The 2026 Virginia Prize Awarded

Posted on by Delaney Ogden

The Results of the 2026 AIA Virginia Prize

Over the weekend of the 30 January – 2 February, students at Hampton University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech (both in Blacksburg and at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center/the WAAC), William & Mary, and James Madison University participated in the 2026 AIA Virginia Prize competition. Faculty at James Madison University developed a brief for a site in Bridgewater, Virginia that challenged students to imagine a “third space” to bring people together in new ways, support creative activity, and strengthen the rhythms of everyday life.

The submissions were reviewed by an impressive jury that included Jury Chair James (Jim) Cutler, FAIA, Bruce Anderson, AIA, Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, and Ed Weinstein, FAIA.

The jury was charged with selecting projects for special recognition and awarding $5,500 in cash prizes. The jury awarded a tie for First Place to Isabel Alarcon (VT) and Noah Depeyrot (UVA) – who each received $2,250. Third Place, and $1,000, was awarded to Nick Wald (VT).

First Prize: Noah Depeyrot (UVA) “Bridgewater Stoop” – $2,250

Of Noah Depeyrot’s Bridgewater Stoop the jury remarked that “the design is simple and direct in one large gesture.  It takes a mundane service garage and visually converts it into a recognizable public space”.  The jury felt the proposal would be eminently achievable in the real world.  They commented that the combination of the scale and the big roof makes the project more accessible to the community.  And they commended the entry as an example of “the importance of learning to edit the design down, rather than adding more to the project”.

First Prize: Isabel Alarcon (VT) “Re-fuel” – $2,250

In response to Isabel Alarcon’s Re-Fuel the jury felt that the designer had a fundamental understanding of what it takes to make a civic building “alive” – programming this project as a multipurpose building, that would naturally have some constant activity.  They commended the physical design of the building, which they considered deft in both plan and section. Stating that “this was a project of substance”, they also appreciated how the project responded to the scale to the street.

They noted that the first place submissions were “similar in some important ways” while offering “a strong yet dramatically different approach”.

Third Place: Nick Wald (VT) “Hearth” – $1,000

The jury admired how the boldness of Nick Wald’s Hearth “put a stake in the ground to mark the civic heart of Bridgewater”. They appreciated how the arcade surrounding the ‘obelisk/chimney’ could serve multiple functions and events – it was “decidedly urban” while recalling an industrial port or cenotaph. 

We congratulate the winners and appreciate the engagement of the many students, faculty, and institutions that participated in this year’s edition. We thank the Architectural Design faculty at JMU’s School of Art, Design and Art History for developing the provocative brief. And we thank the jury for their thoughtful deliberations.

If you’d like help us support this effort, which launched in 1980, you are most welcome to make a contribution to the Virginia Prize designated fund on the AIAVA Foundation page of our website.

2026 AIA Virginia Prize Jury Announced

Posted on by Delaney Ogden

Over the weekend of the 30 January – 2 February students at Hampton University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech (both in Blacksburg and at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center/the WAAC), William & Mary, and James Madison University participated in the 2026 AIA Virginia Prize competition. Faculty at James Madison University developed a brief for a site in Bridgewater, Virginia and challenged students to imagine a “third space”; a central space that brings people together in new ways, supports creative activity, and strengthens the rhythms of everyday life.

The students have completed their work and the submissions have been delivered for consideration by an impressive jury. Jury Chair James (Jim) Cutler, FAIA, is joined by Bruce Anderson, AIA, Ed Weinstein, FAIA, and Marlon Blackwell, FAIA.

About the Jury

James Cutler, FAIA

James Cutler, FAIA is one of the last students of the Louis Kahn Studio at University of Pennsylvania who is actively practicing architecture. Many of his design philosophies he learned in studio are reflected throughout his work. His designs are based upon a deep understanding of the land, materials, program and institution. He surveys each piece of land at the onset of every project which allows him to reflect its essence and spirit in the design work. Some of Jim’s most recognized projects have been a single family home built across an old logging pond in Newberg, Oregon, a residential compound for Bill Gates in Medina, Washington as well as the Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Building remodel in Portland, Oregon which was awarded the “Best Tall Building in an Urban Context in the Western Hemisphere” by the Council of Tall Buildings. As the founder of Cutler Anderson Architects, this small 10-person firm is currently designing residential and mixed-use projects in Maine, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California, Washington, Oregon and Singapore.

