Urban Studio Jurors Offer Perspective for 2025 Graduates

For those who spent their final academic year living and learning in Birmingham, that impact was tangible. Immersed in the fabric of a living city, these students navigated its historic footprint, engaged with community leaders and developed thoughtful responses to complex urban challenges.

“The Urban Studio is designed to prepare students for what working in a firm will actually be like,” said Director Alex Krumdieck ’86. “We structure the fifth-year program to simulate that experience—balancing design exploration with deadlines, collaboration and community accountability.”

This real-world experience is meant to bridge the gap between academia and practice. Students learn that architecture is a public and collaborative act—one that requires not just creativity but also listening, compromise and communication. As they wrap up their studio projects and turn toward their careers, local architects and faculty members offered words of advice to carry with them into this next chapter.

“Look people in the eye, have a firm handshake, be authentic,” encouraged Poole & Company’s  Kyle D’Agostino. “And lastly, have an energy and excitement to do the work. The profession requires curiosity, investigation and a sleeves-rolled-up attitude.”

That mindset—of showing up fully and engaging with the work—is something echoed by Ben Wieseman ’12, a faculty member and landscape architect who worked with and advised the students throughout the year.

“Get engaged in the office,” Wieseman said. “Show up with ideas. Don’t show up with problems, or just listen and think on your own, but be present and engaged in the ideas, accept feedback and move forward with solutions.”

This advice aligns with the Urban Studio’s emphasis on iteration and critique. By developing master plans and designing within Birmingham’s urban core, students were constantly challenged to revise, rethink and refine. Through public presentations, feedback sessions and thesis reviews, they practiced receiving critique not as correction but as conversation.

Eric Wadsworth, a Birmingham-based architect, reminded students that growth often depends on their willingness to invest time and energy.

“The amount of time you put in, especially early in your career, is directly correlated to how fast you learn and grow… You only have one life,” he said. “Be deliberate about which choice you make and accept the rewards and consequences either way.”

For Alex Hamady ‘21, Urban Studio alum and architect at Birmingham-based ArchitectureWorks, the message was simple: “Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and try to get experience in every phase of a project.”

And perhaps most importantly, students were encouraged to never lose their sense of academic curiosity.

“Continue to practice with an academic mindset,” said Ranjit Korah with Architecture Works. “Bring a personal interest you desire to study into each project, no matter the scope or client. This will ensure you are continually learning.”

As the 2025 graduates of Urban Studio prepare to launch their professional journeys, they do so with the experience of having lived architecture in the context of a living city—and with the encouragement of a community that believes in their potential.

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