MKM architecture + design continues to support third-year students in the Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning through the annual MKM Steel Competition. Inspired by the ACSA Steel Design Student Competition, the competition gives students the opportunity to create innovative designs using steel in a unique way and have their work reviewed by architecture professionals.

This year’s competition offered students two project options: designing a Community Dance Center or pursuing an Open Category project developed through faculty-led prompts and guidelines. Seven studios participated, with four selecting the Community Dance Center challenge and three entering the Open Category.

Each studio held its own professional jury review, selecting three finalists and resulting in 21 student projects advancing in the final competition. Funds were distributed through student bursar accounts, ensuring every finalist received recognition and support.

From the 21 finalists, a final jury selected three overall winners. The top honor, the Menze Prize, is named after MKM founding partner Ron Menze, who attended the final judging and awards ceremony and spoke with students about the value of creativity, exploration, and professional growth in architecture.

The competition has continued to celebrate design excellence while providing students with valuable opportunities to present their work, receive professional feedback, and prepare for future practice.

 

Aiden Henning's render of his steel building design. The building design takes inspiration from and nearby train trestle.
1st PLACE – MENZE PRIZE – Aiden Henning
“Balancing Act” (Community Dance Center design)
Faculty Advisor – Tim Gray

BALANCING ACT celebrates dance, performance and the Arts by lifting the main dance studios dramatically in the air presenting them as jewels and exquisite curiosities, to the surrounding community. The public is invited, almost tempted, to participate and explore, a series of stairwells and terraces connecting the highest levels of the studios and museum to the river bank below.

The dramatic expression of steel in the Dance Center enters into a dialogue with the existing Railroad Trestle, a primary point of access to the center, and both draws inspiration from and reinterprets the steel conventions of the existing Trestle. A new series of viewing decks are inserted into the site looking toward existing bridge, inviting visitors to explore while offering the bridge itself as an object of value and beauty. The existing Trestle itself offers stunning views of the dance center.

A small slice of Gabriels render showing only the top of his of his building titled "Reclaimed". The section shows a cantilevered walkway overlooking the site.

2ND PLACE – Gabriel Barton
“Reclaimed” Fisher Body Plant 21, Detroit, Michigan (Open Category)
Faculty Advisor – Roy Kim

Since 2013, the city of Detroit has demolished more than 27,000 homes generating nearly 600 million tons of waste each year, most of which is sent to landfills. This practice not only degrades the environment but also represents a significant loss of valuable material resources. RECLAIMED, addresses the adaptive reuse of an existing structure (the ruins of Fisher Body Plant 21) and the creation of a building material reclamation center. The project transforms construction waste into refined, reusable building products.

A small slice of Claires design board showing some of the new spaces designed in the old parking structure.3RD PLACE – Claire Replogle
“Public Parking” (Open Category)
Faculty Advisor – Josh Coggeshall

For every car in the United States, there are an estimated 8 parking spaces. In urban centers, parking consumes up to 30% of the local land area. What if that was up to 30% more opportunities to build community? What if 8 parking spaces became 8 more event spaces? What does a future for parking spaces look like if personal cars become more obsolete?

FINALISTS:

Dylan Blackwell, Luke Corey, Miguel Santiago, Jakob Orth, Jeily Tepotzotlan-Mesita, Caeden Moughler, Audrey Beiser, Aiden Henning, Hannah Codere, Evan Davis, Aiden Staup, John Riley, Gabriel Barton, Devi’on Ellis, Ezekiel Corwin, Syndey Ollie, Claire Replogle, Hannah Jamison, Gaspar Lukin, Audrie Sellers, Ty Sands

JURY

Catherine Wilmes, assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture.

Sam Vonderau, partner and design principal at DELV Design an architecture and interior design studio based in Indianapolis.

Elise DeChard, founder of END Studio—a Detroit-based, women-owned architecture and research practice.

Dodd Kattman, founding principal of MKM architecture + design.