School of Architecture Student Awards

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Emerge, by Jules Cervantes

Emerge, 2020 Universal Design Prize winner by Jules Cervantes '23 B Arch


Architecture students regularly win a variety of awards.

Awards include those offered through the school, such as the end-of-year Design Excellence Awards, as well as esteemed regional, national and international awards. Learn more about our award-winning students and their projects.

Design Excellence Showcase

At the end of each academic year, faculty nominate student work across all programs and years for Design Excellence awards, which are sponsored by AIA Southern Arizona and judged by leading architects from around the world. View recent Design Excellence project nominations and winners and meet the judges:

End-of-Year Student Awards

Bachelor of Architecture Awards

AIA Design Excellence Awards

  • Nikolas Altamura ’21: Honor Award, Excellence in Overall Design
  • Logan Anthony Matos ’21: Merit Award, Excellence in Urban Design Strategy
  • Nick Witt ’23: Merit Award, Excellence in Design Integration
  • Ana Astiazaran ’22: Citation Award, Excellence in Environmental Design
  • Sam Owen ’22: Citation Award, Excellence in Environmental Design
  • Nick Witt ’23: Citation Award, Excellence in Conceptual Design
  • Ralph Mersiowsky ’24: Citation Award, Excellence in Design Exploration
     
  • View All CAPLA 2020-2021 Design Excellence Nominees

AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit and Medal

  • Rachael Varin

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

  • Hannah McCormick

Capstone Award

  • Eugene Lee

Capstone Distinguished Projects

  • Nikolas Altamura
  • Diego Andrés González Olea
  • Mary Henderson
  • Eugene Lee
  • Logan Anthony Matos
  • Rachael Varin
  • Hao Wang
  • Wen Xie

Faculty Commendation

  • Findley Fitzpatrick
  • Elizabeth Franzen
  • Mary Henderson
  • Courtney Klewer
  • Logan Anthony Matos
  • Hannah McCormick
  • Josh Muckenthaler
  • Jacqueline Grace Odell
  • Chumei Rui
  • Rachael Varin
  • Wen Xi

Ronald R. Gourley Award for Design Excellence

  • Diego Andrés González Olea

School of Architecture Outstanding Senior

  • Hannah McCormick

Stream Award

  • Courtney Klewer | History and Theory
  • Elizabeth Franzen | Building Tech
  • Rachael Varin | Design Communication
  • Jasmin Guzman | Professional Practice
  • Hannah McCormick | Studio

Edward Allen Award

  • Elizabeth Franzen

William G. Ure III Award

  • Eugene Lee

Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts

  • Carina Eichorst
  • Elizabeth Franzen
  • Alex Golden
  • Zongmin Guo
  • Jasmin Guzman
  • Mary Henderson
  • Courtney Klewer
  • Logan Anthony Matos
  • Hannah McCormick
  • Josh Muckenthaler
  • Jacqueline Grace Odell
  • Rachael Varin

Master of Architecture Student Awards

AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit and Medal

  • Athena Myers

Faculty Commendation

  • Rudy Chon
  • Crystal McCloyn
  • Athena Myers
  • Zoe Sadorf
  • Pawel Sapiecha
  • Morgan Scott

Graduate Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Zoe Sadorf

M.Arch Project Prize

  • Rudy Chon
  • Athena Myers
  • Zoe Sadorf

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • Athena Myers

Stream Award

  • Rudy Chon | History and Theory
  • Pawel Sapiecha | Building Tech
  • Athena Myers | Design Communication
  • Zoe Sadorf | Professional Practice
  • Athena Myers | Studio

