2026 Architecture Student Portfolio Awards

Since September 2021, the Architecture Department has led a portfolio review process for our 3rd and 4th year M.Arch Students. Our goal for this initiative is to 1) build a culture of support for our students as they develop their folios, 2) increase faculty conversations around what we are collectively teaching, and 3) connect our students with alumni and practicing architects through the folio review process. Through this collective effort, we have identified over 70 folio-finalists and of those, our external reviewers recognized 26 folios as exemplary.

See Past Architecture Portfolio Awards

Reviewers

Many thanks to the faculty, final-year students and alumni that have rallied around our young students with their generous gift of time and experience! 

Gustavo Amaral, Alejandro Aptilon, Brenna Buchanan, Paige Butterfield, Francesco Carota, Jae Chang, Shannon Criss, Allison Dewey, Dan Finnell, Richard Findley, Haley Ford, Nils Gore, Matthew Hahn, Steve Harrington, Peter Hind, ​Kurt Hong, Shyann Jonscher, Leslie Koffi, Chad Kraus, Spencer Landis, Glen Leroy, Marie-Alice L’Heureux, Claire Lind, Ruiling Lu, Sara Miranda Luzio, Herminia Machry, Adin Mehanovic, Sunny Milosevic, Andrew Moddrell, Sarah Montes, Peter Olshavsky, Dilshan Ossen, Xiaobo Quan, Steve Padget, Anne Patterson, Jason Reece, Mahbub Rashid, ​ Kevin Rauch, Cole Salisbury, Kapila Silva, Kent Spreckelmeyer, Alayna Thomas, Jeffrey Tistoj-Lara, John Trefry, ​Amy Van de Riết, Keith Van de Riết, Nilou Vakil, Melia Whitney​

The Beck Group: Sam Eichhorn; BNIM: Hannah Gray, Joyce Raybuck, Stone Taylor; ​Bopp Architecture: Dustin Bopp; BRR Architecture: Andrea Castenada, Leah Edson, Jon Gripka, Sarina Shanks, Zach Sumada; CannonDesign: Amy Phillips, Arjun Bhat; Clark Huesemann: Geoffrey Dugopolski; Heejun Kim; ​Columbia College Chicago: David Broz; Davis Partnership Architects: Dominic Senska;​Gensler: Dakoda Ash, Olivia Erickson, Gretchen Kelly, Chris DeVolder; GFF Architects: Mariah Trevizo, Jake Chavez, Brian Kuper, Jonathan Moebius, Jacob Thibodeaux, Jim West; Gresham Smith: Brad Thaw; HDR: Timothy Williams; ​HNTB: Jackson Bontty, Robbie Powell; JHP Architecture / Urban Design: Jonathan Brown; ​Kiku Obata & Company: Kevin Flynn; Krehbiel Architecture: Jamie Lindamood; Lever: Henry Lennon; ​Mackey Mitchell Architects: Elizabeth Zareh; Mark Cavagnero Associates: Christopher Lee; ​M+H Architects: Haley Dougherty-LeBlanc; Modus Architecture: Joseph Dierkes, Mary Wiberg, Justin Zumel; ​Multistudio: Jay Holley, Marianne Remboldt, CJ Armstrong NBBJ: Daniel Ayars; ​Object Territories: Marcus Carter, Christopher Lee; O’Connell Robertson: Doug Dawson, Chris Crawford; Olson Kundig: Brandon Crain; ​OZ Architecture: Jeff Bartosik, Matt Chiodini, Johann Duran-Hunt, Chris Vandall; Populous: Hugo Cabrera, Alex Lamoureux, Kylie Miller, Ben Naudet, Timothy Struemph, Morgan Siemers; Schaefer Architecture: Sean Brungardt​; Slaggie Architects: Phil Dougherty, Scott Slaggie; Slattery Design: Liz Fraka, Amy Slattery; ​SOM-NY: Hanna Hissa, Ashlyn Reece; SPT Architecture: Jadyn Kerr; TK Architects International: David Clanton, Michael Cummings, Chris Garcia; Travois Design: Chelsea Powell; University of Virginia: Lincoln Lewis;​ Warner-Nease-Bost Architects: Gary Warner; Wellner Architects, Inc.: Emily Marsh, Julie Wellner​

Honorable Mentions

Avery Krick, Nick Moran, Adrian Mruckrovski, Melissa Ortega, Sofia Pigneri, Jack SanFiliippo, Luke Scalise, and Mimi Waddell.

Sophia Beckmann, Elle Carlson, Kate Fesler, MJ Gruman, Sam Hentges, Austin Hill, Avery Johnson, Max Newman, ​Oscar Pederson, Adam Sayers, Gabriella Schimnich, Betsy Spell and Isabelle Steinert​.

Third-Year Winners

Contemporary architectural rendering of a multi-story building with a concrete frame, large glass façade, and colorful horizontal louvers; people gather at outdoor seating areas beneath an exterior stair at sunset.

