A student team from the School of Architecture was recently announced as a prize winner in the 2026 Steel Design Student Competition.
Administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the 26th annual Steel Design Student Competition challenged undergraduate and graduate students to explore a variety of design issues related to the use of steel in design and construction.
This year’s competition offered architecture students the opportunity to compete in two separate categories. In Category I, students were challenged to design a community dance center and address how it can contribute to the community as an integral part of the civic fabric. Category II presented students with the option to select a site and building program of their choice, using steel as the primary material.
The eleven winning projects were selected for their innovative designs using structural steel and their design responses to local contexts. For each category, the jurors chose first, second, and third-place winners, along with additional honorable mentions.
Bruno Yeh (B.Arch ’27) and Yanwen (Gareth) Pang (B.Arch ’27) won second place in the Community Dance Center category for their project, The Dance, which stems from the idea that everyone is a participant in a performance; from staff to students and visitors.
As part of the fourth-year undergraduate integrated design studio (ARC 409), Yeh and Pang worked under the direction of their faculty sponsor Ryan Doyle, a part-time instructor at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture, to develop a design that challenges the programmatic hierarchies commonly found in performance centers. Their proposal elevates the experience of support spaces while giving guests a glimpse into the processes integral to putting on a show.
The structure is streamlined to be achievable using local recycled steel. The building’s entire primary steel structure can be constructed using the equivalent of one block of the Syracuse I-81 Viaduct, transforming a historically divisive element of the city into a new local hub of connection and gathering.
“The Dance is recognized for the methodically developed design, demonstrating careful consideration of structure, sustainability, materiality, and building performance,” noted the jurors. “The expressive steel system, featuring an extended fly-tower and spanning trusses, establishes a strong architectural framework that supports both the spatial experience and the project’s narrative of revealing the performance process. The clear sectional studies and detailed axonometric drawings effectively communicate the design’s technical execution.”
“I’m humbled to have been part of a winning project that bridged my learning between school and professional practice,” said Yeh. “It was especially meaningful to work alongside Gareth after we began our Syracuse Architecture journey together in the same ARC 107 studio during our first semester. Throughout the process, I learned a tremendous amount from both Gareth and Professor Doyle and grew as a designer and collaborator.”
“This recognition is an important milestone for Bruno and me as emerging architects,” said Pang. “The success of our project encourages us to continue challenging ourselves as designers and to deepen our contributions to the field of architecture.”
Winning students and their faculty advisors will each receive a cash prize along with the opportunity to have their projects exhibited at the 2027 ACSA Annual Meeting and the 2027 AIA National Convention, as well as published in a competition summary publication.
