Design Beyond Campus: Rural Architecture in West Texas

In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, hosts Jen Moon and Katie Dawson speak with Charles Di Piazza from the UT School of Architecture about his Rural Architecture Studio course. Charles takes students to Terlingua, near Big Bend National Park, where they work alongside local partners to explore sustainable design rooted in place.

From earthen construction and compressed earth blocks to the design of potential teacher housing for the local school district, the studio invites students to connect ideas with material practice. Along the way, they learn how environmental constraints, traditional building knowledge, and community collaboration can shape better architecture.

Professor Di Piazza describes the project as an “experiment in reciprocity,” where knowledge flows in both directions between the university and rural Texas communities. The result is a powerful model for experiential learning, sustainable design, and meaningful engagement beyond campus.

The Fall 2025 class description...Earthen Grounds: Graduate Studio in West Texas

In partnership with Bob Estrin, Director of the School of Constructive Arts (SCA) in Alpine, Charles Di Piazza leads this new graduate design studio, building on the work in Marathon, Texas. Earthen Grounds brings Di Piazza's interest in vernacular architecture, massive construction, and courtyard housing and combines it with Estrin’s focus on regenerative design and hands-on building practices.

The studio asks students to envision new models of sustainable housing and walkable communities for dryland environments. Beginning with the study of precedents spanning nearly 9,000 years, students will explore the fundamental relationships between people, climate, space, and place before applying their research to a site in the Chihuahuan Desert near SCA. The class includes a trip to Big Bend to participate in an earthen construction workshop on the SCA campus.

The studio’s research and proposals aim to generate ideas for affordable housing in the Big Bend region and beyond. This work is supported by a grant from the Still Water Foundation, whose generosity makes this collaboration possible.

Credits

Hosts: Jen Moon & Katie Dawson

Music by various artists: "Arizona Moon" by Blue Dot Sessions, "Lyanetha" by John Bartmann, "Help Me" by Eme Hache

Theme track: "Soul Sync" by Ketsa

Executive Producer: Michelle Daniel