APDesign In the News

K-State Architecture Students Earn Top Honors in International Steel Design Competition

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. — For four Kansas State University architecture graduate students, what began as a challenging studio assignment has turned into international recognition. Their designs, born out of long hours in studio and fueled by curiosity, collaboration, and creativity, earned them top honors in the 25th Annual Steel Design Student Competition, one of the most competitive design contests in North America.

Graduate students Ethan Edington, Josue Ventura-Vasquez, Noah Kotlinski, and Shane Gallagher—all completing the final year of K-State’s five-year Master of Architecture program in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design (APDesign)—stood out among hundreds of entries submitted by students from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Their projects, guided by Professor Genevieve Baudoin, earned First Place and Honorable Mention in the competition’s Open Category, administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

Edington and Ventura-Vasquez captured First Place and a $4,000 prize, while Kotlinski and Gallagher received an Honorable Mention. Both projects will be showcased at the 2026 ACSA Annual Meeting and the 2026 AIA National Convention, and published on the ACSA and AISC websites, placing their work on a permanent stage of student design excellence for K-State.

Designing for History, With Steel as a Medium

The studio challenge from Baudoin was to design a Naval Archive as an extension of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London—a UNESCO World Heritage site and symbol of Britain’s naval history.

For the K-State teams, this was more than a design brief. It was a chance to grapple with the weight of history and translate it into architectural form.

In conversations with the honorees, they emphasized that collaboration was the driving force behind their innovation in steel design - achievements that would have been difficult to realize alone. They reflected on the contextual history of steel, showing how the material not only advances technical thinking but also carries the power to tell a story. To have their work recognized on an international stage is deeply meaningful - it’s a reminder of why they’re here at Kansas State University.

National Stage, Personal Impact

The Steel Design Competition is regarded as a benchmark of student innovation, giving future architects the chance to engage in international peer review and gain recognition for excellence.

Professor Baudoin emphasized the achievement: “This is a tremendous accomplishment for our students. They demonstrated not only design excellence but also an ability to work collaboratively and think critically about architecture’s cultural and structural role. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Michael McClure, Dean of APDesign added, “This recognition is a testament to the talent and determination of our students and faculty. It underscores APDesign’s mission to prepare designers who think deeply, act boldly, and contribute meaningfully to the profession on a global scale.”

For these four students, the award represents not just a line on their resumes but a defining moment in their education. As they look ahead to graduation, they carry with them more than an award-winning project—they carry the confidence that their designs, ideas, and voices have a place on the world stage.