These 11 climate-resilient designs won in the 2025 AIA COTE Top Ten for Students Competition

The future of sustainable architectural design was under the microscope again at this year's AIA COTE Top Ten for Students Competition, and the results are in now: Ten winners and one honorable mention were selected in the annual challenge that tasked students to "design projects that use a creative and innovative, thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide design solutions that protect and enhance the environment" by "achieving net-zero emissions, adapting to resilient climate impacts, and addressing social and environmental inequities."

The competition organizers, the American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment, in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, offered two categories for the first time this year, allowing first-year and second-year students to compete in Category I, and upper-level students in Category II.

Clemson University and the University of Waterloo managed to score wins with two teams each. 

Take a look at this year's winning entries:

CATEGORY I: FOUNDATION LEVEL

De-Clustered, Environmental Middle School in Pittsburgh’s Inner Fringe

Students: Russell Tsai & Julia Hu
Faculty: Jongwan Kwon
Institution: Carnegie Mellon University

Juror Comments: "De-Clustered, Environmental Middle School in Pittsburgh’s Inner Fringe demonstrates a powerful and sophisticated understanding of ecological literacy and climate resilience. The design approach creates a delicate memorable design through passive strategies of ecological regeneration. Rooted in environmental research and historical data of the Pittsburgh Region this Inner Fringe project addresses all of the COTE Categories ensuring the school is not only a place for learning but also a welcoming, community resource that integrates its own bioclimatic inner fringe with nature. The clarity of the diagrams, renderings, and physical model reflects a high level of competency and design communication, helping to illustrate how the building contributes to long-term resilience in Pittsburgh’s urban fabric."

Honorable Mention: One444 Refuge

Students: Jonah Kramer & Joel Ferrick 
Faculty: Thomas Provost 
Institution: University of Detroit Mercy

Juror Comments: "One444 Refuge is a timely and socially impactful design project that focuses on refugee transitional housing informed by site visits and community feedback. The use of locally sourced materials and CLT construction reduces the embodied carbon, while advanced energy systems reduce the operational carbon footprint of the project. Paired with a strong well-being analysis, inspired by conversations at Mudgie’s across the street from their site, the result is a resilient, low-carbon housing solution that is both environmentally responsible and community-driven. While the site analysis and architectural detailing are strong, the landscaping strategy could be further developed to reinforce ecological resilience and strengthen the design’s connection to the natural environment in section."

CATEGORY II: OPEN

Four Membranes

Student: Nicole Cao
Faculty: Jaliya Fonseka
Institution: University of Waterloo

Juror Comments: "Four Membranes presents a visually striking design that expands the definition of inside and outside / public and private while using this expansion to address the AIA Framework ten measures. The design emphasizes passive and active systems that shape the form, structure, and material choices, demonstrating a compelling integration of architecture with climate-responsive and equitable design strategies. By combining community and education, the design demonstrates an equitable and sustainable approach to shared resources, reducing carbon emissions while fostering collaboration."

Fish House

Students: Ciela Stark & Leah Gripp
Faculty: Ulrike Heine, Amy Trick & Rayshad Dorsey
Institution: Clemson University

Juror Comments: "Fish House is fascinating and original, transforming a working fish dock into a self-sustaining machine where ecology, culture, and livelihood are intertwined. There’s a deep investigation into site conditions, rigorously integrating all ten AIA Framework measures into a holistic design approach. The presentation boards are elegant and well-organized, clearly communicating complex systems through excellent diagrams."

Time Frame

Student: Luca De Vasconcelos Ricci
Faculty: Jaliya Fonseka
Institution: University of Waterloo

Juror Comments: "Time Frame presents a simple yet beautiful architectural parti, balancing clarity of form with technical rigor. The imaginative storytelling component of the design, projecting the building’s life hundreds of years into the future, adds a poetic dimension to sustainability, raising important questions about adaptability, durability, and architectural legacy."

Twin Canopy Research Center

Students: Jiaye Li (Jessie), Yudi Dong & Haozheng Wang (Henry)
Faculty: William Braham
Institution: University of Pennsylvania 

Juror Comments: "Twin Canopy Research Center presents a sophisticated design that clearly demonstrates climate-responsive strategies, with the hybrid systems integrated into roof structures that shelter flexible spaces. Sustainability drives the design through optimized PV panels and biogenic materials. The architectural presentation remains lively and engaging, with exceptional sections and plans that clearly demonstrate the building’s performance and sustainable strategies."

Symbiosis

Student: Irina Chemencedji
Faculty: Ryan Bacha
Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design 

Juror Comments: "Symbiosis has a strong and thoughtful architectural vision, transforming a former mill site into a regenerative community space that balances adaptive reuse and affordable housing with remarkable clarity. The design’s commitment to adaptive reuse and phytoremediation creates a strong link to ecological restoration. Overall, the design intent is beautifully illustrated, with an excellent section that conveys the richness of spatial layering, environmental systems and context."

Center for Information+Collaboration

Student: Elena Silverman
Faculty: Eric Watson
Institution: Montana State University

Juror Comments: "Center for Information + Collaboration is an exceptional design for clarity and organization, making all aspects of the project easy to understand. The building successfully promotes health and community engagement through flexible public space and a cascading library that encourages social interaction and learning. The design showcases careful integration of sustainability measures, resulting in a low-energy, high-performance building that reflects strong ecological responsibility."

Deus Ex Machina

Students: Arnaud Belzile, Zachary Lambert & Thomas Nadeau-Gauthier
Faculty: Claude Demers & André Potvin
Institution: Université Laval

Juror Comments: "Deus Ex Machina shows a fearless integration of technologically inspired architecture alongside a historic cathedral, creating a thoughtful dialogue between past and future while employing passive strategies that enhance comfort and sustainability. The architectural narrative is sophisticated and compelling, with exquisite graphics and detailing that clearly convey the design’s concept. The careful attention to material reuse and co-dependence of the new and the old highlights an innovative approach to sustainability, making the building both resilient and socially responsive."

Firewise Futures: A Community-Centered Model for Wildfire Resilience

Student: Jennifer Layer
Faculty: Sallie Hambright-Belue & Matthew Nicolette
Collaborators: Andrew Poole & Alexandra Ugan
Institution: Clemson University 

Juror Comments: "Firewise Futures: A Community-Centered Model for Wildfire Resilience has a clear and elegant form, paired with thoughtful material selection that reflects a strong commitment to sustainability and environmental performance. The design responds directly to the growing threat of wildfires, embedding community education and fire safety awareness into both programming and architecture. The narrative is beautifully aligned with the design, creating an architectural experience that is both poetic and functional. The design effectively reimagines public infrastructure as a living system, fostering community engagement, knowledge-sharing, and resilience."

DFDi

Students: Priscilla Leung & Audrey Delia
Faculty: Brian Lonsway
Institution: Syracuse University

Juror Comments: "DFDi is an impactful design with a high level of detail, vivid graphics and a thoughtfully designed façade showcasing the rigorous research and technical mastery. The modular 'kit of parts' concept is innovative and scalable, allowing the building to serve the specific community needs while remaining adaptable for future applications. The clarity of the architectural diagrams effectively communicates how sustainable investigation directly informs the building’s form and user experience."

Ready to send your own designs into next year's race? Check out the 2026 AIA COTE Top Ten for Students Competition brief for details.