Ball State architecture students earned top honors in the 2026 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Steel Design Competition and the Timber in the City 6: Urban Habitats Competition.

STEEL DESIGN COMPETITION

Aiden Henning, a third-year architecture student mentored by Tim Gray, received first place in the Community Dance Center Category for his project, Balancing Act. Henning’s project also received first-place honors in the college’s internal ARCH 302 student competition before advancing to the national competition.

The Community Dance Center category asked students to design a community dance center in an area of their choice and explore how the program could contribute as an integral part of the community. Balancing Act celebrates dance, performance and the arts by lifting the main dance studios dramatically into the air, presenting them as “jewels and exquisite curiosities” to the surrounding community. Henning’s recognition marks the first time a Ball State student has received the national competition’s top honor. He will receive a $4,000 prize.

Gabriel Barton, also a third-year architecture student, received third place in the competition’s Open Category for his project, Reclaimed. The Open Category gave students the opportunity to select a site of their choosing and use steel as the primary material for their project. Barton was mentored by faculty member Se Won Roy Kim.

Reclaimed addresses the waste created by the demolition of houses, which often ends up in landfills, through two complementary strategies: the adaptive reuse of an existing structure—the ruins of Fisher Body Plant 21—and the creation of a building-material reclamation center.

The Steel Design Competition challenges students to explore design issues related to the use of steel in design and construction. The 2026 competition received more than 1,300 entries from undergraduate and graduate architecture students in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

TIMBER IN THE CITY 6 COMPETITION

Ball State architecture students also earned second place in the ACSA Timber in the City 6: Urban Habitats Competition in the large building category. Dylan Fujii and Amari Robertson were recognized for their project, The Village Joinery, with faculty sponsors Tom Collins and Pam Harwood. The students will split a $3,500 prize.

The Village Joinery creates a physical and social connection between campus and the surrounding neighborhood. The housing project responds to the Village’s changing development while incorporating durable materials, including an exposed glulam structure and wood rainscreen. The design also creates shared spaces intended to encourage interaction and strengthen connections between the university and the Village.

The Timber in the City competition challenged students to design attainable housing that is inclusive, sustainable and responsive to the needs of the urban middle class. There were 18 awards given out of 900 entries.

Read more about the steel competition at
https://www.acsa-arch.org/competitions/2026-steel-competition/winners

More about the Timber competition at  https://www.acsa-arch.org/competitions/2026-timber-competition/winners/