-years Ejun Mary Hong and Jack Nicholas Roney were awarded a 2025 President's Engagement Prize to pursue their PIXEL project. The pair will collaborate to bring art mentorship, creative skill-building, and industry networking opportunities to under-resourced high school students in the greater Philadelphia area.

Empowering high school youth through immersive art mentorship

Penn fourth-years Ejun Mary Hong and Jack Nicholas Roney will use a President’s Engagement Prize to expand their existing initiative dedicated to connecting under-resourced high school students in Philadelphia with art mentorship, creative skill-building, and industry networking opportunities.

6 min. read

Richard Garber standing outside in front of concrete panel

Concrete panels as teaching tools, materials testing, and outdoor sculptures

On view outside the Weitzman School of Design are three freestanding concrete panels designed and made by students in a unique graduate seminar that partners with a local concrete-fabrication plant

5 min. read

After $174M building debuts, University of Pennsylvania readies next major project

With the completion of the $173.5 million Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology, Penn is preparing to redevelop the 250,000-square-foot Rittenhouse Laboratory next door, featuring remarks from University Architect Mark Kocent.

An artist’s immersion into neuroaesthetics

Judith Schaechter recounts her experience working on a stained-glass project as artist-in-residence at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, helmed by Anjan Chatterjee of the Perelman School of Medicine.

Peter Cook and J. Larry Jameson in front of a portrait of Julian Abele.

Celebrating the architectural legacy of Penn’s first Black architecture graduate

At a gathering at Eisenlohr Hall, a portrait of renowned architect Julian Abele and a series of his paintings were unveiled, formally recognizing his design contributions to one of campus’ iconic structures.

Building bridges: A feat of engineering and artistry

At the Corning Museum of Glass, professor of architecture Masoud Akbarzadeh and his team have turned fragility into strength with a 30-foot-long span of shimmering glass, blending ancient wisdom with cutting-edge design to redefine the future of structural engineering and architecture.

People gather around a large map placed on the floor.

Turning the desert into an oasis

Students from the Weitzman School of Design journeyed to Senegal to help with a massive ecological and infrastructural greening effort as part of their coursework. The Dakar Greenbelt aims to combat desertification and promote sustainable urban growth.

Weitzman’s Jules Dingle on social and environmental sustainability

The Philadelphia architect and professor of practice in historic preservation joined the Weitzman School in the fall.

Jessica Varner on the long arc of built environment and its materials

Varner, an assistant professor of landscape architecture at the Weitzman School, explores the intersections between architectural, environmental, and chemical history.

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