Marlon Blackwell, FAIA

Marlon Blackwell, FAIA together with his partner in life and work, Ati Blackwell, AIA, ASID lead the internationally recognized practice Marlon Blackwell Architects. Their work has received recognition with significant publication and more than 200 design awards including the 2016 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture and the 2025 Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize. Working between the universal language of architecture and the particulars of place, they have cultivated a studio recognized for its formal clarity, contextual depth, and architectural integrity. In 2020, Marlon was honored with the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects for his enduring impact on the theory and practice of architecture. He’s a lifetime member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and an inductee of the American Academy of Arts and Science. Equally respected as an educator, he served as the E. Fay Jones Distinguished Professor at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas where he taught for over 30 years. Most recently, he was the Louis I. Kahn Visiting Professor at Yale University for the Fall of 2025. A monograph of their recent work, titled “Radical Practice”, was published in 2022 by Princeton Architectural Press. 

Ed Weinstein, FAIA

Ed Weinstein, FAIA is an award-winning architect who has practiced in Seattle for over 50 years. A Principal and founder of Weinstein A+U, Ed has assisted a broad array of clients in solving complex problems, leading to unique design solutions that meet the specific needs of each project. Ed is recognized as one of our region’s leading designers. His firm has received more than 80 Seattle Chapter, Northwest and Pacific Region, and National AIA Design Awards. He has been invited to serve on numerous design juries throughout the country including the 2000 National AIA Honor Awards Jury. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (1993) and was awarded the 2011 AIA Seattle Medal of Honor for lifetime design achievements.

Bruce Anderson, AIA

Bruce Anderson, AIA has been a Principal at Cutler Anderson Architects on Bainbridge Island, Washington since 2001. Along with partner, James Cutler, their unobtrusive style preserves the land while incorporating form, function and esthetics into a building’s design and placement. He holds a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington and is a registered architect in the states of Washington, Utah, Vermont and Kentucky. Bruce is known for his design skills, but also has extensive experience in project management and regulatory issues. From 1996 – 1998, Bruce served as Chair of the Bainbridge Island Planning Commission. Additionally, while serving as President of the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, he was instrumental in decisions pertaining to acquisitions of vacant land for not only the Land Trust, but also for the Bainbridge Island Park District. Throughout his tenure Bruce has taught architecture courses for the University of Washington and served as a design critic and juror for several design competitions throughout the country.

The 2025 Virginia Prize Awarded

Posted on by cguske

Public toilets in the vicinity of the King Street Metro Station

“Inequality in access to public toilets has taken on an increasingly urban/suburban divide. In suburbia, bathrooms in privately owned businesses such as gas stations, fast-food restaurants, or big-box stores stand in for public toilets. In contrast, fewer establishments in the city allow access to toilet facilities, particularly for non-customers.” So states the brief for this year’s Virginia Prize, written by faculty from Virginia Tech’s Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (the WAAC), which afforded students the opportunity to design a public toilet for the local municipality of Alexandria, Virginia in the vicinity of the King Street Metro Station.

The brief was distributed to students at Hampton University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech (both in Blacksburg and at the WAAC), William & Mary, and James Madison University at 5 PM on Friday 31 January. Submissions were due at 9 AM Monday 3 February. Over those scant sixty-four hours, students developed their entries.

Each school selected no more than ten of their best entries for further consideration by a jury consisting of Julie Nelson, AIA, David Kubik, AIA, Harpreet Dhaliwal, AIA and Todd Poisson, AIA from the New York City-based firm BKSK Architects.

BKSK Architects is an accomplished firm designing across a broad range of markets with expertise in sustainability, preservation, community impact, and planning. Their projects include Battery Playscape, an intentionally flexible framework that supports open-ended play informed by the local ecology, which was nominated for the Best Public Playground in the United States. Principal Julie Nelson, who received Honorable Mention in a past edition of the Virginia Prize while studying at UVA, offered that the firm “has a surprisingly large portfolio of public restroom facilities including several in New York City Parks and a large restroom project at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter,” and suggested that it was “great to see this program as the focus of a design competition and the care the students put into the design solutions.”   

