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2025 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XIV

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And that’s a wrap on the 2025 Study Architecture Student Showcase! In our finale, we highlight miscellaneous student work that captures a range of topics. From centers celebrating Caribbean food culture and sea-farming operations to spaces for children and an urban crematorium, each project demonstrates skill and innovation.

BREAKWATER: A Living Infrastructure for Food, Culture and Climate by Colin Cantwell, B.Arch ’25
The University of Texas at Austin | Advisor: Nichole Wiedemann

The defining characteristic of the Caribbean is perhaps interdependence. These resilient islands, marked in various ways by violent histories of colonialism, now face an unwritten future as newly independent nations. Central to this new regional identity is a cooperative and self-reliant system of food production and distribution, de-emphasizing international exports and strengthening local agriculture and trade. 

Barbados is poised to become a critical node in this network with the opening of the International Food Science Centre in Oistins, as well as the upcoming Barbados-Guyana food terminal outside Bridgetown. Within this context, how can architecture participate in a regional food culture? Can a restaurant not only nourish bodies but also fuel a network of food sovereignty? 

“Breakwater” is a hub for this evolving food future, a place where chefs and diners share not only cuisine, but knowledge, memory, and care. Emphasizing porosity, informality, and connection, the project acts as a framework that supports the emergence of a contemporary Caribbean food culture. 

The restaurant and research center welcome the public with a direct path from city to sea. A 250-foot pier extends into the water, receiving fresh seafood and produce delivered by local and regional vessels. Breakwater is embedded within the rhythms of trade, supply, and cultural exchange that flow across the sea.

As Bajans move from cafe to restaurant or from street to beach, they can stop for a quick meal or be seated for a full-course experience guided by a visiting chef behind the counter. Spaces ebb and flow, creating opportunity for informal gatherings and chef-guest encounters. With two sites connected by the urban artery of Bay Street, Breakwater becomes a culinary campus: a space of hospitality and collaboration.

This project was entered in the Lyceum Competition.

Instagram: @fields0fblue, @nicholewiedemann

LookOut by Nick Alonzo, Nicole Roach, Jackson Franks & Olivia Tine, M.Arch ‘25
Northeastern University | Advisor: Jeremy Munn

Inspired by studio thesis topics, students worked in groups to develop an innovative business model by thinking critically about the skills they developed in pursuit of an Architecture degree and how to flex those skills to develop new value propositions. 

The idea for LookOut sprouted from a personal experience. I spend a lot of time outdoors, biking from spot to spot, whether it be for birdwatching, hikes, runs, or anything else. I live in a city where there are plenty of parks, and thus plenty of new places for me to explore. Most people, including myself, when going to a new park would simply look it up on Google Maps to get information on directions, hours, and a general sense of quality. This was the case when I headed to Belle Isle Marsh in Boston. Once there, I quickly learned that there was more information that I should have known beforehand. The park was absolutely overrun by mosquitoes, to such an extent that it was unbearable to stand still or even walk. Despite a high Google Maps rating, and being a clearly great, scenic park, my experience at Belle Isle Marsh was unpleasant and brief. If I had somehow known about this mosquito situation, I could have dressed appropriately and packed bug spray.

This is just one example of the lack of relevant park information that Google Maps and similar apps are able to provide. LookOut analyzes open source data, GIS-centric algorithms, and crowd-sourced information to present users with comprehensive, yet simple visualizations – catered to their needs and interests – about the parks they want to visit. This allows our customers to get all the information they need without needing to learn it the hard way. Examples include environmental risks like mosquitoes and flooding, social risks like crime reports and disruptive events, as well as positive features including unique wildlife sightings or special events. Our hope is to make the ups and downs of the great outdoors a more accessible and safe experience for all!

Click here to view the full business plan. 

