News

Designer, educator, researcher, and alum David Brown (MArch 1990) led this year’s competition, with the theme Lot, Garden, and Void. Student teams of five to six students had 58 hours to create their designs before presenting to a panel of jurors. Brown, professor of architecture and director of the College of Architecture at the University of Illinois – Chicago, is best known for The Available City, his ongoing initiative to document, explore, and reimagine vacant lots in Chicago as landscapes of collective action.

CED announces Just Climate Futures grants to support projects that investigate carbon-neutral timber construction, new methods of wildfire risk mitigation, converting commercial buildings into affordable housing, and the environmental impacts of AI.

Professor Emeritus W. Mike Martin, FAIA, is the 2025 recipient of the Sandra Vivanco Education Award from the San Francisco chapter of the AIA. The award is named in honor of Sandra Vivanco (BA Arch 1985) and recognizes an organization or individual advancing architectural education through teaching, design, scholarship, research, or service excellence.

Three alums will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at CED’s 2025 Commencement ceremony on May 20 at the Greek Theatre. This year’s awardees are John Cary (MArch 2003), Lee Ehmke (MLA 1988), Sujata Srivastava (MCP 2000). The award honors alums who have exhibited outstanding public service, in its broadest sense, throughout their career.

Architectural historian Stephen Tobriner, who served on the Department of Architecture faculty from 1971 to 2006, was awarded the Society of Architectural Historians’ highest honor at its 2025 annual meeting. SAH selected Professor Tobriner as its 2025 Fellow for his significant record of scholarly achievement, mentorship, and public engagement.