Cal Poly College of Architecture & Environmental Design

01/23/2026

01/20/2026

You are cordially invited to the winter quarter Hearst Lecture Series! The lecture series invites visionary thinkers and designers to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) who focus on socially engaged and culturally expansive design practices across various scales.

𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗔 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗭𝗔𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜
An assistant architecture professor at Pratt Institute and an architect and cofounder of SalazarSequeroMedina, her work spans civic projects engaging diverse communities to publicly funded affordable housing.
📍Jan. 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the Business Rotunda (03-213)

𝗦𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦
A founder and principal architect of Seattle-based Atelier Jones, her award-winning, all-woman-owned and woman-led architecture firm drives new lower-carbon pathways within architecture and construction at scale.
📍Feb. 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the Business Rotunda (03-213)

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗧 𝗦𝗡𝗬𝗗𝗘𝗥
A principal of Cheng+Snyder, an experimental architecture studio based in Oakland, and graduate program chair and associate professor of Design at UC Davis, Snyder works at the intersection of architecture and graphics.
📍Feb. 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the Business Rotunda (03-213

We hope to see you there! 📢

12/11/2025

For more than 60 years, the Honored Alumni Award has served as the highest honor bestowed upon Cal Poly Alumni. And this year is no exception!

Please join us in celebrating John Donahoe (City and Regional Planning, '84) as the CAED's 2025 Honored Alumni. 🏆

Most recently, John has served as an adjunct faculty member and vice chair of the CRP Advisory Council. His experience leading complex and impactful land-use projects is matched by his influence on the CRP department, where he has strengthened the bridge between academia and industry.

Check out John's spotlight below! 🌟📹

11/05/2025

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design welcomes visitors to the 22nd annual Vellum Furniture Design Exhibition and Competition, a juried competition of hundreds of original student furniture designs, in downtown City of San Luis Obispo Government on Nov. 7-8.

The reception will begin on Friday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m. The display will remain open on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. This year’s venue is the former California Pizza Kitchen, located at 876 Marsh Street.

Come for the furniture and stay for the food and libations. The Vellum Furniture Design Competition will coincide with San Luis Obispo’s “Art After Dark,” so visitors are in for a creative evening of functional and visual art.

We'll see you there!

10/28/2025

Calling all future CAED students and parents! 📢

Cal Poly’s application window is open now through Dec. 1. You must submit your application and fees (or fee waivers) through The California State University Apply by 11:59 p.m., PST to be considered. Don't wait! Apply today: https://ow.ly/mVoU50XjbEz

10/07/2025

When it comes to creativity at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), the sky is the limit — literally. This year, twenty-two students from the Architecture (ARCH) and Architectural Engineering (ARCE) Departments collaborated with storied architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill — which has designed buildings including the Willis Tower in Chicago, One World Trade Center in New York City and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai — to create original designs for a skyscraper in San Francisco. 🏢🏗

Students in the studio, led by professors Thomas Fowler and Kevin D**g, worked with SOM partners Leo Chow and Mark Sarkisian. Chow and Sarkisian provided advice, ideas and critiques. They also provided feedback on the final products, where students presented their detailed posters and four-foot-tall models to Chow and Sarkisian at SOM’s San Francisco office.

✍️: https://tinyurl.com/SOMNewHeights