Students Awarded for Outstanding Concrete Masonry Designs
Washington, D.C., August 20, 2026 – The Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA), along with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), are pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Concrete Masonry Student Competition. The competition recognizes seven outstanding projects that utilize concrete masonry products as the primary material to reimagine a Welcome Center of tomorrow, with an emphasis on rethinking the future of travel.
Students were challenged to envision a next-generation Welcome Center that is universally accessible, resilient in the face of change, and forward-thinking in its design. The winning projects transform welcome centers into dynamic landmarks and multifunctional hubs, with each design emphasizing concrete masonry as a versatile, enduring, and expressive building material.
The jurors chose first, second, and third-place winners, along with four honorable mentions. Listed below are the names of the recipients, their project titles, and their faculty sponsor(s):
First Place: Linked Assembly
Students: Kesaia Williams, Lauren Chacon & Hartwell Brann
Faculty Sponsor: Andrea Alberto Dutto
University of Idaho
Second Place: River Futures Museum
Student: Poldo Drilon
Faculty Sponsor: Marcos Severino
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Third Place: Puerta De Pilsen
Students: Ben Kanwischer, Jake Pulciani & Beatriz Mata
Faculty Sponsors: Patricia Saldaña Natke & Soumya Dasgupta
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Honorable Mention: The Orbit Center
Student: Smriti Rijal
Faculty Sponsor: Katelyn Hudson
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Honorable Mention: Barcelona Welcome Center
Students: Patrick Rogers & Landon Cooper
Faculty Sponsor: Genevieve Baudoin
Kansas State University
Honorable Mention: Marfa Welcome Center: Gateway to the Desert and the Night Sky
Student: Luis Rodriguez
Faculty Sponsor: Nichole Wiedemann
University of Texas at Austin
Honorable Mention: Bumble Blocks
Students: Caytlin Yii & Angela Zou
Faculty Sponsor: Erika Zekos
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The competition jury included three distinguished members:
Damon Bolhassani, City College of New York
Jenny Tanner Eisenhauer, University of Wyoming
Cory Hupp, Lee Building Products