Dario Arizpe Gomez

“Very controlled and cohesive layout. I appreciate the warmth of the style. Perfect use of white space. Fun renderings—I love the different styles. It really shows how he’s developed.”
Portfolio
Section drawing of a multi-level building showing interior rooms, staircases, and a central atrium; small figures illustrate circulation and activities across floors.

Tessa Collar​

“A lot of portfolios I have seen recently have a heavy does of AI-generated renders. This portfolio appears to have none of that, which I find incredibly refreshing. This whole package is very authentic.”​
​
Portfolio
Winter rendering of a modern building with large illuminated windows and textured exterior panels, surrounded by snow-covered trees; people play outside, including children building a snowman during snowfall.

Ella Dreiling​

“Renderings are strong, especially the cover image for the space project. I really liked her wall section details to show that she is acknowledgeable about the technical aspects of constructing the building.”​
Portfolio
Section perspective of an urban building integrated with a park, showing multiple program levels with interior spaces, a ramped circulation path, and an underground roadway beneath the site; surrounding city buildings are rendered in soft pastel tones.

Mia Hoorman​

“All of your work feels like it comes from one hand, which is great! Your portfolio feels like “you,” ​
and I can tell you’ve put a lot of effort into creating that feeling. Great work!”​
portfolio

Third-Year Winners

Architectural section and elevation drawings of a low-rise arts center, showing stepped interior levels, a central stair, and a façade of vertical fins across two symmetrical building volumes.

Isabelle Labram​

“The storytelling in this project is strong. Very attractive layout. Clear and informative.”​
Portfolio
Site and layout presentation for a waterfront bathhouse, including diagrams, floor plan, and section; features a long outdoor pool, café building, and a row of small sauna structures along the water’s edge with surrounding trees.

Mia Maddock​

“The diagrammatic break down of the building shows deep level of study into the plays of light ​and how the environment shapes our spaces”​
​
Portfolio
Sectional analysis drawing of a library with a sawtooth roof profile, showing interior reading areas, stacks, and circulation; diagrams indicate daylighting and rainwater collection, with surrounding neighborhood buildings faintly visible.

Jackson Meers​

“I was impressed with the storytelling ability, both verbally and visually.​ Each project told the story well…I understood your decision making.”​
​
Portfolio
Presentation board for “Vaakasuora Landing,” a mixed-use project in Duluth, Minnesota, featuring a winter rendering of a terraced waterfront building with warm-lit windows, snow-covered landscape, and people walking along stepped outdoor seating.

Gehrig Myrick​

“The quality of the design work is very good.​ The student has a strong eye and a solid grasp of what works graphically.”​
​
Portfolio

Third-Year Winners

Stylized sectional rendering labeled “East Facing Section” of a public library with undulating roof forms and copper cladding; interior spaces and circulation are visible, set against a textured teal background with site context in silhouette.

Hai Nguyễn​

“I am so intrigued by the concept of the Ripple Library…the sketches and diagrams convey a clear story/narrative.”​
​
Portfolio
Architectural detail spread showing an east–west section of a multi-story housing building with interior spaces, balconies, and structural layers; adjacent red panels present enlarged wall and roof assembly details with labeled materials such as CLT, insulation, brick, and steel.

Troy Sheehy​

“Ideas are very refined and delivery is straight forward. Parti diagrams are strong and narrate design decisions.​ Very few spreads feel unnecessary to the stories being told.”​
​​
Portfolio
Green-toned presentation board illustrating sustainable retrofit strategies for a large institutional building, including diagrams, sections, and perspective views that show improved circulation, added landscaping, material changes, and increased green space.

Greta Treff​

“Good mix of project scale and type, quality renderings, consistent and legible layout.​ The inclusion of the detailing exercise at the end does a wonderful job of showing something in a unique way.”​​
Portfolio

Fourth-Year Winners

Evening rendering of a multi-story mixed-use building at a street corner, featuring curved, vertical white fins wrapping the façade; ground-level retail and upper-level balconies are visible, with people on sidewalks and cars on a multi-lane road.

Kimia Aflatoonian​

“Each project effectively communicates its intent and evolution. Supporting images, diagrams, and ​annotations complement the work, clearly showing the student’s design thinking and decision-making process.”​
​
Portfolio
Perspective rendering of “The Nexus,” a mixed-use building with a brick façade and repetitive arched window openings, accented by balconies and greenery; located at a street corner with pedestrians, cyclists, and autumn trees.

Maria Jose Avila​

“The work throughout feels consistently “you” in the way it is presented. Each project is very well developed with clean, rich graphics.”​
portfolio
Presentation board combining a rendering of two tall, narrow lattice-structured towers with diagrams illustrating site ecology, circulation, and zoning parameters using simplified axonometric graphics and labeled data.

Nolyn Cunningham​

“The portfolio did a great job of illustrating the design process from schematic design to construction detailing. Fabulous diagrams and infographics. Each image supports the story and development of the projects.”​
​
portfolio
Aerial rendering of a mid-rise building wrapped in a light steel framework and orange cladding panels, set within an urban block; a landscaped public plaza with trees, seating, and a sculptural canopy occupies the foreground, surrounded by streets and adjacent buildings.

