Today, The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture announced the winners of the 2019–2020 COTE Top Ten for Students Awards. The awards recognize 10 student projects that "work toward achieving carbon-neutral operations through daylighting, passive heating and cooling systems, sustainable materials, water conservation, energy generation, and other sustainable systems," according to a release.
The student projects are judged against the same 10 criteria as the professional AIA COTE Top Ten Awards: integration, community, ecology, water, economy, energy, wellness, resources, change, and discovery. The awards program challenges 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," according to the same release.
This year's jury was composed of Elgin Cleckley, of the University of Virginia; Carly Coulson, AIA, of Coulson; Michael Horan, of Clemson University; Tom Kundig, FAIA, of Olson Kundig; and Adrian Parr, of the University of Texas at Arlington.
The Winners:
Elevated Integration
Students: George Sorbara and Hunter Harwell
School: Clemson University
Faculty Sponsor: Ulrike Heine, David Franco, and George Schafer
Jury Comment: Elevated Integration demonstrates a clear and consistent narrative that is presented in detail both graphically and written. The form of the building, which works across different scales, is well researched and strikingly incorporates the highway structure into beautiful spaces. These innovative students incorporated all ten sustainable measures to their maximum potential. The project addresses the very critical issue of housing Portland families and youth who are without shelter, integrating a sense of joy and urgency in the design approach. The project incorporates the unused, disregarded spaces highways produce into zones of purpose, redefining definitions of sustainability. This innovative approach continues in the integration of Portland’s homeless population to prideful spaces – elevation of the personal and the physical.
Bazaar 324
Students: Anannya Das and Connor Mougin
School: Iowa State University
Faculty Sponsor: Ulrike Passe
Jury Comments: Bazaar 324 presents a multi layered take on the COTE measures, with an inclusionary design – much needed in the complex cultural landscapes of the American South. The project’s dynamic first floor public space fosters new integrations of society, culture, and economy, meeting the essential needs of our time skillfully creates a rich, layered, and compelling place of new and old buildings with the interesting bazaar concept binding the complex and community together. The design incorporates sophisticated passive design, acting as a filtration device for water, air, and energy. The student’s design narrative is clear and presents a poetic approach to sustainability, while making a very thoughtful and impressive economic case.
Library of Play
Student: Nicole Andersson
School: Montana State University
Faculty Sponsors: Steven Juroszek and Jaya Mukhopadhyay
Jury Comments: Library of Play shows us how to take a sustainable design concept and edit it down to the essential, excelling at all ten COTE measures. The striking buildings are convincingly presented, with floor plans that are designed with clarity and efficiency. The scaling of the building reacts to the street presence and neighboring buildings. This project is a terrific example of how high performance green building can be beautiful, simple and well-integrated.
Waterline
Students: Cera Yeo and Jingyi Luo
School: California College of the Arts
Faculty Sponsor: Evan Jones
Jury Comments: Waterline is a powerful sustainable design solution with cultural foundation. The project details provide a level of excitement and thoughtfulness, which is stunning at first glance that never loses that level of interest throughout the details. The well-executed renderings and details present a realistic design that creates a fantastical sense of place and compelling construction technology.
Reclaim Resiliency: Dismantle. Dredge. Dwell.
Students: Ryan Bing and Joe Scherer
School: Clemson University
Faculty Sponsor: Ulrike Heine
Jury Comments: Reclaim Resiliency poses an intriguing question on how do we design the environment? The submission graphics clearly show a sense of place in the skillfully rendered drawings. These students understand ecology and how to design and connect all the elements in a striking way. The projects attention to trans-species design is compelling and innovative.
Copain, Copain?
Students: Audrey Rochon, Anton Zakharov, and Melaine Niget
School: Université Laval
Faculty Sponsors: Claude Demers and André Potvin
Jury Comments: Copain, Copain? Is unique – demonstrating the potentials of the COTE measures by adding an addition driven by local building knowledge. It is an addition to an existing primary school with intriguing sustainable concepts and fascinating outdoor connections. The buildings constructive process is graphically well presented, producing a new community symbol of sustainability. The low energy design, ideal for extreme cold climates, is imaginatively showcased in this graphically compelling winning project.
[Up]-Lift Technology Tower
Students: Bex Sejdiu and Devin Waddell
School: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Faculty Sponsors: Kyoung-Hee Kim and Liz McCormick
Jury Comments: [Up]-Lift Technology Tower explores the flow of energy through the buildings ecosystem. This sustainable high rise project has clear, concise and stunning graphics. The most compelling aspects of this high rise is the compelling systems approach to meeting the ten environmental measures.
Romberg Center for Ecology and Resilience—High-Performance Historical Renovation
Students: Pitchayut Kingkaew, Qihui Bao, and Shuang Yan
School: University of California, Berkeley
Faculty Sponsors: William Leddy, FAIA, Marsha Maytum, FAIA, and Hsin-Hsein Chiu
Jury Comments: Romberg Center for Ecology and Resilience is a highly-refined design encompassing both historic renovation and elegant sustainability. This project has a complex site with many existing buildings to consider, and the proposed solution skillfully reuses and weaves new to old, reduces rather than expands, with a brilliant design that connects parts and ties into a masterful landscape concept. It takes a disciplined, sensitive approach to merge new and old while aggressively meeting all COTE measures and keeping the design feeling simple and grounded.
Matriochkas
Students: Marie-Hélène Cliché, Michael Comtois, and Étienne Vigneau
School: Université Laval
Faculty Sponsors: Claude Demers and André Potvin
Jury Comments: Matriochkas conveys a compelling design for children and learning using a prefabricated construction technology with a clear sustainable approach. The projects convincing structure opens the outdoors, physically, creating a positive learning environment. The students presented their designs with clear graphics and reveals the projects innovation and environmental methods in great detail.
Bio Tower: A Green Medical Research Hub
Students: Sophia Bullock, Drake Cecil, and Alex King
School: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Faculty Sponsors: Kyoung-Hee Kim and Liz McCormick
Jury Comments: Bio Tower creates a tower as an environment ecosystem which addresses ecology through design excellence. The projects brilliant planning strategy is a great way to showcase ecology. The buildings form, volume and simplicity address the city context and community touch. The design incorporates a captivating wilderness zone, the ability to contribute to the inhabitants wellness and a connection light rail, are all well executed.
Click here to see the 2018–2019 winners of the COTE Top Ten for Students.