Instagram: @jeremy.munn.001

Cultivated Archive by Fredrick Ubah, B.Arch ’25
Texas Tech University | Advisor: Erin Hunt

This project draws conceptual and formal inspiration from the utilitarian vertical gutters found along Austin’s East 6th Street, where concrete and wood are juxtaposed across historic and contemporary structures. These gutters, bridging rooflines to the ground, express a raw clarity that resonates with Modernism’s ideals of exposure, honesty, and tectonic legibility. The integration contrasts wood’s warmth and decorative softness with the stark presence of concrete, creating a balance between directness and welcome. The design explores vertical continuity while elevating functional components—such as exposed gutters—as aesthetic features. The facade merges disjointed yet deliberate elements of wood and concrete, reinforcing a Modernist commitment to revealing structure. Diagonal framing, influenced by Frankengram patterns and informed by fragmented urban stair logics, introduces an “implied organizational frame” that challenges conventional facade hierarchies and spatial expectations. Beyond form, the project incorporates sustainable water management through implied gutters that serve as active hydrological systems. Rainwater is guided through the structure into a passive aquaponics system, enabling ecological productivity without mechanical input. In Austin’s semi-arid context, this approach reduces runoff, enhances biodiversity, and mitigates heat.

Altogether, the facade becomes a layered system—materially honest, formally complex, and ecologically performative—bridging architectural expression with environmental stewardship.

Instagram: @Urfredrick, @erinlinseyhunt 

Convergence of Culture, Land, and Sea on a Barrier Island: A New Form of Community on Sapelo Island, Georgia by Cecilia Brock, B.S. in Architecture ’25
University of Virginia | Advisor: Peter Waldman

This thesis explores a new model of coastal community living on Sapelo Island, rooted in the cultural and environmental knowledge of the Gullah Geechee people of Coastal Georgia. Rather than simply preserving the existing community of Hogg Hammock, the project envisions a future community on the north end of the island where marine farming and agriculture sustain both the local economy and the local population. 

Explored entirely through hand-drawing, the design moves beyond conventional buildings, focusing on spaces defined by activity rather than form. It considers housing not as isolated structures but as a network of small, essential elements—tools for living that support daily rhythms, seasonal changes, and the evolving needs of the community. Inspired by the traditional Saltwater Geechee family compound, the proposal prioritizes flexible, interconnected spaces where work, gathering, and sustenance shape the built environment. Local materials are prioritized, with the structures being composed of wood from the site, tabby made from native oysters, and salvaged metal. 

At the heart of the project is a sea-farming operation, extending from the land into the water as a continuous, working landscape from west to east. Housing clusters, gardens, porches and paths emerge from this axis, fostering a way of life where shelter, work, and nature are inseparable. This project ultimately serves as a temporary home for students from the University of Georgia Marine Institute and volunteers from Sapelo’s SOLO Program, who support the cultivation of the island’s three main agricultural products: Purple Sugarcane, sour oranges, and Sapelo Red Peas. By designing for the patterns of daily life—hour to hour, season to season—the project aims to create an adaptable, living architecture that strengthens both community and environment.

This project received Highest Honors for 4th year Thesis, University of Virginia Pre-Professional Program.

Instagram: @cecilia.brock 

Memphis Urban Crematorium by Marah Al-Tal, M.Arch ’25
University of Memphis | Advisor: Brian Andrews

This urban crematorium project creates a meaningful path between the ceremony and cremation areas, connected by a symbolic bridge. This bridge allows mourners a reflective farewell and provides a journey for the departed. The urban crematorium includes spaces for administration, cremation, ceremonies, dining, accommodation, and a columbarium. The layout is organized by function, with the reception, cremation, and administrative areas on the first floor, the columbarium on the second floor, dining and ceremonial spaces on the third floor, and accommodation on the fourth floor. The concept centers on a gap between the ceremonial and cremation areas, joined by a bridge that creates a unique passage for the final farewell. This gap also houses the columbarium, symbolizing the connection between life and death. The design acknowledges our complex feelings about death—both distant and unavoidable—while creating a respectful place for final goodbyes.

Click here to learn more.

This project received the 3rd-place AIA Memphis Student Award.