Micah Frank​

“Beautiful portfolio. It is clear that the portfolio itself was treated as a design project.​ Shows strong analysis of program, site, and objectives and development of the design.”​
​
portfolio

Fourth-Year Winners

Presentation board for “Xindan Wellness Community,” showing a stepped residential complex with stacked terraces and planted outdoor spaces; trees and pedestrians activate the street, with project text describing wellness-focused communal living.

Megan Gluck

"Excellent quality of projects. This project does a great job giving us site context and design back story. "
Portfolio
Interior rendering series of a large public space with curving, organic walls in yellow and green tones; multiple levels overlook a central floor, with people gathering in areas labeled lobby entrance, balcony, and café, illuminated by skylights and linear lighting.

Drew Graff

"You've got a super unique style and it is really impressive. Achieving this artistic style you have is not easy, and doesn't always turn out in a way that is easy to understand architecturally, but you've made each project feel like an art piece and I can easily understand it from an architectural standpoint."
portfolio
Longitudinal section drawing of a residential building split into two wings around a central atrium, showing multiple floors with individual units, shared corridors, and varied occupant activity; a tree grows through the courtyard while basements and structural foundations are visible below.

Mauricio Gris Perez

"Your use of color, pattern and imagery is super, super strong. That is an INCREDIBLY useful skillset that you should lean into. Really, really like the color story you are weaving throughout your projects."
portfolio
Illustrated site plan and perspective for “Discovery District Bentonville,” depicting a dense cluster of colorful mid-rise buildings arranged around a central public plaza with pathways, seating, landscaping, and gathering spaces.

Meredith Horst

"You come across the pages led and clear. Your ability to sketch, then move it towards minimal diagrams toward your finished piece is outstanding. You have a very unique style, keep learning into it."
portfolio

Fourth-Year Winners

Section rendering of a mixed-use residential building showing stacked apartments, artist studios, and a central atrium connecting to underground parking; contrasting façade treatments include a dark cladding volume and a green vertical wall, with interior spaces visible in cross-section.

Seth Pomerantz

"I really appreciate your ability to simplify the drawings with minimal information yet still be able to tell the story in great detail."
Portfolio
Process board showing a ceramic totem composed of stacked, wave-textured modules glazed in varying shades of blue; individual pieces are displayed alongside the assembled vertical sculpture labeled “final product” against a black background.

Jackson Reusser

"I always tell students that a reviewer should be able to flip through your portfolio without reading any text and understand the project. I would say that you are meeting that goal!"
portfolio
Presentation spread for “Museum of the Bionic Human” featuring a linear building elevation with horizontal louvers and a central diagonal circulation element; accompanying text describes the project and a map highlights the site location in Dallas, Texas.

Cole Schliesman

"Very refreshing to see Cole's portfolio. Fantastic range of project types, scales and graphic styles. I really enjoyed his artistry but also technical realism like spandrels and structure."
portfolio
Evening rendering of a contemporary residential complex with mid-rise buildings clad in concrete and wood, surrounding a landscaped courtyard with seating, plants, and pedestrians along a curved street.

Miles Schulte

"The student is talented and possesses a strong command of digital tools. The supporting drawings, diagrams and renderings, and physical models are all executed at a high level."
portfolio

Fourth-Year Winners

Renderings of a multi-level residential complex clad in warm-toned metal panels, organized around a lush courtyard with tropical planting and a small pool; people gather along terraces and open corridors connected by shaded walkways.

Kaci Shaw

"The Linked Shenzean graphics and design are really promising. The axons, sections, plans, and renderings all have an aesthetic that's very cohesive."
Portfolio
Diagrammatic study of building massing variations, showing multiple small 3D forms in red, blue, and green labeled as “U,” “Equal Sign,” and “O” configurations, alongside three larger axonometric site proposals demonstrating different courtyard and volume arrangements.

Grace Strecker

"The projects have very strong diagrams that allow the reader to quickly understand the narrative of each project."
portfolio
Nighttime rendering of a museum building sheltered beneath a large, elevated canopy supported by slender columns, with curved perforated orange volumes glowing from within; surrounding city streets include cars, pedestrians, and landscaped edges.

Aiden Sullivan

"WOW! The quality of your graphics amazes me. Imagery is superb. Thoughtful selection and arrangement of material.
Great renderings, diagrams and designs. Well done."
portfolio
Concept board titled “Design Thesis: Water Memory Hypothesis,” featuring a visual timeline of marine life from the Precambrian to the Cenozoic eras, illustrated with coral, jellyfish, prehistoric sea creatures, and modern marine animals; small precedent images and text describe influences and themes of ocean biodiversity and memory.

Chris Truong

"Overall a wonderful portfolio. Renderings and diagrams are stunning. Each project has a clear "personality" and shows care and interest beyond just completing the studio syllabus."
portfolio