Master of Science in Architecture Student Awards

ARCC / King Medal for Excellence

  • Sara Ghaemi

Best Master’s Thesis

  • Sara Ghaemi

Faculty Commendation

  • Venus Abdollahi
  • Kavya Dhir
  • Saleh Amr Naseer
  • Anahita Modrek

Graduate Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Venus Abdollahi

Highest Scholastic Excellence Award

  • Venus Abdollahi
  • Saleh Amr Naseer

Bachelor of Architecture Awards

AIA Design Excellence Awards

  • Jerrick Lee Tsosie | Top Project / First Prize for Grounded
  • Audie Batsford | Second Prize for Plaza Patio
  • Jenny Nguyen | Fifth Prize for Reigniting Spirit of Place
  • Joel Anthony Blanco | Citation for Design Build
  • Bianca Bryant | Citation for Design Build
  • John Paul Georges | Citation for Design Build
  • Michael Hernandez | Citation for Design Build
  • Elizabeth Lingzhi Hurd | Citation for Design Build
  • Amie Maxwell | Citation for Design Build
  • Emily Miller | Citation for Design Build
  • Lucy Thérèse Date Nielsen | Citation for Design Build
  • Brent Potter | Citation for Design Build
  • Raymond Rash | Citation for Design Build
  • Spencer Reardon | Citation for Design Build
  • Andrea Alexis Reyes | Citation for Design Build
  • Christian Adam Sanchez | Citation for Design Build
  • Juliana Sophie Seymour | Citation for Design Build
  • Juliana Sophie Seymour | Citation for The Youth Parish
  • Tianzhi Sun | Citation for Urban Transportation Palimpsest
  • Evan Swanson | Citation for Design Build
  • Jasmine Carol Thomas | Citation for Design Build
  • Jerrick Lee Tsosie | Citation for Design Build
  • Moshe Wilke | Citation for Design Build
  • View All CAPLA 2019-2020 Design Excellence Nominees

AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit and Medal

  • Raymond Rash

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

  • Jessica Leigh Jankowski

Capstone Award

  • Jerrick Lee Tsosie | Grounded
  • Kittitash Chaikunpon | Beacon: A Future of Public Space

Capstone Distinguished Projects

  • Kennedy Greyson Finn | A Flash of Green
  • Emily Miller | Rethinking Infrastructure
  • Jenny Nguyen | Reigniting Spirit of Place
  • Lucy Thérèse Date Nielsen | Mercado Doméstico de la Lagunilla
  • Junren Tan | Post War Reconstruction

Faculty Commendation

  • Audie Batsford
  • Bianca Bryant
  • Kittitash Chaikunpon
  • Addison Shoshana Harden
  • Elizabeth Lingzhi Hurd
  • Jenny Nguyen
  • Lucy Thérèse Date Nielsen
  • Austin Posner
  • Raymond Rash
  • Juliana Sophie Seymour
  • Tianzhi Sun
  • Jerrick Lee Tsosie
  • Moshe Wilke

Ronald G. Gourley Award for Design Excellence

  • Austin Posner

School of Architecture Outstanding Senior

  • Bianca Bryant

Stream Award

  • Bianca Bryant | History and Theory
  • Moshe Wilke | Building Tech
  • Junren Tan | Design Communication
  • Kittitash Chaikunpon | Professional Practice
  • Jerrick Lee Tsosie | Studio

Undergraduate Assistant Award

  • Bianca Bryant

William G. Ure III Award

  • Bianca Bryant

Master of Architecture Student Awards

AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit and Medal

  • Chase Woosley

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

  • Madeleine Clermont

Faculty Commendation

  • Madeleine Clermont
  • Chris Ewing
  • Liz Madsen
  • Chase Woosley

Graduate Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Juan Salvo

M.Arch Project Prize

  • Chase Woosley
  • Humberto Lopez Villanueva

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • Juan Salvo

Stream Award

  • Chris Ewing | History and Theory
  • Chris Ewing | Building Tech
  • Juan Salvo | Design Communication
  • Madeleine Clermont | Professional Practice
  • Humberto Lopez Villanueva | Studio

Master of Science in Architecture Student Awards

AIA Design Excellence Award

  • Tasbeeh Alaqtum | Citation for Secrets of Senses

ARCC / King Medal for Excellence

  • Ghayda Alhabib

Best Master's Thesis

  • Tasbeeh Alaqtum | A Methodology to Assess and Mitigate Daylight Discomfort Glare and Provide Views in Daylit Learning Environments
  • Maryam Moradnejad | Modular Design Technique for an Adaptive Cooling and Daylighting Roof Aperture System

Faculty Commendation

  • Tasbeeh Alaqtum
  • Maryam Moradnejad
  • Ghayda Alhabib
  • Elias Al Bawab
  • Aisha Alkindi

Graduate Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Maryam Moradnejad

Highest Scholastic Excellence Award

  • Tasbeeh Alaqtum
  • Maryam Moradnejad
  • Ghayda Alhabib
  • Elias Al Bawab
  • Aisha Alkindi

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • Tasbeeh Alaqtum

Bachelor of Architecture Awards

AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit and Medal

  • Tayler Forsberg

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

  • Anisa Hermosillo

School of Architecture Outstanding Senior

  • Noëlle Van Lerberghe

Outstanding Undergraduate Student Grader

  • Samuel Owen

William G. Ure III Award

  • Vincent Yang

Stream Awards

  • Ana Astiazaran, Design Studio
  • Jacob Downard, Design Communication
  • Tayler Forsberg, Building Tech
  • Samuel Owen, Professional Practice
  • Estefania Peña, History and Theory

The Capstone Award

  • Samuel Owen

Capstone Distinguished Projects

Material Matters

  • Jacob Downard
  • Tayler Forsberg
  • Itzel Gámez Alcaraz
  • Alejandro Rueda

(Meta)Physics of Light

  • Emily Ahlgren
  • Alexander Arnaud
  • Brooke Sands
  • Vincent Yang

Urban Agency

  • Andrea Riehle
  • Lindsay Roland

Independent Option

  • Samuel Owen

Critical Practice Lab (Collaborative Award)

