Designing with Community: Reflections on Pedagogy, Practice, and Partnership
Friday, February 27, 2026
5-7pm
UNM George Pearl Hall Auditorium
Panelists
Paola Aguirre Serrano, AICP
Paola Aguirre Serrano is a native from the Mexico-U.S. region (Chihuahua), urban designer and partner at Borderless Studio since 2016. Borderless is an architecture and urban design practice based in San Antonio and Chicago focused on approaches and collaboration frameworks addressing spatial justice and equitable design while cultivating collaborative design agency. Paola’s work at Borderless has been recognized by The Architecture League of New York with the Emerging Voices Award, the John and Catherine MacArthur Foundation’s Creative Placemaking Award, The Americans for the Arts Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design, and the United States Artists Fellowship. Paola is an active civic design steward and has served as Chicago Landmarks Commissioner, the Scholarly Advisory Committee for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino, and currently serves in the Council to Keep San Antonio Moving. She holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the Harvard School of Design.
Tim B. Castillo is a Professor of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico and serves as the Director of Community Engagement Initiatives as well as the Director of Historical Preservation and Regionalism. His career is distinguished by a deep commitment to advancing community-engaged scholarship, bridging the university with diverse partners across New Mexico and beyond.
Throughout his leadership roles, including Associate Dean of the School of Architecture (2016–2019) and Director of the Art, Research, Technology and Science Laboratory (2008–2016), Professor Castillo has championed innovative collaborations that connect students, faculty, and communities in meaningful ways. His teaching and research explore how culture, design, and emerging technologies intersect to address pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. In 2015, he co-founded the Finding Rural/Plata Studio program, a partnership between higher education institutions and community organizations across New Mexico. This initiative demonstrates his belief that architecture and design are powerful tools for community building and economic development, particularly in rural and underrepresented regions. Professor Castillo’s work has been recognized nationally and internationally, with publications and exhibitions at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (Spain), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Pavillon de l’Arsenal (France), Bienal of São Paulo (Brazil), and across the United States.
At the heart of his work is a commitment to cultivating engaged scholarship that honors cultural heritage, strengthens communities, and expands opportunities for future generations.
A.L. Hu, AIA, NOMA, NCARB
A.L. Hu (they/them) is a Bay Area-based transgenderqueer Taiwanese American architect, artist, and facilitator using spatial design to dream and manifest racial, class, and gender justice. Their collaborative practice straddles corporate work, speculative discourse, and community organizing. As a Registered Architect, A.L. designs accessible, inclusive spaces as part of the Higher Education Studio at SmithGroup. A.L. organizes with Design as Protest (DAP) and Dark Matter U (DMU). A.L. is on the Board of Directors of The Architecture Lobby (TAL) and Association for Community Design (ACD).
Michaele Pride, Assoc. AIA, NOMA
Michaele Pride, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, is Professor and Interim Chair of Architecture at the University of New Mexico, where she also serves as Director of the Design and Planning Assistance Center (DPAC). As an architect and urban designer, she emphasizes principles of collaboration and community engagement in her teaching, research, and consulting. Michaele’s recent work focuses on the intersection of design, public health, and justice—seeking ways to create healthier and more equitable communities.
Moderator
