Partners Invest in The Future: Sponsors Step Up to Support CoAD Students and The Profession

Connections with industry partners are a critical component in the education and preparation of Lawrence Technological University’s College of Architecture and Design (CoAD) students throughout their academic journey. Students and program sponsors alike benefit from collaboration, which fosters internships, career pathways, and real-world experience.      

Engaging employers and external partners in CoAD’s programs equips all students with practical skills and knowledge that enable them to make a positive global impact through a focus on design, immersion in technology, and grounding in practice. 

Interim Dean Lilian Crum said, “Industry consistently looks for emerging talent that is prepared for the future of both architecture and design. With the landscape so quickly changing with AI, new construction materials, and other technologies on the horizon, our job as educators is to make sure our students are practiced, knowledgeable, critical-thinking, and creative. It’s a job we love and one we take very seriously. 

“Our gratitude goes out to four current sponsors who are investing in our students and in the future of our profession.” 

VitriForms3D and Albert Kahn Associates 

This studio, in partnership with VitriForm3D and Albert Kahn Associates, explores the potential of 3D printing with recycled glass to create innovative building components and new forms of inhabitation. Working within the constraints of an iconic Albert Kahn building in Detroit, students will balance historical preservation with experimental material strategies to propose mixed-use concepts and product designs. The work will investigate how reclaimed glass can inspire new spatial typologies and sustainable architectural interventions.

A-Linx

This studio invites students to collaborate with A-Linx on the future of modular housing through research, market analysis, and exploration of factory-assembled versus site-built systems. Guided by client challenges, students will develop and present innovative design concepts, delivering A-Linx a portfolio of proposals and digital assets that advance modular housing.

Design Declassified

This studio, in partnership with Design Declassified, immerses students in the principles of circular economy design. Students explore, prototype, and test products using 100% recycled and recyclable HDPE sheets, gaining hands-on experience in material innovation. The collaboration challenges them to transform Design Declassified’s materials into adaptable, resilient, and environmentally responsible solutions—preparing students with skills and insights directly relevant to sustainable design practice.      

Detroit Institute of Arts 

CoAD students, alumni, faculty, and industry professionals engaged with the Detroit Institute of Art’s building and First Industrial Revolution collections, using AI tools like MidJourney to create responses that were showcased at the Detroit Film Theatre, offering new perspectives on historical design through technology.

Two AI workshops, conducted by LTU’s Interim Provost and former CoAD Dean Karl Daubman, FAIA, FAAR, and Assistant Professor of Architecture Sara Codarin, took place at the DIA this summer with the experience culminating with a panel discussion on September 25th during the 2025 Detroit Month of Design. Jason Vigneri-Beane, professor, Pratt School of Architecture; Humbi Song, assistant professor and Emerging Architect Fellow, University of Toronto; Curry J. Hackett, teaching associate in urban planning and design, Harvard University Graduate School of Design; and Shelley Selim, Detroit Institute of Arts, Mort Harris Curator of Automotive, Industrial, and Decorative Design, discussed the role of AI in design and architecture education, how AI can be integrated into design practices, its impact on the profession, and how LTU is preparing the next generation of designers and architects to use these tools effectively.
 

If you’d like to invest in the future by sponsoring a program or providing internships or scholarships, contact Elizabeth Dizik, CoAD Director of External Academic Initiatives, at edizik@ltu.edu or 248.204.2815. 

By: Renée Ahee