University of Texas School of Architecture - Facilities, Research Units, Libraries, and Centers

Facilities, Research Units, Libraries, and Centers

UTSOA is home to:

• The Center for American Architecture and Design (CAAD), which focuses on architectural history, theory, and criticism. The CAAD produces a series of publications and also hosts several symposia annually—including Latitudes, an international conference that explores American modern architecture);
• The Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), which advocates balance in the study of the environment, social equity, economics, and design aesthetics. The CSD’s two Thermal Labs help the UTSOA community analyze energy efficiency in building materials and architectural designs. Additionally, the CSD offers a summer Public Interest Design Program for advanced students from across the nation who are interested in the built environment and public service;
• The University Co-op Materials Resource Center, which has over 27,000 pieces of literature and material samples available for research within the UTSOA community. The MatLab is home to the Architectural Conservation Lab, a research space often utilized by students enrolled in UTSOA's Historic Preservation Program;
• The Alexander Architectural Archive, a collection of historic architectural drawings and plans. The Alexander Architectural Archive is part of UTSOA's Architecture and Planning Library, which contains nearly 100,000 volumes and subscriptions to periodicals that support the school’s curriculum;
• and the Visual Resources Collection, a library resource that contains over 250,000 slides and 100,000 digitized images.

The Austin Historical Survey Wiki is a partnership between UTSOA, The University of Texas at Austin School of Information, the City of Austin, and the Preservation Austin, formerly the Heritage Society of Austin. The wiki enables visitors to search for and contribute information about historic buildings, sites, and landscapes as part of a collaborative effort to share the history of the City of Austin with others.

UTSOA is also partnered with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Sustainable SITES Initiative, which aims to use water management, biodiversity protection, and pollution reduction techniques based on green building standards set by the aforementioned City of Austin and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). SITES' mission is to transform land development, site components, and management practices with a national rating system for sustainable landscapes.