image: Julia Green, UTA architecture graduate student, presents her concept for a Dallas high-speed train station to a jury of respected professionals. She won the statewide design competition. view more
Credit: Texas Central Partners
A University of Texas at Arlington student has won a statewide design competition for her Dallas station design for the Texas Central Partners' bullet train that is planned to run between Houston and Dallas by the early 2020s.
Julia Green, a graduate student in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs, won first place in the Station Architectural Design category. Adrian de Leon of UTA received an honorable mention in the Dallas Station Design category.
Green's and de Leon's submissions were two of the 45 proposals that represented more than 100 students statewide, including teams from UT Austin, Texas A&M University, University of Houston and Texas Tech University, among others.
"I am blessed for being chosen as a winner of this competition and for being given this opportunity by CAPPA and Professor Wheat," said Green, who is scheduled to receive her master's in architecture in May. Green will receive $2,000 for her winning entry. CAPPA receives $5,000. "It was very interesting looking at all the stations around the world and then trying to incorporate some of those aspects at the site where the station had to go in Dallas."
Ralph Hawkins, a UTA alumnus and chairman emeritus of HKS, a global architectural firm based in Dallas, was a jury member for the competition.
"All the student entries were extraordinary, including UTA's winning and honorable mention submissions," Hawkins said. "Julia Green's winning high speed rail station addressed the needs of an urban station, blending function and beautiful aesthetics that would be an exciting solution to the Dallas high speed rail station."
Rebecca Cowle, outreach manager for Texas Central Partners, said the students' designs could possibly be incorporated into the actual project. She said the students were given no budget constraints in the contest.
"The completeness of Julia's high-speed rail station plan was impressive," Cowle said. "She included all the parking plans, a connection to a DART rail line, the Dallas skyline, the surrounding properties. It was practical, beautiful and sustainable."
Dustin Wheat, architecture lecturer for the graduate design studio class for which Green submitted her winning proposal, said the simplicity of his student's plan is what separated it from other entries.
"Green's proposal is essentially about the sequence and clarity of circulation," Wheat said. "From the beginning she questioned how to sequence pedestrian, vehicular and public transit including local bus routes and Dart lines into one cohesive strategy. The simplicity and practicality of her design was derived from weeks of rigorous study."
The winning design is an elevated station because it had to be to traverse Dallas' many highways converging at the site. Green placed parking, retail shops and restaurants underneath the 65-foot elevated station. The top of the station is proposed to be fitted with solar panels that allow in light and produce power.
CAPPA Dean Nan Ellin said the students' designs demonstrate UTA's principle of building sustainable urban communities, a key theme of the university's Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact.
"The winning proposals of Julia and Adrian are a testament to their talent and high level of skill. As often as possible, we engage our students in real world projects such as this one," Ellin said. "CAPPA's programs are transformative and making their mark on building a sustainable mega-city."
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About CAPPA
CAPPA is the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs at UTA. It is composed of the School of Architecture, Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture, and the Department of Public Affairs. Degrees offered include bachelor's degrees in architecture and interior design; master's degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, public policy, and public administration; and doctorate degrees in urban planning, public policy, and public administration. Undergraduate minors are offered in environmental and sustainability studies and architectural history.
About The University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a Carnegie Research-1 "highest research activity" institution of about 55,000 students in campus-based and online degree programs and is the second-largest institution in The University of Texas System. U.S. News & World Report ranks UTA fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity. The University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is ranked as the top four-year college in Texas for veterans on Military Times' 2016 Best for Vets list. Visit http://www.uta.edu to learn more, and find UTA rankings and recognition at http://www.uta.edu/uta/about/rankings.php. For more on the Strategic Plan, see Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact.