UltraBarrio 2025 Year In Review
2025 was a year of momentum and meaningful impact for UltraBarrio. Building on last year’s foundation, we expanded our capabilities, strengthened partnerships, and delivered projects that pushed our mission forward in bold new ways. From stepping into larger-scale collaborations to leading innovative mobility and community-centered initiatives, this year marked another powerful step in our evolution.
In 2025, we continued our commitment to shaping neighborhoods through thoughtful, people-focused design. Whether revitalizing public spaces, supporting equitable redevelopment efforts, or advancing mobility solutions, our work helped create more connected, vibrant, and inclusive urban environments. Each project reinforced our belief that city-making is a collective effort—one driven by collaboration, creativity, and care.
As we look ahead, we’re energized by the opportunities on the horizon and grateful for the trust of the communities, clients, and partners who make this work possible.
Here’s a look at some of the standout moments from 2025:
Awards
Dialect Commons received an Honorable Mention in The Architect’s Newspaper’s 2025 Best of Design Awards.
2025 Best of Design Award for Unbuilt—Education
Exhibition & Publication
Shocks, Seams, and Surfaces was part of the Venice 2025 Architecture Biennale TIME SPACE EXISTENCE hosted by the European Cultural Centre from May to November 2025, focused on our work in transforming the public realm.
UltraBarrio’s drawing Context: Encoding and Emergence is included in the Drawing Codes: Experimental Protocols of Architectural Representation, book published by Andrew Kudless and Adam Marcus. The drawing responds to key prompts expanding the notion of ‘code’ and the relationship between design and representation. The drawing was also part of a traveling exhibit at Gerald D Hines College of Architecture and California College of the Arts from January to February 2025.
Talks
Marcus was a panelist at the Texas AIA Design Conference Panel ‘Decoding Houston’s Architectural Vernacular’. The discussion centered around a more expansive view of vernacular.
Marcus was an invited speaker at the AIA Latinos in Architecture's event ‘COLORES’, speaking about his background, connection with Houston, and current work.
Amna moderated the Rice Civic Forum ‘Preservation for Whom?’ Rice School of Architecture dedicated its 2024 Civic Forum to preservation, with a panel discussion focusing on the Glenbrook Valley neighborhood in South Houston.
Projects
Southwest Civic Core Pavilion is transitioning into Design Development and Construction Documents, starting January 2025, supported by grants and local agencies.
Our transit and multi-modal focused work that aims to shape the future of cities through promoting urban resilience, enhancing the public realm, and fostering local ecologies continues with projects that design and analyze the performance of transit facilities and bus shelters.
Our work within communities that aims to create spaces by forging connections between individuals and their environments includes projects such as the All In 4 Inner Northwest Community Plan, Memorial Drive Pedestrian and Bike Study, and All In 4 Katy East Mobility and Community Plan.
We’re thrilled to partner with Houston Land Bank on The Finding Home Initiative, a transformative effort to create affordable and resilient housing in Houston’s underserved neighborhoods. This exciting initiative is supported by Fannie Mae and the CenterPoint Energy Foundation and will continue into 2025.
We continue our research on The Resilient Housing Study within the State of Texas towards topics of Resilience, Recovery, and Community.
Appointments
Marcus continued his appointment on the Board of the Architecture Center for Houston.
Amna continued her appointment at Rice School of Architecture teaching design studio on Houston Urbanism, and the seminar Civic Workshop, analyzing the lived conditions of Houston communities by fostering dialogue with individuals that are actively shaping these communities.
Marcus continued teaching courses at University of Houston College of Architecture, focused on representation.
Anna taught at University of Houston College of Architecture, the Graduate Design Studio focused on the typology of the dwelling that critically assess what it means to provide shelter.
Office Move
We moved into a new office space but we are still in Houston’s East End! Please come visit us!