Steel libraries feature among 2025 AISC/ACSA Steel Design Student Competition winners

Thirteen winners have been announced for the 2025 AISC/ACSA Steel Design Student Competition by the American Institute of Steel Construction and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. Submissions were accepted in two categories: one for a library, and the other for an open category of any program. 

The thirteen winning projects were selected for their innovative designs using structural steel and their design responses to local contexts. For each category, the jurors chose First, Second, and Third-place winners, along with additional Honorable Mentions. 

Below, we have set out the thirteen projects comprising the 2025 winners. You can compare this year’s selection to that of previous years by following our ongoing coverage of the series here.

CATEGORY I: LIBRARY

First Place: Steel Harvest

Student: Laura Murguía
Faculty: Alice Guess Collaborator: Melanie Parker Dameron
Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design

Jury comment: Steel Harvest is an outstanding design for the innovative and expressive use of structural steel. The cantilevered box truss and custom-fabricated masts are technically ambitious. The design balances complexity with clarity, demonstrating how steel can create long-span flexibility while also integrating environmental strategies such as rainwater collection. Beyond the structural innovation, the design is socially and environmentally responsible, offering a well-rounded vision that blends disaster relief, community engagement, and ecological care.

Second Place: Nexus Library + 

Students: Shunta Abe & Kimberly Yan
Faculty: Katrin Terstegen
Institution: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Jury comment: Nexus Library + is a compelling design that demonstrates a thoughtful and well-resolved design, anchored by a deep structural framework. The steel core and bracing system is both structurally expressive and spatially significant, elegantly linking the library with the civic plaza. The space planning is carefully considered, with a clear translation from massing diagrams to physical models, resulting in a design that is both practical and visually engaging. Overall, the design showcases how steel can drive structural innovation while fostering civic interaction within a captivating architectural vision.

Third Place: Urban Incline 

Student: Ayush Singh
Faculty: Leandro Piazzi
Institution: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Jury comment: Urban Incline is a clear and practical design that feels both complex and efficient. The meticulous use of steel to resolve the cantilevered structure and open outdoor spaces is well thought through with precision. The integration of the ramp and terraces creates a dynamic public living room that fosters community engagement. The truss and tension rod system is handled with clarity and complexity, allowing generous column-free spaces while maintaining an elegant architectural imagination.

Honorable Mention: Books and Building Blocks 

Students: Jo Herendeen, Ty Pierce & Ivy Smith
Faculty: Daisy-O’lice Williams
Institution: University of Oregon

Jury comment: Books and Building Blocks is an imaginative design that conveys the design’s narrative with impressive clarity, offering a thoughtful vision for the future of libraries. The integration of a family center and youth activates is refreshing and mature, addressing the complexity of community needs in an inclusive way. The exposed steel framing is expressed in a straightforward yet effective manner, reinforcing the project’s transparency and ease of fabrication.

Honorable Mention: Fletcher Library 

Students: Agustin Ochoa & Wiame Rabbaa
Faculty: Dylan Bachar
Institution: Woodbury University

Jury comment: Fletcher Library is a strong steel design creating both structural clarity and architectural identity. The use of exposed steel elements provides a compelling framework that organizes circulation in a clear and comprehensive way. The jury appreciates how the atrium not only looks striking but also reinforces the building’s openness. With further refinement, the programmed spaces could more fully reflect the richness of the design’s narrative.

Honorable Mention: Steel Cyclone 

Students: Mikayel Sargsyan & Vahe Shahnazaryan
Faculty: Paul Chiu
Institution: Glendale Community College

Jury comment: Steel Cyclone presents an innovative and sophisticated use of steel, with framing and structural elements that creatively define the tornado-inspired form. There’s an appreciation for how the steel transforms into multiple forms, providing both structural clarity and visual dynamism. The design is impressive, with a thoughtful approach to circulation and community spaces that make the library engaging and distinctive. For further refinement, greater clarity on egress, and integration with the surrounding city context would strengthen the overall design.

