HIDA / The Design School

Max Underwood Endowed Visiting Professorship

Max Underwood Endowed Visiting Professorship

Max Underwood Endowed Visiting Professorship

Learn more about your impact

Your support of this fund sustains a transformative model of design education rooted in practice, curiosity and care. For four decades, Max Underwood redefined how architecture and design are taught, connecting students directly to the realities of professional practice through immersive studios, fieldwork and collaboration with leading designers.

This endowment ensures that his approach continues to thrive by bringing emerging practitioners into the classroom, designers who are actively shaping the built environment and can translate that momentum into meaningful learning experiences. Through your generosity, students engage with real projects, real communities and real consequences, developing not only technical skill but the judgment, responsibility and adaptability required of impactful designers.

“Max represents the highest ideals of architectural education: connecting learning with practice, empowering communities through design and advancing the profession through innovation.”

Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA principal and owner of the American architectural firm, Olson Kundig

Impact of donor support

Your gift brings practice into the studio:

  • Visiting professors connect students directly to contemporary design practice, introducing new ideas, methodologies and real-time industry insight.
  • Students participate in immersive studios and field-based experiences that mirror the complexity and collaboration of professional work.
  • Donor support ensures that all students can benefit from a rigorous, practice-driven design education grounded in opportunity and engagement.
Max Underwood Endowed Visiting Professorship