The jury “appreciated submissions that were easy to understand graphically, particularly those that had a legible site plan and floor plan.  This allowed us to understand how the proposed projects engaged with the context, the Metro station and the plaza.” They were “drawn to designs where the form grew out of site conditions and program, rather than being a predetermined form that ‘landed’ on the site.” And they “appreciated those submissions that considered the project holistically, thinking about not only form-making but also the user experience and environmental impact.”

As a result of their deliberations, the jury commended “the variety of responses and the thoughtfulness that the students brought to the brief, despite the short weekend timeframe” and awarded the following prizes.

  

First Prize: Taylor Wypyski (VT) “Washington D.P(ee)” – $3,000

The jury appreciated that this project was ambitious in its design while intelligently addressing functionality.  The connection to the existing Metro at two levels and the use of stormwater runoff from the large station roof to serve the bathrooms was particularly notable.  The inventive form marked a gateway to the station while serving the variety of functions required by the program.   The color of the finish material was found to be sympathetic to the surrounding context and a nod to the color of Virginia clay.

  

Second Prize: Ethan Turner (UVA) “King Street Comfort Station” – $1,500 

This project was considered to be thoughtful in its urbanistic approach and in its execution.  The jury appreciated not only the presentation, but also the siting, which used the bathroom structure to create a transition between Old Town and the Metro Plaza.  Its circulation was considered to be particularly successful – circulation both directly through the structure and along the paths that accessed the restrooms, lavatories, and bike parking.  The use of recycled materials was found to be sympathetic to the context while reducing environmental impact.

  

Third Prize: Eleanor Dedrick (UVA) “Go with the Flow” - $1,000 

The jury discerned that the design solution grew out of an understanding of the commuters’ existing circulation patterns.  They appreciated how the colorful palette and playful forms enlivened and successfully engaged with the existing concrete structure.  They also enjoyed the addition of the swirling light fixtures and confetti, noting that these simple design elements add to the sense of play.  And they noted that the written description of this submission was clear and effective in conveying the design intent.

  

Honorable Mention: 

Kristina Dickey (UVA) “Tree Toilet”

This project was described by the jury as “the restroom we would most like to use.”

Addison Mainer (Hampton) “The Hive” 

The jury noted that “anyone who has been in the DC Metro knows the signature floor tiles used throughout the system.  We loved that these served as the point of departure for this proposal.”

Rifat Mostofa (VT – WAAC) “Social Lounge”

“We loved the energy of this scheme and the way the interventions permeated the site, inside and out.  The bathroom facility layout was well done.”

Marie Zenzie (VT) (no title)

“The project was notable for its quality of presentation and clarity of idea.” The pencil drawings of the curvilinear glass block scheme were “simple yet evocative.”

Congratulations to those who were recognized. Gratitude to the jury. And appreciation to all who entered. 

2025 AIA Virginia Prize Weekend Complete

Posted on by Delaney Ogden

Over the January 31-February 3 weekend, the 2025 AIA Virginia Prize competition kicked off with students around Virginia. We were thrilled to have William & Mary join competitors from Hampton University, UVA, Virginia Tech (Blacksburg and the WAAC), and JMU in addressing the challenge.

The first round of submissions is juried at the university level and up to 10 finalists from each school will be sent to be juried at the state level by the competition jury. We look forward to sharing and celebrating the results.

2025 AIA Virginia Prize Challenge

Background

Inequality in access to public toilets has taken on an increasingly urban/suburban divide. In suburbia, bathrooms in privately owned businesses such as gas stations, fast-food restaurants, or big-box stores stand in for public toilets. In contrast, fewer establishments in the city allow access to toilet facilities, particularly for non-customers. Disparate constituencies such as cab or delivery drivers, unhoused individuals, or those with medical conditions often find themselves in urgent need of toilet facilities while away from home. Many have pointed out the way in which public toilet access historically has facilitated participation in public life for women, workers, tourists, and many others. More recently, bathroom access has become a lightning rod for controversies over the inclusion of trans and nonbinary people in the public sphere. Today, cities like Tokyo are reinvesting in the public toilet, or the “comfort station,” as a form of branding and placemaking, often including additional amenities such as bike racks, benches, shade. Most importantly, they offer those in need a safe, clean, comfortable, and often beautiful facility designed with provocative forms, materials, or graphics.

