The American Institute of Architects, Committee on the Environment (AIA COTE), in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 AIA COTE Top Ten for Students Competition.

The competition recognizes 10 exceptional studio projects that integrate creative and innovative design strategies. These projects are designed to achieve carbon-neutral operations through daylighting, passive heating and cooling systems, sustainable materials, water conservation, energy generation, and other sustainable systems.

The program challenged students to submit projects that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. Award recipients for this year’s COTE Top Ten for Students Competition are:

TIMBR | Timber Integrative Means + Biophilic Resilience

Students: Marcus Puste, Farah Ossaimee & Dolin Diaz

Faculty: Kristin Nelson & James Leach

University of Detroit Mercy

Watershed

Students: Eric Luth & Andrew Baltimore

Faculty: Gundula Proksch & Christopher Meek

University of Washington

The Craft, The Tradition, The Celebration of Culture

Students: Angela Kraus & Olivia Wideman

Faculty: Ulrike Heine, David Franco & George Schafer

Clemson University

Relinquetur Research Center

Student: Gabriel Cachapuz Velasco

Faculty: Alice Guess

Savannah College of Art and Design

Green Lighthouse

Student: YunIn Jeung

Faculty: Kevin Singh

Louisiana Tech University

Hunting Island State Park Center for Oceanography

Student: Joanna Frauca

Faculty: Michael Hill

Savannah College of Art and Design

Wiingaashk: A Cultural and Ecological Path to Healing

Student: Isabelle Cassidy

Faculty: Patricia Andrasik

Catholic University of America

Restoring a Haven

Students: William Scott & Connor Smith

Faculty: Ulrike Heine, David Franco & George Schafer

Clemson University

Southern Bastion - Protecting the Marshes

Student: Denzyl Ye Teo Denzyl Gineva Zhang

Faculty: Alice Guess

Savannah College of Art and Design

Above the Marsh

Students: Lucas Schindler & Mia Walker

Faculty: Ulrike Heine, David Franco & George Schafer

Clemson University

See renderings of the projects and get more information HERE.

The competition jury included: Rahman Azari, Pennsylvania State University

Nithyashree Balachandar Iyer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Jill Kurtz, Page

Sarah Mathews, Jacobs

Julie Ju-Youn Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology

About the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and businesses. The AIA engages with civic and government leaders, as well as with the public, to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation, and world. Visit www.aia.org.

About AIA COTE®  

The Committee on the Environment (COTE®) is an AIA Knowledge Community working for architects, allied professionals, and the public to achieve climate action and climate justice through design. We believe that design excellence is the foundation of a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future. Our work promotes design strategies that empower all AIA members to realize the best social and environmental outcomes with the clients and the communities they serve.

About the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) The mission of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture is to lead architectural education and research. Founded in 1912 by 10 charter members, ACSA is an international association of architecture schools preparing future architects, designers, and change agents. ACSA’s full members include all of the accredited professional degree programs in the United States and Canada, as well as international schools and 2- and 4-year programs. Together, ACSA schools represent 7,000 faculty educating more than 40,000 students. ACSA seeks to empower faculty and schools to educate increasingly diverse students, expand disciplinary impacts, and create knowledge for the advancement of architecture. For more information, visit www.acsa-arch.org.