The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design offers its students a platform of integrated disciplines—Architecture, Interior Architecture and Industrial Design—from which to negotiate the complexities of contemporary practice in a world that is grappling with diminishing economic and natural resources; the realities of post disaster reconstruction; and at the same time, continued, rapid urbanization. Faculty and students work together in a studio-centric curriculum, supported by a digital fabrication facility. Open studios seamlessly incorporate coursework into project based learning through material investigations and applied research. Making is not simply an action or a craft, but a form of critical thinking, calling forth innovative solutions for contemporary conditions. Our programs foster an environment where ideas find form; where practices that are socially equitable and fundamentally ecological establish a model from which to develop Houston’s future; and to inform and share design strategies globally. The Hines College is ranked by DesignIntelligence as one of the top 35 “Most Admired Schools” in the United States.