A team of students from the School of Architecture were recently announced as winners in the 2025 AIA COTE® Top Ten for Students Competition.
Administered by the American Institute of Architects, Committee on the Environment (AIA COTE®), in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the annual COTE® Competition challenged students to design projects that use a creative and innovative, thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
Each year, the competition recognizes exceptional student design studio projects that integrate health, sustainability, and equity, evaluated following the same categories of the AIA COTE® Top Ten Award for built work, and the ten principles of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
Starting this year, students were offered the opportunity to compete in two separate categories: Category I for students enrolled in first- and second-year design courses, and Category II for upper-level students. The jurors selected 10 winning projects, along with an additional honorable mention, that meaningfully address the impacts of climate change. The winning projects emphasize achieving net-zero emissions, adapting to resilient climate impacts, and addressing social and environmental inequities.
Priscilla Leung (B.Arch ’26) and Audrey Delia (B.Arch ’26) were recognized in Category II for their project, DFDi, which focused on creating a functioning building that integrated structure, systems, and the human perspective, with input from various structural and envelope engineers.
As part of their fourth-year comprehensive studio, Leung and Delia worked under the direction of their faculty sponsor Brian Lonsway, associate professor at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture, to design a radically ecological structure that generated energy through solar, wind, and water collection systems and embodied true Design for Disassembly (DFD) principles, with components made to be modular, multi-use, and resource-efficient.
“The notion of a building creating and harvesting its own energy, while actively balancing its consumption, intrigued us as a holistic aspiration for an integrated studio,” says Leung and Delia.
“DFDi is an impactful design with a high level of detail, vivid graphics and a thoughtfully designed façade showcasing the rigorous research and technical mastery,” noted the jurors. “The modular “kit of parts” concept is innovative and scalable, allowing the building to serve the specific community needs while remaining adaptable for future applications. The clarity of the architectural diagrams effectively communicates how sustainable investigation directly informs the building’s form and user experience.”
“Our engagement with COTE’s sustainability criteria gave us a unique opportunity to test how our initial concept could meet these standards,” say Leung and Delia. “It challenged us to think more deeply about design, performance, and community.”
Winning students and their faculty sponsors will each receive a cash prize along with the opportunity to have their projects exhibited and recognized during the 2026 AIA National Convention at the COTE reception.
