Inspiring Future Designers: Students Take on the 75th Annual Challenge

January 8, 2025, marked the kickoff of the 75th Annual AIA Toledo High School Design Competition. This long-standing program, led by AIA Toledo, connects students with teachers and local design professionals who serve as mentors and advisors throughout the process.

Participants are tasked with creating comprehensive design submissions, which must include overall floor plans, enlarged floor plans, a site plan and roof plan, building elevations and sections, three-dimensional renderings, and a detailed project description. These materials will be evaluated by a panel of judges, focusing on students' creativity, technical skill, and problem-solving abilities.

This year’s project challenges students to design an expansion to an existing facility located in Toledo’s Vistula neighborhood for the local non-profit organization, Aurora Project.  Aurora Project provides comprehensive housing and life skills instruction to empower homeless women and children to become self-sufficient and independent.  Students will design a new ‘Learning Center’ building aimed at expanding training and workshop rooms, as well as creating gathering spaces to support additional programming. The project is intended to enhance the services offered by the nonprofit organization and benefit the community it serves. Designs will incorporate a variety of site amenities and spaces to complement the existing buildings located on the property.

Student award categories include: AIA Toledo Architectural Design Award, AIA Toledo Emerging Professional Material Innovation Award, GEM Sustainable Architecture Award, EDGE, Unilock, & The Collaborative Landscape Architecture Award, Gasser Bush Associates Lighting Design Award, Toledo Design Collective Urban Design Award, Focused 3D Physical 3d Printed Model Award, and BGSU’s Digital Media Award. In addition, Lawrence Technological University (LTU) and The University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) offer tuition scholarship awards to senior, junior, and sophomore / freshman level award winners who attend their university. 

View 2025 Project Sheet, Kick off Video and other info HERE

ABOUT HSDC

Originally started in 1950 with 23 entries from three high schools, the competition has grown to as many as 206 entries from as many as 25 area high schools. Projects have been as varied as a parking lot office (1950), a Toledo Automotive Museum (1999), a fast-food restaurant (1977), and a community center (2023).

AIA Toledo's HSDC is a nationally recognized award-winning program, which is the longest running program of its kind in the history of the AIA. AIA Toledo members and advisors are extremely proud of the students’ accomplishments each year.  

Contact us to learn how your school or student can participate.