AISC/ACSA announce eleven 2023 Steel Design Student Competition winners

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) have just announced eleven winners for their 2023 Steel Design Student Competition.

Organizers share: "The 2023 ACSA/AISC Steel Design Student Competition offered architecture students the opportunity to compete in two separate categories. Category I challenged students to design 'A Place for the Spirit' on a campus, welcoming to all, where members of the campus community and visitors can learn about and express spirituality. Category II was open, offering students the opportunity to select a site and building program using steel as the primary material."

Below are the names of the recipients, their faculty sponsor(s), and comments from the jurors.

CATEGORY I: SPIRITUAL SPACE

First Place: The Sylvan Hideaway

Student: Ludwig Rodriguez
Faculty Sponsor: Gerard Smulevich
Institution: Woodbury University

Juror Comments: "The Sylvan Hideaway is a winning design with a clear and stunning structural system. The engagement of the steel detailing and steel material is thorough and compelling. The student demonstrate sustainable design concepts and a clear understanding, through the drawings, of how nature can coincide with a spiritual experience."

Second Place: The Structural Grove

Student: Grahm Mapes
Faculty Sponsor: A. Katherine Ambroziak
Institution: University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Jury comments: "The Structural Grove captivated the jury through the drum-shaped structural system and creative use of material. The beautiful renderings demonstrate the functional interior of the spiritual space. The student masterfully explain how sacred artifacts and ritual items are used in different faith communities."

Third Place: Luminae Sanctum: Bend, Diffuse, Self-Reflect

Student: David Covarrubias
Faculty Sponsor: Gerard Smulevich
Institution: Woodbury University

Juror Comments: "Luminae Sanctum: Bend, Diffuse, Self-Reflect is a robust sustainable design with a cohesive circular structure to form a beautiful spiritual space. The boards brilliantly display the interaction of reflection, light, and spirituality. The overall design is inviting to all faiths not pertaining to a specific religion."

Honorable Mention: Along the Spine – Using Recycled Materiality to Induce Spiritual Splendor

Student: Julia Goodman
Faculty Sponsor: A. Katherine Ambroziak
Institution: University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Juror Comments: "Along the Spine – Using Recycled Materiality to Induce Spiritual Splendor is an honorable mention for the creative use of hand sketches and renderings. The detailed drawings of the steel assembly are both engaging and provocative."

Honorable Mention: Gridded Minutia

Student: Becca Northey
Faculty Sponsor: Timothy Gray
Institution: Ball State University

Juror Comments: "Gridded Minutia is an honorable mention that shows well-developed and clearly designed submission boards. The effort to create a green habitable outdoor space is brought to the forefront through the beautiful renderings."

Honorable Mention: The Steel Collector: Reclaiming Landscapes

Student: Elsie O’Connell
Faculty Sponsor: A. Katherine Ambroziak
Institution: University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Juror Comments: "The Steel Collector: Reclaiming Landscapes is an honorable mention creating inventive steel fish trusses and design. The submission is a thorough investigation into steel construction, which the jury appreciated."

CATEGORY II: OPEN

First Place: Coastal Canvas

Students: Nolan Courville & YunIn Jeung
Faculty Sponsor: Pasquale De Paola
Institution: Louisiana Tech University

Juror Comments: "Coastal Canvas top-winning design using concise and engaging drawings. The students presented a beautiful story of the project with the board design. The level of sophistication and clarity in the diagrams and sections shows care and attention to detail. The incorporation and time spent creating a physical model elevates the design."

Second Place: La Bella Vita

Student: Maiten Rodriguez
Faculty Sponsors: Awilda Rodriguez, Paolo Sanza & Blake Mitchell
Institution: Oklahoma State University

Juror Comments: "La Bella Vita is a winning design showing rich graphical representation of the human experience moving throughout the stadium. The structural double system presented in the sections is compelling and thought-provoking. The feature of a green roof on top of a stadium is unique and refreshing."

Third Place: Back to the Nature

Students: Chunya Wu, Siwei Su, Yiwei Liu, Jiaqi Xu & Matthew Lawson
Faculty Sponsor: Clark Llewellyn
Institution: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Juror Comments: "Back to the Nature is a winning design with strong graphical representation and historical context of the country and landscape. The creative use of a curve linear truss is well executed through the plan and diagrams. The incorporation of tectonics and structural composition is brilliantly executed throughout the program."

Honorable Mention: Sigillum

Student: Ana Krekman
Faculty Sponsor: Daniel Brown
Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design

Juror Comments: "Sigillum receives an honorable mention for the exquisite and poetic diagrams. The aspect of the retractable dome is smart and compelling. The design is a striking representation of what steel can do."

Honorable Mention: Ampelos Winery

Student: Biming Liu
Faculty Sponsor: Daniel Brown
Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design

Juror Comments: "Ampelos Winery is an honorable mention with sections that are reminiscent of a church or monastery. The hybrid framing of steel and wood is masterfully achieved through immaculate graphics."