ACSA/AISC Steel Design Student Competition winners interrogate the meaning of 'democratic public space' in 21st-century society

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) have just revealed the winners of their annual Steel Design Student Competition.

Last year's contest yielded two superlative designs from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Toronto Metropolitan (then Ryerson) University, which led the field of 11 entries. 

The 2022 cohort of 14 winners is split between an "Open" and the "Towards a New Monumentality" categories, the latter entailing "the conception and creation of democratic public spaces for the twenty-first century." Student designs from Toronto Metropolitan and the University of Texas at San Antonio split the top vote in the special category, while a team from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo took home the top honor in the Open contest. 

The jury was comprised of Julian Bonder (Roger Williams University); Amanda Dean (Walter P Moore); Mark Gardner (Parsons School of Design); Mohamed Ismail (Massachusetts Institute of Technology); Soo Jeong Jo (Louisiana State University); and Eric Lumpkin (Thornton Tomasetti).

Scroll down to see the list of winning projects from this year's competition. 

CATEGORY I: TOWARDS A NEW MONUMENTALITY WINNERS

1st Place: Indigenous Lives Memorial (Cover image) 
Students: Kristyan Calletor and Mathieu Howard
Faculty Sponsor: Vincent Hui
Institution: Toronto Metropolitan University

Jury comments: "Indigenous Lives Memorial is a well-executed design from the elegant ways steel is used through the forms and elements. The impeccable drawings present an engaged experience of the space. The students clearly understood the use of materials and scale, which added a level of sophistication to the overall design."

1st Place: Forest of Conscience: A Civic Device for Hyper-Social Media
Students: Isis Orduno & Conny Salazar
Faculty Sponsor: Gerard Smulevich
Institution: Woodbury University

Jury comments: "Forest of Conscience: A Civic Device for Hyper-Social Media is a selected winner for challenging the normative idea of what a monument is used for. The design embraces the current age of social media and how we interact. The steel columns allow for a safe open-air environment, while integrating a thought-provoking narrative of public space."

Honorable Mention: Chamizal Union
Students: Sam Rue and Noel Parra
Faculty Sponsor: Candid Rogers
Institution: The University of Texas at San Antonio 

Jury comments: "Chamizal Union receives an honorable mention for the great use of steel to its full capacity in a beautifully drawn project. The design draws meticulous attention to form and structure, using oppressive materials to celebrate and bring people together." 

Honorable Mention: Strange Fruit: Peace and Justice Center for Dialogue 
Students: Nastassia Chua, Rebekah Mireles, and Sharon Lott
Faculty Sponsor: Sheryl Tucker Vazquez
Institution: University of Houston

Jury comments: "Strange Fruit: Peace and Justice Center for Dialogue receives an honorable mention for its approach in transforming an existing memorial to create a space for discussion and exchange. The construction techniques are well researched and bring forward a powerful idea of what a monument can be in the 21st century."

Honorable Mention: Alt. City Hall
Students: Vanessa Romo and Dario Salgado
Faculty Sponsor: Gerard Smulevich
Institution: Woodbury University

Jury comments: "Alt. City Hall is an honorable mention for the development and use of expressive structure. The concept is powerfully depicted in the cohesive drawings and thorough details."

Honorable Mention: A Democratic Forum Between the Walls
Students: Kaicheng Zhuang and Tianhui Li
Faculty Sponsor: Richard Rosa
Institution: Syracuse University

Jury comments: "A Democratic Forum Between the Walls is an honorable mention for an innovative architectural transformation, specifically the tactile quality of space. The use of steel construction technology within the glass is a refined and expressive design."

CATEGORY II: OPEN WINNERS

1st Place: Tomols
Students: Ron Patanavin
Faculty Sponsor: Thomas Fowler
Institution: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo 

Jury comments: "Tomols elegantly uses steel structure to demonstrate the design concept and message about the Chumash history and its cultural value. The detailed axonometric drawing and how the steel comes together allows the project to feel grounded. The overall design is structurally well clear and consistent throughout."

2nd Place: Furniture Museum, Creation + Display
Students: Randolph Allison
Faculty Sponsor: Daniel Brown
Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design

Jury comments: "Furniture Museum, Creation + Display is a poetic use of steel. The stacking of boxes is an inventive way to create the form. The overall structure is proportional to the design, which adds a quality of refinement and reality."

3rd Place: The California Shotgun House
Students: Bryce Humbrecht
Faculty Sponsor: Gary Gilbert, Tara Street, and Kristopher Palagi
Institution: Louisiana Tech University 

Jury comments: "The California Shotgun House is a structurally sound design that brings forward an inventive solution for needed housing. The signature architectural elements on the façade with the wide columns are both functional and expressive. The student took a holistic approach to the structural creativity and made the graphics visually compelling."

Honorable Mention: GrabHub
Students: Nicholas Chung and Chenhao Luo
Faculty Sponsor: Daekwon Park
Institution: Syracuse University

Jury comments: "GrabHub receives an honorable mention with an impressive design and provocative 3D models. The project is an ambitious idea with a well documented process and beautiful submission boards."

Honorable Mention: Arrival
Students: Matt Yearout
Faculty Sponsor: Awilda Rodriguez Carrion
Institution: Oklahoma State University 

Jury comments: "Arrival is an honorable mention for its unique structural system. The design does a great job blending architecture with structural function, confirming the architectural possibilities with steel."

Honorable Mention: Water Museum - W/M
Students: Karalina Shastavets
Faculty Sponsor: Daniel Brown
Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design

Jury comments: "Water Museum – W/M receives an honorable mention with explicitly using steel as an exterior façade. The design encompasses a thorough study of environment and site condition integration into the overall project."

Honorable Mention: Aspire
Students: Madison Waldron and Jacob Forst
Faculty Sponsor: Pasquale De Paola, Kevin Singh, and Wei Zhao
Institution: Louisiana Tech University

Jury comments: "Aspire receives an honorable mention with a thorough study of structure and well developed drawings. The trusses span the entire height of the building to allow more flexibility for the cantilever which is highly commendable."

Honorable Mention: The Metaphysical Museum of Reality
Students: Daniel Jaraba
Faculty Sponsor: Daniel Brown
Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design

Jury comments: "The Metaphysical Museum of Reality is an honorable mention with fantastic visuals and a stunning architectural design. The building as a whole is beautiful and drawn through the clear sections and diagrams."

More details about the winning entries can be found here.