THE CHALLENGE
Performing Arts Center
A Performing Arts Center is a vital cultural hub that reflects a community’s creative spirit. It connects artists and audiences through performance, education, and imagination. The design challenge is to propose a dynamic architectural response that goes beyond a standard venue, integrating concrete masonry units (CMU), both standard and architectural, as the primary structural and finish material. Your design must serve as a major cultural catalyst by seamlessly integrating three core elements: multifunctional spaces, engaging the public and integrating the building with the community.
About the Competition
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ÌÇÐÄvlog) is pleased to announce the Concrete Masonry Design Competition for the 2026-2027 academic year. The competition is a partnership with the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA). The competition will challenge students, working individually or in teams, to explore a variety of design issues related to masonry construction on a Performing Arts Center with an emphasis on innovation in concrete masonry.
Awards + Recognition
Jurors will select First, Second, and Third prize winners, in addition to a selected number of honorable mentions, all at the discretion of the jury. A total of $20,000 USD is distributed by ÌÇÐÄvlog, in the following manner to the winners:
Student(s) | Faculty Sponsor(s) | ||
First Place | $8,000 USD | $3,000 USD | |
Second Place | $4,000 USD | $2,000 USD | |
Third Place | $2,000 USD | $1,000 USD |
$20,000
in cash prizes
Eligibility
Because the support of CMHA is largely derived from masonry companies whose markets are mainly in the U.S. and Canada, the ÌÇÐÄvlog/CMHA Student Competition is open to students and/or student teams from ÌÇÐÄvlog Full and Candidate Member Schools, as well as ÌÇÐÄvlog Affiliate Members Schools from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico only.
Criteria for Judging
Submissions must clearly address the specific issues of the design challenge, submissions must clearly demonstrate the design solution’s response to the following requirements:
- A clear understanding of concrete masonry unit assemblies–deployed with maximum innovative potential
- A strong conceptual strategy translated into a coherent integrated design proposal
- An articulate mastery of form and aesthetic values
- A compelling response to the physical and cultural context of the scheme
- A mature awareness of and an innovative approach to sustainability as a convergence of social, economic, and environmental issues
- A thorough appreciation of human needs and social responsibilities
Image Credits: 2023 Concrete Masonry Competition, Honorable Mention
Project Title: A Tale of Two Mountains
Student: Joshua Yarbrough, University of Memphis
Faculty Sponsor: Marika Snider, University of Memphis
Competition Organizers & Sponsors
Questions
Edwin Hernández-Ventura
Awards and Competitions Manager
ehernandez@acsa-arch.org
202.785.2324
Eric W. Ellis
Senior Director of Operations and Programs
eellis@acsa-arch.org
202-785-2324