Centers, Institutes & Outreach
Learn how the College of Architecture’s centers and institutes advance research, outreach and innovation that strengthen communities.
A Triple-Grant Institution Advancing Research in Planning, Design and Construction
Texas A&M University is one of only 24 institutions in the nation to hold the triple designation as a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university.
One distinctive feature of the College of Architecture is our commitment to improving the knowledge base of the planning, design, and construction professions through research. The College of Architecture has one of the most active research programs in the country. Research activity happens through the college’s formally organized research centers and institutes.
Center for Health Systems and Design
CHSD produces transformational, interdisciplinary research into the effects of facility design and planning on the healthcare experience. Working with people from across Texas A&M University and world-wide, we are changing the way environments are designed to promote well-being.
A member from Texas A&M University Healthcare.
Center for Heritage Conservation
The Center for Heritage Conservation specializes in cultural heritage, heritage conservation and historic preservation. The center supports research on the continued use and care of planned and built environments.
A row of yellow buildings with balconies and a shadow cast on the wall. The buildings are old. Historic center of Queretaro City, decorations and traditions to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day, colonial architecture, alleys and facades.
Center for Housing & Urban Development
The Center for Housing and Urban Development (CHUD) provides research, education and outreach focused on creating sustainable housing and communities. The center is divided into four units, including the Smart Cities Program and the Fair and Affordable Housing Program, which each specialize in a specific topic. CHUD supports its mission with research on sustainable landscape, urban planning and innovative green building techniques.
Shannon Van Zandt speaking with a group of students while presenting visual information.
CRS Center
The CRS Center at Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture focuses on enhancing business practices and management in the design, construction, and planning industries to facilitate and promote interaction among academia, industry, and the community through funded projects, scholarly activities, and sponsored initiatives.
Founded in 1990, the CRS Center for Leadership and Management in the Design and Construction Industry (CRS Center) carries on the traditions of Caudill Rowlett Scott as a locus for education, research, and public service.
The crowd listening to members from the CRS Center speak during a live presentation.
Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center
The Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center (HRRC) is an interdisciplinary research effort at Texas A&M University. Established in 1988, the center was the first in the nation dedicated to vulnerability reduction and long-term recovery.
The HRRC is one of only two United Nations (UN-OCHA) Collaborative Centers in the world. It serves OCHA as a research and consulting agency, providing assistance to state, national and international agencies. The center also works to increase understanding of hazards, enlarge the hazard research community and disseminate its research findings to practitioners.
A portrait of Michelle Meyer.
Institute for Sustainable Communities
The Texas A&M Institute for Sustainable Communities seeks to create more sustainable and vibrant communities. The institute translates transformative research into action through engagement with real communities, and its interdisciplinary approach brings together faculty, staff and students from across the university to address critical societal challenges.
A group of people gathering for a lecture in a large auditorium.
Texas Target Communities
Founded in 1993, the Texas Target Communities Program (TxTC) is a university-wide community engagement initiative that partners faculty and students with communities across Texas. The program provides assistance to communities by leveraging student learning and faculty expertise to address needs that would otherwise go unmet. A collaborative effort within the Texas A&M University System, TxTC has transitioned from short-term projects to long-term efforts that address a full spectrum of civic, environmental and economic challenges.
Outreach programs enable faculty, staff and students to collaborate with communities in beneficial partnerships. These programs combine scholarly activities with service.
Three students reviewing data and working together in the field.