Student Design Challenge
Showcasing the profession’s future leaders & designers by recognizing the outstanding work of Texas middle & high school students.
Overview
The Texas Society of Architects and the Education Outreach Committee are proud to host the annual Student Design Challenge. This challenge is designed to recognize the incredible work done at the middle and high school levels in Texas and to showcase our industry’s future leaders and designers. Designs of all types are acceptable, including buildings, structures, community centers, temporary housing, and transportation. Theoretical design solutions such as cell phone apps, events or festivals, and any other non-traditional design solutions are acceptable.
2025 Student Design Challenge
The Texas Society of Architects and the Education Outreach Committee are excited to continue, for the fifth year, the TxA Student Design Challenge. Students in grades 6-12 for the Fall 2025 school year are encouraged to submit their designs through October 9, 2025. Finalists and winners will be recognized at the Texas Society of Architects’ 86th Annual Conference and Design Expo, which will take place in Dallas on Oct. 30–Nov. 1, 2025.
The Brief
Theme: “Cultivate”
CULTIVATE [verb]: to prepare and use for crops or gardening; to foster the growth of; to further, encourage; to make friends with.
—Carl Elefante, FAIA
“The greenest building is the one that has already been built.”
As we understand more about sustainability and the recycling industry, we must realize that the construction industry has a responsibility to use resources wisely, find ways to adapt to labor constraints, and innovate our toolbox with changing building technology. What does it mean to cultivate? How do we decide what is worth cultivating?
Creative Process:
Find a local existing condition to study — place, space, structure, or system.
Learn about and comment on its history or original significance.
Identify something unique/valuable about the existing solution.
Adapt, create, and build upon its current strengths.
Design an intervention to allow the new idea to take root — tell us about the future!
Seeds for Thought:
Can you introduce an innovative function to an underutilized facility?
Is there a thriving local environment that would benefit from a redesigned exterior facade to be noticed/visible?
Is there space in your town that could be used to address food scarcity issues and support community enrichment?
Project Eligibility
To be considered for a 2025 Texas Society of Architects Student Design Challenge finalist, projects must be submitted in accordance with the following requirements:
Projects can be submitted by either an individual student or a group of students (no more than four) currently in either middle school or high school in the state of Texas.
Projects must be submitted in their appropriate category based upon their current grade as of August 2025:
Middle School Category (Grades 6 – 8)
High School Category (Grades 9 – 12)
If a group of students that contains multiple grades submits, they must submit into the category of their oldest (by grade) student.
Each project must have a supervisor, such as a teacher, counselor, parent, etc. Supervisors are encouraged to support and engage with students about their submissions, but cannot submit the project on the student’s behalf.
Students may enter the challenge as both an individual entrant and also in a student group submission. No student may be included in more than one group submission.
Do not identify the entrant(s) or school on the slides, images, or in any text in your presentation so judges can remain impartial.
Awards
Middle School — Most Outstanding Individual
Middle School — Most Outstanding Group
High School — Most Outstanding Individual
High School — Most Outstanding Group
Either Category — Honorable Mention
Either Category — People’s Choice
Selection & Criteria
All submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Education Outreach Committee, which will select the finalists in each category for final review by jurors using the following criteria:
Meets Submission Criteria (5 pts)
Design & Process (5 pts)
Quality & Craftsmanship (5 pts)
Meets Design Challenge Brief (5 pts)
Submission Requirements
Download the full challenge guidelines to learn more about the requirements, selection criteria and presentation tips.
Projects should be submitted as PDF presentations using the Texas Society of Architects submissions portal.
Examples
See these projects below to help spark ideas. Remember, this competition is open to your interpretation of the theme and your own creative design solution.
San Antonio
Austin
Mississippi
Portland, OR
Dallas
New York City
Promotional & Informational Resources
2024 Student Design Challenge
The Texas Society of Architects 2024 Student Design Challenge, themed “The Bridge: Community + Connector” saw 66 submissions come in from 19 different high schools across 13 Texas cities. We received 40 individual projects and 26 team projects.
Six finalists presented at our 85th Annual Conference & Design Expo in Houston on October 3, 2024, and jurors selected three winning projects. Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to the winners!