The Challenge

Design a public toilet for the local municipality of Alexandria, Virginia in the vicinity of the King Street Metro Station. The facility should serve to support and further the city’s identity and image, creating an environment that elevates the program into an architecturally significant design. It must accommodate three to five visitors at a time and include a custodial service room. The design should consider the needs of the following: the differently abled, infants, young children, and their caregivers, the full spectrum fo gender identity, environmentally sustainable features and/or technologies, and potential suitability for prototyping.

About the AIA Virginia Prize

Conducted simultaneously at Hampton University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech (both in Blacksburg and at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center/the WAAC), William & Mary, and James Madison University, the competition is a design charrette that engages students across the Commonwealth. Students receive the competition program on a Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a design solution and submit it by 9 a.m. the following Monday.

Launched in 1980, the competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students, and professors in Virginia.

Development of the competition brief rotates between the schools annually — the 2025 Prize challenge was developed by the WAAC.

2024 AIA Virginia Prize Winners Announced

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During the first weekend of February, students across the Commonwealth participated in the 2024 Virginia Prize. For the first time JMU’s Architectural Design program joined competitors from perennial participants Hampton University, the University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech (Blacksburg and the WAAC) in addressing a challenge authored by Professor Stanford Britt, FAIA, Professor Carmina Sanchez-de-Valle, RA, and Associate Professor Marci Turner of Hampton University. The brief invited students to design a “bookless” public library as a community public room on a corner site at the intersection of N. Mallory Street and E. County Street in Phoebus, Virginia.

The submissions were juried by Trey Trahan, FAIA, NOMA, Robbie Eleazer, AIA, and David Sweere, AIA of Trahan Architects: a global architecture firm with offices in New Orleans and New York founded on the belief that the mindful design of everyday spaces can elevate the human experience. The practice is dedicated to creating spaces resonant with authenticity, cultural significance, and ecological resilience. The result is a harmonious portfolio that blends the arts, conservation, historic preservation, and social responsibility.

The juried noted that “The work was impressive for a single weekend charrette. There’s an attentiveness to the library’s functional role in the digital and post-digital age. The work as a whole offered an enormous range of solutions in form, materiality, and articulation.”

First Place was awarded to Graham Gewirz (University of Virginia).

“The scheme demonstrates a clarity in the development of the original diagram to the finalized solution. There is a consistency in the attitude and articulation of the natural thickness of masonry throughout the scheme, operating at multiple scales. Intelligent carving of the masonry creates places for gathering and engagement with the building from the exterior and intimate spaces for contemplation and studying in the interior.”

Second Place was conferred upon Philip Edmonston (University of Virginia).

“The scheme is strongly engaging of the site’s context, operating at a transition of scale in the urban fabric, by breaking down the scale of the overall structure into a series of volumes, aggregated into a composition that pulls a visitor into the site. The library expansion is complementary of the existing library in orientation, access, and form.”

Third Place was given to Kanako Kohara (Virginia Tech: WAAC).

“The scheme combines a muted natural material palette and access to nature with a beautiful simply articulated elevation. The use of exposed timber construction offers an example of forward-sustainable thinking.”

Mohammed Elabbasi (Virginia Tech: Blacksburg) merited an Honorable Mention.

“The scheme is inventive and playful in its articulation of a series of treehouse-like structures connected by a catwalk. It offers a youthful expression of lifted volumes to protect from flooding while creating a forest floor-like condition at the ground level.”

Many thanks to the jury for their diligent deliberations.

And Congratulations – not only to those who were recognized – but to all who submitted and, through their work, helped us to encounter new approaches and envision innovative possibilities.

View a gallery of the submissions below.

2024 AIA Virginia Prize Jury Announced

Posted on by Delaney Ogden

AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the jury for the 2024 AIA Virginia Prize. The competition — which took place over the weekend of Feb. 2-5 —challenged students to design a public library in Phoebus, VA as a community public room to be a place both welcoming and safe for individuals, as well as for groups that choose to gather and interact.

The AIA Virginia Prize is a design charrette that engages students at all of the accredited architecture programs in Virginia.  Conducted simultaneously at each institution, students are given the competition program Friday at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a board presenting their design solution by 9 a.m. the following Monday.  The competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students, and professors in Virginia.

