The Urban Studio (more formally known as the Auburn University Center for Architecture and Urban Studies) was founded in 1991 by Associate Professor Franklin Setzer as a teaching and outreach venue for Auburn’s School of Architecture. Birmingham is an excellent laboratory of study for future design professionals and as Alabama’s largest metropolitan area is home to many of our professional constituents and alumni.

Our home in downtown Birmingham is the Center for Regional Planning and Design (CRPD) in the historic Young & Vann Building. Our partners at CRPD include the Regional Planning Commission of the Birmingham District, Region 2020, The Cultural Alliance and Housing Enterprise of Central Alabama. Young and Vann is also home to the Birmingham Museum of Art’s Alabama Folk Art exhibition.

The Urban Studio has an ongoing commitment to teaching, intern partnerships with local architects, and studio work focused in the city of Birmingham. In addition, Our Small Town Design Initiative Program has worked with over 40 small towns and communities across the state. We are helping communities identify those positive assets that can be the basis of a sound master plan for physical and economic vitality - creating distinctive opportunities for building higher quality of life, broader prospects in the community and - a better place to live.

Visit the Urban Studio Website.

To find out more about The Urban Studio, please contact us:

Auburn Urban Studio
1731 First Avenue North
Third Floor
Birmingham, AL 35203

p_205.323.3592
f_205.323.8385
urbanstudio@auburn.edu