  • Alyssa Arnold
  • Hayden Crockett
  • Anisa Hermosillo
  • Joshua LaComare
  • Rico Lizama
  • Jonathan Mendoza-Uriarte
  • Jessica Schuler
  • Bjorn Scott-Larsen
  • Alex Torres
  • Nicholas Zowada

Ronald G. Gourley Award for Design Excellence

  • Tayler Forsberg

AIA Design Excellence Awards

  • Nick Witt ’23: Honor Award, Excellence in Overall Design
  • Jacob Downard ’22: Merit Award, Excellence in Design Strategy
  • Noah Roth ’24: Citation Award, Excellence in Environmental Design
  • Tabitha Rodriguez ’24: Honorable Mention
  • Jed Perea ’25: Honorable Mention
  • Nick Witt and Waverly Mellies ’23: Honorable Mention
  • Tayler Forsberg ’22: Honorable Mention
     
  • View All CAPLA 2022 AIA Design Excellence Nominees

Faculty Commendation

  • Ana Astiazaran
  • Samuel DeBartolo
  • Tayler Forsberg
  • Anisa Hermosillo
  • Kyle Holeva
  • Anthony Korb
  • Samuel Owen
  • Estefania Peña
  • Lydia Roberts
  • Lindsay Roland
  • Ivette Ruy Sanchez
  • Rafael Alberto Taiar
  • Alex Torres
  • Noëlle Van Lerberghe
  • Vincent Yang

Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts

  • Tayler Forsberg
  • Anisa Hermosillo
  • Kyle Holeva
  • Sam Owen
  • Lydia Roberts
  • Lindsay Roland
  • Rafael Taiar
  • Noëlle Van Lerberghe
  • Vincent Yang

Master of Architecture Student Awards

AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit and Medal

  • Alec Kelly-Jones

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • Hui-Yen Yang

School of Architecture Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Alec Kelly-Jones

Master of Architecture Project Prize

  • Alec Kelly-Jones

Stream Awards

  • Ryan Helmick, Professional Practice
  • Matthew Johnston, History and Theory
  • Alec Kelly Jones, Building Tech
  • Hui-Yen Yang, Design Communication and Design Studio

Faculty Commendation

  • Ryan Helmick
  • Alec Kelly-Jones
  • Ivan Woestman
  • Hui-Yen Yang

Master of Science in Architecture Student Awards

ARCC / King Medal for Excellence

  • Abdullah Alabdullatif

Highest Scholastic Excellence Award

  • Wen Xie

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • Kylie Biddle

School of Architecture Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Andrew Puppos

MS Architecture Best Master’s Thesis

  • Andrew Puppos

Faculty Commendation

  • Abdullah Alabdullatif
  • Kylie Biddle
  • Ashwaq Jundus
  • Andrew Puppos
  • Wen Xie
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UArizona TPEG student members

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The UArizona Theme Park Entertainment Group, comprised of CAPLA and College of Engineering students, received the highest commendation overall—with distinctions for technical skill, feasibility, innovation and communication—at the esteemed Toronto Met Thrill Design Invitational held last fall at Universal Orlando Resort.

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Mary Hardin and architecture students

UArizona Distinguished Professor Mary Hardin Wins ACSA Design-Build Award for Stadium Rowhouses

University Distinguished Professor of Architecture Mary Hardin has been awarded an ACSA 2023 Design-Build Award for Stadium Rowhouses: Macro to Micro. One of just four national Design-Build Award recipients, Hardin leads hands-on design-build projects with undergraduate and graduate architecture students at UArizona.

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Bisbee Center for Jazz section by Sal Arellano

UArizona Undergraduate Architecture Students Focus on Universal Design for Prize Funded by AGM and Ascension Wheelchair Lifts

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Camp Naco

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CAPLA Heritage Conservation Program Project Director Helen Erickson and graduate students Sarah McDowell and Teresa DeKoker have been instrumental in efforts to preserve Camp Naco, a borderlands Buffalo Soldier camp located near Bisbee, Arizona, resulting in awards for their story map and new funding to preserve the site.

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The Avenue Solar Decathlon Design Challenge entry

UArizona Architecture Students Win 2022 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Design Challenge Grand Prize

Professor Jonathan Bean and the Solar Decathlon Design Challenge Multifamily Building team of fourth-year B.Arch students Andrew Norris, Jonah Cummins-Mikkalson, Alex Kolodziej and Nhan Vo not only took first place in their division, but also was selected as the 2022 Design Challenge Grand Winner for Commercial Divisions—a first for CAPLA and UArizona.