Daimian Hines Joins University of Houston Panel on Policy & Agency in Architecture

Designing Beyond Buildings

HINESAD Principal and City of Houston Planning Commissioner Daimian Hines was recently invited to speak at the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design as part of the UH Professional Practice Panel: Policy & Agency—a dynamic conversation exploring how architecture both shapes and is shaped by policy, advocacy, and governance.

Now in his second year participating, Hines joined a panel of interdisciplinary professionals to share insights on career paths, public service, and the intersections between design and regulation in Houston’s evolving urban landscape. The discussion invited students to reflect on how architects can influence the systems that govern the built environment—from land use and zoning to cultural memory and community investment.

Topics ranged from the urgency of advocacy in architectural practice to the role of designers as civic leaders. Hines shared reflections from his dual roles—as a design architect leading cultural and civic projects and as a Planning Commissioner guiding urban growth in one of the country’s most complex cities. Daimian noted the following:

"Policy is not abstract—it’s spatial. Every regulation, every code, every ordinance, becomes a line on a site plan or a missed opportunity for justice. Architects have a responsibility to engage.”