Honorable Mention: Urban Ensemble – From Module Systems To Chelsea Jenga 

Students: Bennard Amponsah & Qi Han Zheng
Faculty: Arta Yazdanseta
Institution: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Jury comment: Urban Ensemble – From Module Systems to Chelsea Jenga receives praise for the design’s innovative use of a modular system. The thoughtful integration of sustainability benchmarks, with the steel frame provides both structural clarity and long-term adaptability. The circular diagram and explanation of the façade system could be clarified further to fully illustrate how each supports the design’s disassembly and recycling goals.

CATEGORY II: OPEN

First Place: The Still Armada 

Students: Ethan Edington & Josue Ventura Vasquez
Faculty: Genevieve Baudoin
Institution: Kansas State University

Jury comment: The Still Armada distinguishes itself as the definitive winner, presenting a compelling and intelligent architectural response, with modular elements that feel both rich and varied. The boards are beautifully composed, featuring a restrained color palette and exceptional graphic clarity. Steel is used not merely as a material, but as an expressive element that shapes light, space, and structure in an essential and integrated way. While the design maintains an overall simplicity, it achieves a layered richness and site-specific quality, resonating with the maritime context and conveying a strong public presence.

Second Place: Nor-Cal 101 Fire Station 

Students: Blayne Springer, Leyton Spencer & Matthew Wright
Faculty: Pasquale De Paola & Kevin Singh
Institution: Louisiana Tech University

Jury comment: NOR-CAL 101 Fire Station presents a thorough and futuristic vision for a fire station, one that feels both socially relevant and architecturally futuristic. The use of steel is tectonically expressive, forming an exoskeleton system that is layered, nuanced, and beautifully executed. The playful yet rigorous approach to a kit-of-parts strategy demonstrates how steel can create variety, richness, and a new architectural approach. The representation feels fresh and contemporary, while the wildfire narrative grounds the design in a powerful and urgent context.

Third Place: Cloud-81: Syracuse Urban Incubator 

Students: Zilin Jing & Jingxiang Zhang
Faculty: Lauren Scott
Institution: Syracuse University

Jury comment: Cloud-81: Syracuse Urban Incubator offers a thoughtful and innovative vision of circularity, grounded in thorough research on Syracuse and the community’s needs. The design compellingly explores the interplay between skeletal and skin structures in a contemporary manner. The graphics are both enticing and effective, clearly communicating concept and process. The design excels in reimagining the makerspace as critical infrastructure, linking urban recycling with community engagement in a way that is socially meaningful and architecturally sophisticated.

Honorable Mention: Royal Naval Archives: Within the Vessel 

Students: Shane Gallagher & Noah Kotlinski
Faculty: Genevieve Baudoin
Institution: Kansas State University

Jury comment: Royal Naval Archives: Within the Vessel is a well-resolved and expressive structural concept that feels appropriate to its naval context. The use of physical models is especially compelling, helping to communicate the architectural intent with clarity. The graphics employ traditional yet effective communication that reinforces the design’s strength and comprehensiveness. Overall, the structural expression is clear, offering a distinctive approach that anchors the archive meaningfully within its historic setting.

Honorable Mention: Dubai Flow 

Students: Zhirun Huang & Weixia Luo
Faculty: Fei Wang
Institution: Syracuse University

Jury comment: Dubai Flow presents a seductive and formally-driven design, anchored by an inventive steel web structure that informs both shape and performance. The clarity of the expressive double-skin system produces a scheme that is environmentally responsive while remaining culturally grounded. The boards are beautifully executed, reinforcing the depth and richness of the architectural narrative. The steel framework not only enables dramatic cantilevers and dynamic site movement but also powerfully translates cultural heritage into a contemporary architectural language.

Honorable Mention: The Interstate Viewing 

Student: Ta’riq Abdul-Rahman
Faculty: Se Won Roy Kim
Institution: Ball State University

Jury comment: The Interstate Viewing stands out for its bold and unconventional vision, presenting a utopian yet critical reimagining of the interstate’s legacy. The steel assembly is inventive and refreshing, emphasizing concept and narrative over typical approaches. The design conveys a sense of exploratory freedom, with a traveling armature that is both provocative and socially engaging. The student’s willingness to take risks and push the boundaries of architectural imagination makes this a distinctive and memorable contribution.