Instagram: @marah.tal, @aiasuofm 

TURNING THE PAGE ON TRENDS: Children’s Library & Daycare In North St. Louis by Rebecca Spratt, M.Arch ’25
Washington University in St. Louis | Advisor: Julie Bauer

“Turning the Page on Trends” is a proposal that responds to the needs of children amidst the current social and socioeconomic climate of North St. Louis. Designed to improve reading comprehension rates among the youngest members of this community while providing a safe space for learning and play, this project is a hybrid proposal that combines a children’s daycare and library in the Grand Center neighborhood. The building includes reading rooms, play areas, dining space, a volunteer kitchen, a family resource center, and an exterior garden. The design is centered around the reading and garden spaces, keeping nature at the core of the educational experience. Beyond serving children, the project aspires to create meaningful engagement among youth, families, and the wider community. Architecturally, the project is influenced by the bookshelf, a modular element integrated throughout the design to embed the library into the structure of the building itself.

Instagram: @rebeccaspratt, @julie.e.bauer  

Soundscapes of Change by Sarah Jane Graven, M.Arch ’25
University of Maryland | Advisors: Brittany Williams, Brian Kelly & Julie Gabrielli

America’s approach to childcare often places additional stress on parenting and hinders child development. The United States is the only developed country that does not have a federally mandated paid parental leave policy. Without guaranteed parental leave, parents are forced to find childcare, which is often unaffordable and inaccessible. Not only is society and policy making childhood and parenthood difficult, the built environment is as well. The built environment is designed as though children do not exist. America’s hostility towards children has enforced a mindset that children should be seen, not heard. This research reorients the design process and puts acoustics at the center to rethink the built environment in a way that supports both children and parents. Children are our future, and they deserve to be a visible and welcome part of the present. 

This thesis aims to explore how acoustic strategies can be implemented into traditionally quiet spaces to address, engage, and celebrate children and families in civic life. By designing spaces that are flexible and will fit the needs of the user, acoustic design will create environments where people of all ages can relax, enjoy, and learn. This thesis challenges the social norms in traditionally quiet spaces. By designing spaces with acoustics at the center of the process, spaces will be more comfortable and welcoming to children and families. This thesis aims to reimagine the design process and put acoustics at the center to integrate children and families into civic life.

Instagram: @sarahjanegraven, @br.ttw.ll

Extension to Lundgaard & Tranberg’s Architectural Office by Madeline Wettstein & Eleanor Lewis, M.Arch ’25
University of Washington | Advisors: Peter Cohan & Lene Tranberg

The project was assigned for the 2024 Scan Design Studio, co-taught by UW Professor Peter Cohan and famed Copenhagen-based architect Lene Tranberg of Lundgaard & Tranberg as Visiting Professor. The studio is generously funded by the Scan Design Foundation and provides student travel to Copenhagen before the studio commences, and allows the Visiting Professor to spend several weeks in Seattle working directly with students. 

The assigned project was the expansion of Lundgaard & Tranberg’s office through the adaptive reuse of an existing building and addition. This proposal more than doubles the available square footage of the office and aims to enhance the building’s connection both to its historic surroundings and to nature. Two new wings hug the existing courtyard at the heart of the site, providing a more private space for team gatherings, complete with a small pond along the exposed brick wall. All wings open onto this courtyard, creating a dialogue between old and new while allowing circulation to flow seamlessly through and around it. A new west wing houses the kitchen, meeting rooms, and bathrooms, while the south wing proposes a multifunction model shop. The two are separated by an exterior pedestrian connection on the ground level, but connected above by a barrel vaulted roof whose curved form embraces the working space of the atelier below.

This project received commends for the studio.

Thanks for tuning in to the 2025 Study Architecture Student Showcase!

2023 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XXXII

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In Part XXXII of the 2023 Study Architecture Student Showcase, each project highlights water in various capacities. Viewers can browse designs ranging from the reimagining of a floating Girl Scouts campsite to a holistic hydrotherapy spa. The featured student theses and designs also address threats to water by proposing systems for water collection and distribution and creating new infrastructure for wastewater plants.

