CULTURE

In a few weeks the atrium will be buzzing with students once again. As we gear up for Final Reviews, let’s take a look back at the Midterm Reviews we had in October.

#archatillinois #wedesign ...

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ACSA Winner of the 2025 Design for Freedom Competition

2ND PLACE
CATEGORY II: MATERIAL RESEARCH

Behind the Rubber
Student: Xingyu Liu
Faculty Sponsor: Patricia Saldaña Natke

Juror Comments: Behind the Rubber impressed the jury with the comprehensive research and strong emphasis on policy, presenting a well-developed and innovative concept that introduces fresh perspectives of unconventional thinking. The students demonstrate a clear commitment to consumer understanding, using thoughtful storytelling to make complex systems more transparent. A key strength of the design is the clear and thorough articulation of the proposed ecosystem. ...

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ACSA Winner of the 2025 Concrete Masonry Student Competition

3RD PLACE
FLASH POINT
Student: Michael Zemaitis
Faculty Sponsor: Erik Hemingway

Juror Comments
Flash Point offers a thoughtful reinterpretation of the contemporary fire station’s role in regions vulnerable to wildfires. The use of concrete masonry is especially commendable, used and designed with intelligence and care. The student’s modern interpretation of a breeze block screen wall is masterfully articulated. The design creatively incorporates deployable pods and a luminous lookout tower, transforming the station into both a lifesaving command center and a welcoming community refuge. ...

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ACSA Winner of the 2025 Design for Freedom Competition

1ST PLACE
CATEGORY I: DESIGN PROJECT

Peace Museum – Beyond the Scars
Students: Nidhi Naik & Shamita Shyam Honawar
Faculty Sponsors: Patricia Saldaña Natke & Soumya Dasgupta

Juror Comments: Peace Museum – Beyond the Scars is recognized as a first place winner for the powerful and deeply principled design that places ethical material sourcing and labor equity at the heart of the architectural design. By weaving the story through material choices and labor practices, the students ground their concept in a meaningful, real-world context. The use of cartoon bubbles is both inventive and engaging, offering a compelling way to communicate the project’s narrative that can be easily understood by a non-architect. ...

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Thank you to all who viewed “Édifices de Rome Moderne” hosted by the School of Architecture Exhibit Committee. This exhibit featured the reproductions of engravings and original photographs documenting buildings of Renaissance and Baroque Rome as depicted by Paul Marie Letarouilly in his three volume Édifices de Rome Moderne. The main body of research was done from 2003- 2006. An exhibition of 100 black and white plates and 5 oversized color images has been created to tour the United States beginning in the fall of 2008. Plates are 17” x 22” framed images. A hyperlinked matrix including project, plate and rione (district in Rome) information, address location and photographs has been compiled to accompany the investigation.

Édifices de Rome Moderne forms the basis for an investigation of Rome – then and now, a comparison of the Rome depicted by Paul Marie Letarouilly and the existing state of the edifices. The research conducted by Kevin Hinders with Research Assistants Carole Pekney, Michael Waters, Cory Colman and Magdalena P. Zdankiewicz locates and documents the existing structures and the present state of the buildings depicted in 354 plates. The subsequent investigations illustrate both historic changes and original misrepresentations.

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Congratulations to our talented students for their outstanding achievements at the 2025 Society of American Registered Architects (SARA), New York Council Design Awards!
Their creativity and dedication have earned top honors across multiple categories: a true reflection of innovation and design excellence.

Design Awards of Excellence
-Anish Sahu, Zhe Tan, Jiren Zhou, & Samruddhi Shridhankar | Where the Creatures Play
-Nupur Agarwal, Himanshi Rathod, & Aditi Narayan Panji | The Aviary

Design Awards of Honor
-Muntasir Hakim & Ryan Chip | Peace Museum

Design Awards of Merit
-Muntasir Hakim, Michael Zemaitis, & Anam Haque | Dwell78
-Arpit Amarseda, Khwaeesh Desai, & Shengjie Li | Cradle – A Visionary Multispecies Design for Migratory Birds

We’re so proud of your creativity, vision, and impact in shaping the future of design.

#archatillinois #wedesign @saranycouncil ...

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