Study Architecture 
ProPEL COTE Top Ten for Students: Winners Announced
Innovative Student Projects Showcase Advances in Sustainability
For Immediate Release:
Washington, D.C., August 24, 2023 – 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
Collaborator: David Thompson Architect, David Thompson Studio
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
Collaborator: Matt Barnett, LS3P
Savannah College of Art and Design
Wiingaashk: A Cultural and Ecological Path to Healing
Student: Isabelle Cassidy
Faculty: Patricia Andrasik
Collaborator: Jim Lutz
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
Collaborator: David Thompson Architect, David Thompson Studio
Savannah College of Art and Design
Above the Marsh
Students: Lucas Schindlar & 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.
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Heather Albarazi
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202-785-2324
halbarazi@acsa-arch.org