Glacier Jane by  Lauren Beemer, Tess Brown, Sandra (Lindsey) Chaplik, Ryan Fitzsimmons, Kayla Flyte, Dean Hemminghaus, Alex Hernandez, Samantha Labrosky, Alexander Laudone, Patrick Moorhouse, Tyler Muir, Michelle Petrik, Tyler Quick & Jade Rolon, B.Arch ‘23
Marywood University | Advisors: Jodi La Coe & Maria MacDonald

Glacier Jane envisions a zero-energy revitalization of Mariners’ Camp at Girl Scouts’ Camp Archbald, where urban activist Jane Jacobs trained her powers of observation on the riparian ecology surrounding Ely Lake. In 1938, Mariners’ Camp was constructed for a teenage troop on the north shore of a 45-acre glacial lake and boasted the first floating cabin ever built for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Today, Mariners’ Camp includes three pontoon platforms, two of which have floating cabins, a separate troop house with attached latrines, a standalone outhouse, a water station, platform tents, and a campfire circle.

Floating on the pristine waters of Ely Lake as they slowly flow into nearby Meshoppen Creek before joining the north branch of the Susquehanna River en route to the Chesapeake Bay, Glacier Jane will serve as a living laboratory for water research. Its gardens – planted with native species on the roofs, hanging from the railings, floating in the water, and terracing the landscape – will integrate with the dense lily pads and vegetation ringing the sunny side of the lake and with the surrounding shade of the evergreen forest to filter chronic acid rainfalls and nitrate-ladened, stormwater run-off. In addition to improving the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay, Glacier Jane will also extend the Girl Scouts’ focus on combining observation, self-reliance, and harmonious living with hands-on, STEM educational activities.

This project won the Second Prize, Retrofit Housing Division of the 2023 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge.

Instagram: @glacier_jane, @jodilacoe, @tessrose13, @alaudone, @maria_iarch, @marywood_architecture

Aquatecture as Mitigator of Water Scarcity by Yolyanne A. García-Meléndez, B.Arch ‘23
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | Advisor: Pedro A. Rosario-Torres

Global warming is a problem that occurs over long periods of time. It affects us little by little, but we increasingly notice the change it produces in our daily lives. With global warming, a number of problems arise that affect human lives, one of these is drought. Due to the high temperatures on the planet, the availability of water reduces while its demand increases. According to scientists, “the predictions point to a considerable increase in droughts: for every degree that the temperature increases, we will see a 4 percent reduction in rainfall, so we will suffer reductions of between 5 and 20 percent.” This affects humans, animals and the agriculture of a place. If drought extends too long, what we know as famine can occur. Drought depends on the climate and it can be caused by two different variants that affect the weather, thus causing a lack of rain. The first one is natural, either by changes in atmospheric patterns or variations in solar activity. The second is caused anthropogenically, with the main reason being global warming due to bad human practices against the environment.

The project’s location in Copiapo, Chile, is a town located in the Atacama region and desert, and one of the driest places in South America. Chile is big on crop exportation and importation for its agriculture is very important. It is also known for its history of dry seasons and a big drought that lasted for about 10 years. The proposal seeks to collect and distribute water to the nearby crops. The idea was to create a water pump experience, using the water from underground canals that the visitors could see and learn from, while also enjoying the process of collecting water and distributing it to the crops. Spaces for restaurants, a museum and stations with important information aim to create awareness of water management and usage. The project also serves as an information center and tourist spot, with the goal of maximizing water for crops and food for the city.

Instagram: @y_anne_

Education Point by Francesco Manninno, B.Arch ‘23
New York Institute of Technology | Advisor: Evan Shieh

Duluth, MN, is a mid-size American city that historically relied upon declining mono-industries (like ore + timber) and mono-functional transportation modes to fuel its economic growth. Education Point is a Marine Research + Development Satellite Campus proposal that provides a blueprint to transition the city’s future towards education and tourism as more sustainable industries. Located on Duluth’s shoreline at the termination point of Interstate I-35, the project spans over and transforms an underutilized highway to reconnect the city to its shoreline while simultaneously providing a local educational hub for neighboring university institutions and the greater public.

Instagram: @studio.fs2, @ev07

Industrial Interface: A Transparent Relationship Between Wastewater Treatment and The Human by Leah Bohatch & Camille Kreisel, B.Arch ‘23
Tulane University School of Architecture | Advisors: Cordulla Roser Gray & Ammar Eloueini

Wastewater treatment is currently an isolated system despite its importance in serving civilians, creating a linear relationship that wastes a limited resource while harming the health of its source: the body. Such isolation has further harmed the environment due to civilians’ lack of knowledge and overuse. Additionally, such physical and social separation has made citizens more unlikely to adapt to wastewater reuse methods because of misconceptions about safety standards.  

