Celebrating Student Achievement at the 76th Annual AIA Toledo HSDC Awards Celebration
AIA Toledo proudly celebrated the accomplishments of young designers at the 76th Annual High School Design Competition (HSDC) Awards Celebration, held on Wednesday, April 15, 2025, at The Mez as part of Architecture Week. This year’s program continued the long-standing tradition of inspiring future architects, drawing 66 submissions from 14 participating schools across the region. Students, teachers, mentors, families, and design professionals gathered to honor the creativity, dedication, and hard work demonstrated throughout the competition.
This year’s design challenge invited students to envision a two-family residential duplex for the Lucas County Land Bank, a governmental nonprofit committed to returning vacant and abandoned properties to productive use. Working with a real client and a real site, students explored the possibilities of Missing Middle Housing on a 9,000‑square‑foot lot in South Toledo. The project brief emphasized accessibility, sustainability, and thoughtful site orientation, encouraging students to consider how design can strengthen neighborhoods and expand housing opportunities for families in our community.
Awards were presented across a wide range of categories that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of architectural practice. Honors included AIAT’s Architectural Design Award, the Emerging Professional Material Innovation Award, the GEM Sustainable Architecture Award, the EDGE, Unilock, & The Collaborative Landscape Architecture Award, the Gasser Bush Associates Lighting Design Award, the Toledo Design Collective Urban Design Award, BGSU’s Digital Media Award, and AIAT’s 3d Printed Model Award. In addition to the prize awards, Lawrence Technological University (LTU) and The University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) continued their generous support by offering tuition scholarship awards to senior, junior, and sophomore / freshman level award winners who attend their university.
AIA Toledo extends its sincere appreciation to all participating schools, students, teachers, mentors, and volunteers whose enthusiasm and commitment make this program possible year after year. We are also grateful to our award sponsors and our Annual Platinum Partners for their continued investment in the next generation of designers and in the future of the profession.
ABOUT HSDC
As the longest running program of its kind in the country, the High School Design Competition has a rich legacy. The idea was born in 1949 when a drafting teacher at Macomber Technical High School approached architects at Bellman, Gillett and Richards about exposing his students to the workings of the architectural profession. Later that year, the Toledo Chapter of the American Institute of Architects voted to approve the “Toledo High School Architectural Competition”, with initial funding not to exceed $100. The first competition was held in 1950, with 23 students from Waite, DeVilbiss, and Macomber High Schools participating. Their design challenge was a parking lot office and the first-place prize was $10.
Contact us to learn how your school or student can participate.