Each school’s faculty reviewed the submissions and sent up to 10 finalists for final consideration by the jury which will be chaired by Trey Trahan, FAIA, NOMA.

About the Jury

Trey Trahan, FAIA, NOMA approach to architecture begins with his conviction that a building can create something that extends beyond its walls—and when we build, we shape our landscapes, communities, and cultures. His practice is dedicated to creating spaces resonant with authenticity, cultural significance, and ecological resilience, resulting in a harmonious portfolio that blends the arts, conservation, historic preservation, and social responsibility. Trahan’s work, oriented towards serving the public, strives to create venues that foster powerful communal experiences and connections, reaching beyond the
traditional bounds of architecture—to shape our landscapes, communities, and cultures. Trahan is commended for his innovative use of sustainable materials, stemming from his strong personal belief in environmental conservancy. The firm has signed the AIA 2030 Commitment. He has navigated a four-decade career exploring global artistic and construction traditions, drawing influences from Eastern, Western, and Indigenous cultures. Trahan’s particular interest in Japanese culture is reflected in his extensive collection of ceramics, lacquerware, and bronzes by notable Japanese artists, with objects dating back to the 1500s. This deep interest in how materiality shapes cultures has profoundly influenced the firm’s approach to the built environment. Trahan received the Architecture Review Emerging Architecture Award in London in 2005 and was elected to the AIA College of Fellows in 2006. The firm has received recognition for combining research in emerging materials and construction with a connection to history, place, and culture, creating innovative work that feels simultaneously rooted and contemporary. In 2021, he was honored as the Laureate of the American Prize for Architecture by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

Robbie Eleazer, AIA is passionate about finding new expressions of built form and working with clients to communicate those expressions to their stakeholders. The experience he brings to the New York design team includes a range of projects that exhibit inclusive design including the Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA, to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington D.C. He has contributed to work that has gained national recognition for innovation and leveraged technology in the design of beautiful facilities that contribute to wellness.
As a leader in the computational design community, Robbie engages with
technology to expand his understanding of what architecture can be and
how it impacts people’s lives, particularly regarding materiality and safety
practices to encourage public health. Robbie has contributed his expertise to a diverse portfolio of work that purposefully integrates buildings into their landscapes—believing that architecture should defer to natural settings wherever practical. Robbie’s experience includes leading the conceptual and technical design for high performance façades in a variety of climactic zones; working on complex, multi-phased projects that involved site planning, strategic renovation, and new construction; specializing in work where landscape-driven solutions provide a framework for buildings; and significant experience in cultural
spaces.

David Sweere, AIA a native Arkansan and graduate from the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design at the University of Arkansas, joined Trahan Architects’ New York studio in January 2022. He believes place memory and cultural context are critical sources of inspiration in a world of increasing globalization and optimization. Prior to joining Trahan Architects, David was a designer at MARVEL in New York and Marlon Blackwell Architects in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he gained experience on a wide range of cultural, master planning, educational, retail, and government projects. He also served 9 years in the United States Air Force as an Electrical Journeyman, including multiple tours abroad in base maintenance and new construction units. In 2019, he received The Aydelott Travel Award, a $20K travel grant focused on self-directed architectural analysis, through which he traveled to 13 countries across Europe and Asia. In presenting this work, David has lectured at the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes, and Settlements and the University of Arkansas.

AIA Virginia Prize Weekend Complete

Posted on by cguske

Over the first weekend of February, students across the Commonwealth participated in the Virginia Prize. And we were thrilled to have JMU’s Architectural Design program join competitors from Hampton University, UVA, and Virginia Tech (Blacksburg and the WAAC) in addressing the challenge.

This year’s competition was authored by Hampton University. Professor Stanford Britt, FAIA, Professor Carmina Sanchez-de-Valle, RA, and Associate Professor Marci Turner developed a brief that invited students to design a “bookless” public library as a community public room on a corner site at the intersection of N. Mallory Street and E. County Street in Phoebus, Virginia.  The project is intended to complement the offerings of the traditional “book-filled” branch library located across the street. And requires students to organize the required indoor and outdoor programmatic elements so that site is building, and building is site, while also addressing resiliency issues such as flooding.

The entries are now being judged by the institutions and selected entries will be forwarded for consideration by the competition jury. We look forward to sharing and celebrating the results.

