International cohort explores Buffalo-based museum design through studio City Arts
The ARC604 graduate studio included an international cohort of students. From left to right, Nusrat Reza (India), Md Ahsan Ullah (India), Sudha Kattel (Nepal), Berkan Sari (Turkey), Ursula Ramos (Peru), Gaïa Aoun (Lebanon), Ada Rodríguez (Cuba), Röya Novruzova (Azerbaijan), Saurav Shetty (India), Sukriti Sharma (India), Miguel Guitart, Austin Ruddle (Canada), Aryan Cacodcar (India), Alireza Borhani (Iran), Kaviya Murugavelu (India), Shweta Kakade (India), and (missing) Danny Escandon (Ecuador). Photo by Gregory Serweta.
Kelly Sheldon May 27, 2025
Most international students pursuing a two-year master’s degree in architecture at the UB School of Architecture and Planning are required to take a sequence of two design studios, culminating with ARC 604 – City Arts. The school takes great pride in its longstanding tradition of welcoming international students and is especially pleased to highlight the exceptional diversity of the Spring 2025 City Arts cohort, which included 16 students from eleven countries: India, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Iran, Canada, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Lebanon.
The City Arts studio has been coordinated for many years by Annette LeCuyer, professor in the department of architecture. This studio is organized in two sections: ARC 504, which includes 3-year MArch students with undergraduate degrees in other fields, and ARC 604, international students with undergraduate degrees in architecture. The studio challenges students to design an art museum located in downtown Buffalo. This year, collaborating in teams of two, the students were first tasked with selecting one of two designated sites – a current parking lot located across the street from Sahlen Field (a Triple-A ballpark) or a smaller lot across from the Delaware North HQ in a neighborhood that’s a popular dining and late-night destination.
Nusrat Reza explains the proposal 'Geode,' developed with Md Ahsan Ullah during the semester. Photo by Miguel Guitart.
The students spent the semester working collaboratively on the development of their designs. This included case study research, urban analysis, conceptual and schematic design, and final development. The studio emphasizes sector-specific considerations such as lighting design, fire egress planning, zoning, and effective separation of public and private spaces and circulation systems.
Associate Professor Miguel Guitart led the ARC 604 cohort in Spring 2025, and welcomed the opportunity to teach such a diverse class. “It was particularly exciting because it portrays and reinforces the richness of the experience of learning at UB,” Guitart reflected. “It shows what an international school we are and what a global university UB is. It was really inspiring to work with all of the students and find so many connections, alignments, interests, and shared connections within the plurality of backgrounds and geographies. It was very rewarding.”
Sudha Kattel (MArch '26), a student from Nepal, shared that the studio significantly shaped her approach to design and presentation. “As our professor, Miguel consistently encouraged us to explore new conceptual directions and to think beyond conventional solutions,” she commented. “This iterative process helped me view a building not as a static object but as a dynamic experience unfolding throughout space.”
Graduate student Gaïa Aoun presents the final proposal that she and Austin Ruddle developed in the studio. From left to right, the critics are Miguel Guitart, studio instructor, and Julia Jamrozik, associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and partner at the Canadian design office Kempster Jamrozik. Photo by Lukas Iverson.
Kattel added, "Each individual approached the project from various cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds, making each critique feel like a collective design conversation. We interrogated spatial hierarchies, explored varied representational approaches, and reflected on cultural assumptions around public institutions like museums. These exchanges broadened my understanding of architecture as a multifaceted and continuously evolving discipline."
For Austin Ruddle (MArch ’26), who hails from Canada, the studio provided an enriching and rewarding experience that helped aid his growth as a future architect. “One of the most valuable aspects of this studio was learning how to refine broad, ambitious ideas into focused design concepts with depth and clarity,” he shared. “The scale and cultural weight of the program encouraged me to think critically about how architecture communicates meaning and how my assumptions can, at times, be a limiting factor in dealing with such a complicated program. Through collaboration, critique, and thoughtful feedback, I was able to shape my ideas into a more intentional and compelling proposal and develop ways of representing those ideas with precision and care.”
Ada Rodríguez and Danny Escandon present their project to the critics during the final review. Photo by Miguel Guitart.
In that vein, Ruddle also noted that engaging with classmates from such varied backgrounds and experiences was profoundly enriching. “It made me more aware of the importance of clarity and intentionality in both design communication and critique. Our discussions highlighted how language, representation, and assumptions can carry unintended biases, and I found that navigating these conversations thoughtfully led to more constructive exchanges and stronger work overall.”
Danny G. Escandon (MArch ’26), who’s originally from Ecuador, described City Arts as one of the most organized and rewarding experiences that he’s had at UB. He echoed his classmates’ sentiments. “Working alongside classmates from such a variety of cultural and architectural backgrounds was one of the most valuable parts of this studio,” Escandon shared. “It's fascinating to see many different design approaches shaped by tradition and personal experience. This diversity pushed all of us to think more critically and creatively. Learning in this kind of environment has been very inspiring.”
Shweta Kakade presents the proposal that she and Saurav Shetty developed over the semester. Photo by Miguel Guitart.
Guitart recognizes and applauds the effective nature of the school’s recruitment efforts of international students, led by Director of Graduate Recruitment Kevin Donovan, noting their vital role in fostering this type of dynamic and enriching studio culture. “It speaks to the international relevance of our school and the global roles that our students can play in the world after they graduate,” he noted. “Kudos to the department staff who are making this possible.”
Erkin Özay, newly appointed chair of the department of architecture, recognizes the inherent value of a diverse study body and the consistently exceptional work produced by the City Arts studio each year. “I often tell our prospective graduate students that, given their diverse backgrounds, worldviews, and experiences, they help us shape the intellectual tone of our school,” he stated. “The City Arts studio is interesting because, while they all work on the same building brief, every year there are compelling architectural threads, insightful provocations about contemporary cultural institutions, and cogent ideas to address the complexities of the city. It is a true joy to review the work of that studio and witness how our students respond to the design pedagogy framed by Annette and Miguel in persuasive ways.”