2025 Steel Design Student Competition

About the Competition:

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) is pleased to announce the 25th Annual Steel Design Student Competition for the 2024-2025 academic year. Administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the program is intended to challenge undergraduate and graduate students, working individually or in teams, to explore a variety of design issues related to the use of steel in design and construction. Steel must be used as the primary structural material and contain at least one space that requires a long-span steel structure, with special emphasis placed on innovation in steel design.

The Opportunities:

The 2025 Steel Design Student Competition will offer architecture students the opportunity to compete in two separate categories:

Category I: Library+

Design a Library in a community of your choice. Students are invited to submit design proposals that address how a library can contribute to the community as a more integral part of the civic fabric.

Category II: Open

Offers architecture students the opportunity to select a site and building program using steel as the primary material. This competition category permits any building type other than a library.

Awards + Recognition: 

The design jury will meet in Summer 2025 to select winning projects and honorable mentions. Winners and their faculty sponsors will be notified of the competition results directly. A list of winning projects will be posted on the ACSA web site at www.acsa‑arch.org and the AISC web site at www.aisc.org. Winning students and their faculty sponsors will receive cash prizes totaling $20,000 with distribution as follows:

Category I: Library+

First Prize: $4,000 USD (Student),  $1,500 USD (Faculty)

Second Prize: $2,000 USD (Student), $1,000 USD (Faculty)

Third Prize: $1,000 USD (Student), $500 USD (Faculty)

Category II: Open

First Prize: $4,000 USD (Student),  $1,500 USD (Faculty)

Second Prize: $2,000 USD (Student), $1,000 USD (Faculty)

Third Prize: $1,000 USD (Student), $500 USD (Faculty)

A limited number of honorable mentions may also be awarded at the jury’s discretion. Prize‑winning submissions will be exhibited at the 2026 ACSA Annual Meeting and the 2026 AIA National Convention as well as published in a competition summary publication.

Eligibility:

Because the support of AISC is largely derived from steel companies whose markets are mainly in the U.S., the ACSA/AISC Steel Design Student Competition is open to students and/or student teams from ACSA Full and Candidate Member Schools, as well as ACSA Affiliate Members Schools from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

All student entrants are required to work under the direction of a faculty sponsor. Entries will be accepted for individuals as well as teams. Teams must be limited to a maximum of five students. Submissions should be principally the product of work in a design studio or related class.

Learn More:

Click here for more competition details.