2024 AIA Virginia Prize Competition

The AIA Virginia Prize is a design charrette that engages students at all of the accredited architecture programs in Virginia.  Conducted simultaneously at each institution, students are given the competition program Friday at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a board presenting their design solution by 9 a.m. the following Monday.  The competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students and professors in Virginia.

The first round of submissions is juried at the university level and up to 10 finalists from each school will be sent to be juried at the state level.

The 2024 competition takes place over the Feb. 2-4 weekend. Faculty at Hampton University are finalizing the brief. The challenge brief will be posted to this page at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2 and submissions are due to the school at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5.

2024 AIA Virginia Prize

Posted on by cguske

The AIA Virginia Prize is a design charrette that engages students at all of the architecture programs in Virginia.  Conducted simultaneously at each institution, students are given the competition program Friday at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a board presenting their design solution by 9 a.m. the following Monday.  The competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students and professors in Virginia.

The first round of submissions is juried at the university level and up to 10 finalists from each school will be sent to be juried at the state level.

The 2024 competition takes place over the Feb. 2-4 weekend. Faculty at Hampton University are finalizing the brief. The challenge brief will be posted to this page at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2 and submissions are due to the school at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5.

We wish the participating students a pleasant outing and look forward to considering and celebrating their proposals.

2023 AIA Virginia Prize Jury Announced

Posted on by cguske

AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the jury for the 2023 AIA Virginia Prize. The competition — which took place over the weekend of Feb. 10-13 weekend —challenged students to design a house for two artists that will include their workshop and a public program in the form of an exhibition space and an educational space.

The AIA Virginia Prize is a design charrette that engages students at all of the accredited architecture programs in Virginia.  Conducted simultaneously at each institution, students are given the competition program Friday at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a board presenting their design solution by 9 a.m. the following Monday.  The competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students, and professors in Virginia.

Each school’s faculty reviewed the submissions and sent up to 10 finalists for final consideration by the jury which will be chaired by Forrest Frazier, AIA.

About the Jury

Forrest Frazier, AIA studied Architectural History and Design at the University of Virginia before receiving his Master’s in Architecture from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was the recipient of the Stephen Lenci Award and Chester Miller Traveling Fellowship. He has over fifteen years of broad professional experience at award-winning design firms including Mark Cavagnero in San Francisco, Alterstudio in Austin, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien in New York. Prior to founding Two Street Studio, Forrest worked on high-end residences in Manhattan and the Hamptons with the acclaimed boutique architecture/development firm founded by Cary Tamarkin. Forrest is the director of Two Street Studio’s Richmond office. 

Azadeh Rashidi, AIA is a Registered Architect and Project Manager at Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners (TWBTA).  She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Architecture from the University of Virginia, where she has also taught.  Since joining TWBTA in 2008, she has managed several of the firm’s projects from conception to completion.  Her expertise working with cultural buildings for the firm began with the David and Reva Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. Azadeh has also overseen the renovation and expansion of the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College. Most recently, she completed TWBTA’s renovation of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, home to the New York Philharmonic. Prior to her work at TWBTA, she was an associate at WG Clark Architects in Charlottesville, VA, and was involved in the design of the award-winning addition to the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia. Beyond her practice as an architect, Azadeh is devoted to creating opportunities for young designers of diverse backgrounds and spearheads TWBTA’s mentorship program.

Everald Colas, AIA is an award-winning Haitian American architect, educator, and storyteller and is the founder of Storyn Studio for Architecture. He has led a variety of internationally acclaimed projects during his time as an architect and specializes in projects that require a sensitive approach to integrating mixed-use buildings in a historical context. As a practitioner, he is committed to civic engagement and how design can promote stronger communities, create more inclusive spaces, foster place-making in a neighborhood, and be identity-affirming to individuals within a community and greater city. He is motivated to find solutions for designing equitable spaces for all voices and believes that design is a tool for social change. Before creating Storyn, Everald was a senior architect for Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Everald holds both a Master of Architecture degree and a Master of Science in Architectural Pedagogy from The University of Florida. In 2018, he co-founded and organized the annual University of Florida School of Architecture COMING HOME Alumni Lecture Series. He has been awarded the Garcia Award for Design Excellence by the Tampa Bay AIA, Florida’s Young Architect Design Award, and the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Florida.