Miami’s current wastewater plant, located on the flood-threatened Virginia Key, requires an assessment and renewal of systems that should be raised, work on a network, separate different water types for efficient cleansing, reuse treated water for facility use, and invite the public into the process. A micro WWTP in Miami is proposed to run a cycle of water treatment and reclamation that supports the heat-stricken city by reprogramming a cooling aquatic center to act as an example for future plants. This redefinition of infrastructure proposes a rejuvenated future in which civilians can experience the necessity and amenity of wastewater infrastructure. 

This new interface is represented in a ribboning red path of circulation that fluctuates between snaking around mechanical systems or inhabiting the mechanical space as a volume that enables the user to experience the treatment cycle. The user moves in a multisensory path of observation and inhabitation, allowing them to reflect on their own impact on the municipal water cycle, as well as experience a new relationship with treated water in which waste is no longer the end, but the beginning, of a treated community spring through a sauna, splash pool, and bathhouse. The stripped plaza allows for exterior cleansing of city runoff as a gradient strategy composed of vegetation, gravel, and enhancement ponds, merging the mechanical and landscape.

This project won the AIA Louisiana 2023 Celebrate Architecture Scholarship and the Tulane University School of Architecture Outstanding Thesis Award 2023

Instagram: @leahb_arch, @ckreisel_arch, @tulanearch

SULIS: Hydrotherapy Centre and Spa by Alanis Baez Colon, BFA Architecture ‘23
Savannah College of Art and Design | Advisor: Daniel Brown

Minerva Sulis: Celtic goddess of healing and sacred waters. 

In the bustling modern world, where stress and tension have become an everyday reality, the need for holistic healing has become increasingly vital. Water has been known for its remarkable mental and physical healing properties in many cultures. Sulis Hydrotherapy Centre and Spa seeks to create a haven of tranquility, where the power of water is harnessed to promote a deeper state of well-being. The building and site design marry to create a journey for its users, where water is highlighted as a transformative element in healing the human body, mind, and spirit. 

Nestled in the French Broad River Park, North Carolina, Sulis harmoniously integrates with its surroundings. Situated next to a flowing river, the building takes inspiration from the natural allure of water to create a sensory experience that fosters healing. From end to finish, the site design aims to create an immersive journey for users of all ages allowing them to engage and connect with water in diverse and captivating ways. Finally, at the end of the journey, visitors reach their final destination- Sulis Hydrotherapy Centre and Spa. 

Sulis encapsulates the belief that water holds remarkable healing properties by offering a range of pools and spas, each carefully designed to cater to the different needs of the users. A large central public pool at the ground level serves as the heart of the facility, aiming to promote a community-centric space where users of all ages can immerse themselves in the soothing waters and interact with each other. On this level, we can also find the Hydrotherapy pool area where specialized treatments are available for those seeking specific physical therapies. The programmatic elements on the upper levels housed within the cantilevered wings are dedicated to creating a more intimate connection between the users and the water. Here, we can find spaces such as private baths, where users can immerse themselves in mineral waters and heal their minds through meditative therapies. These diverse offerings allow visitors to tailor their experience and find solace in a personalized healing journey. 

The façade design was inspired by the fluidity and transparency of water, and its interaction with sunlight creates a captivating façade that constantly transforms throughout the day. Instead of completely concealing the robust steel exoskeleton at the core of the design, the façade celebrates it by still allowing the steel to visually shine through a composition of a lightweight and dynamic material that mimics the cascading and rippling nature of water. The steel exoskeleton acts as a framework upon which the facade elements are anchored, accentuating the fluidity and movement of the design. From night to day, the ever-changing pattern of light and shadow, embraces the dynamic qualities of water and light, offering a visually stunning experience for both occupants and passersby. It establishes a strong connection to lightness, while still expressing the strength and stability of the underlying structure, leaving an unforgettable impression on all who behold it. 

This project was awarded Best Senior Project.

Cultural Infrastructures: Cisterns as Urban Artifacts in Yazd by Najmeh Malekpour Bahabadi, M.S. in Architecture and Historic Preservation ‘23
Texas Tech University | Advisor: David Turturo

Yazd is a city in the arid central plateau of present-day Iran that arose around a water source in the protective Shirkuh mountain range. This water source established Yazd as an important stop on an ancient trade route, the secondary branch of the Silk Road. Water structures and facilities, including Ab-Anbars (cisterns for local water access), Yakhchaals (ice houses), Asiab (mills), Hammams (bathhouses), and Payaabs (underground ponds), played a significant role in shaping the city. These buildings are located on qanats, elaborate underground canals that guided the city’s development. Today, most of the qanats within the city are drained and have therefore lost their initial function. Some water structures are abandoned and others have been adapted to serve new purposes.

This research considers the contemporary water crisis of Yazd to bring attention to the forces that allowed these ancient water structures to shape the city both historically and presently, after losing their initial function. In particular, this project focuses on cisterns as an architectural typology. The implication is that cisterns comprise a generic architectural form that is bound to the public space and public buildings of the city. This project uses analytical drawings to identify the significance of a building type in forming the city. Such typologies are of particular value for discussing both a building’s singleness and shared features. In other words, this project is concerned not only with the forms of buildings in isolation but also with the external forces that shape those buildings and are shaped by them. As such, the cisterns act as a historical grammar for a city shaped by the architecture of water.

Instagram: @na.malekpour, @davidturturo

Still Waters Run Deep – Mobilizing Architecture through the Art of Quilting along the Lachine Canal, Montréal, Canada by Ashleigh Abraham, M.Arch ‘23
Laurentian University | Advisors: Shannon Bassett (Advisor), Claire Weisz (Second Reader) & Heather Braiden

This design research and proposal gives voice to the histories of Montréal’s Black community which, until now, have largely been untold, save through oral histories. The design proposal is for a community centre for the Black communities of Montréal’s Little Burgundy and Pointe St. Charles. This includes a Community Pool and Centre for Oral Archives, located on one of the derelict post-industrial sites along Montréal’s post-industrial Lachine Canal.

Excerpted from Ashleigh’s thesis:

Keywords: water heritage, public space, deindustrialization, eco-gentrification, oral histories, spatial justice, quilting, stewardship, Montreal

“The project maps the relationship with Montréal and water. Through the proposed re-greening and anticipated gentrification of the Lachine Canal, the critical histories of residents, neighborhoods and industrial workers have been neglected. Only through oral histories their narratives have lived on, acknowledging a fraught, yet rich and diverse history of Montréal’s industrial era. Through the intersection of interdisciplinary theory and place-based investigation, this thesis explores how architecture might utilize water as an agent to challenge existing power structures to offer cultural inclusivity and stewardship. The craft of quilting is used as a methodology for employing oral histories and establishing a framework for equitable access to the Lachine Canada. The framework established is applied to one of the canal’s discarded industrial sites, addressing spatial injustices and opportunities for community engagement within the realm of public space.

This thesis was inspired by a walk along the Lachine Canal with my grandfather, during which we discussed the canal’s history and the politics that shaped its current state. My grandparents were born in Montréal to parents from the Caribbean Island of Barbados and witnessed the city’s evolution firsthand. Oral histories were essential to their everyday lives. Offering insights into the history and experiences of a community that cannot be found in conventional records. These extraordinary tales included hardship and success, happiness and sorrow, frustration and perseverance. In her later years, my grandmother never lost her sense of belonging. She frequently referred to “home” as her childhood residence on Atwater Avenue, once in the St. Antoine neighborhood. Her residence has been demolished, and her neighborhood is unrecognizable. However, her memories were as strong and vivid as when she was a child. My grandmother’s home was expropriated and demolished, forcing her family to relocate to a place that would never feel like “home.” They persevered in maintaining strong ties to the people and locations they once frequented, despite being uprooted. They may have encountered obstacles, but they were not vanquished by their situation. In spite of adversity, they became community pillars. They forged ties with a community split apart by people and structures that did not recognize their value and place within the urban fabric of the city.”

This project won the McEwen School of Architecture (MSoA) Architecture and Society Award.

Instagram: @shannonbassett

See you in the next installment of the Student Showcase!