Registration Deadline: April 8, 2026

2026 Steel Competition

Community Dance Center & Open

Schedule

April 8, 2026

Registration Deadline

June 3, 2026

Submission Deadline

Summer 2026

Jury Convenes

Fall 2026

Winners Announced

Resources

Community Dance Center & Open

An intention of all ACSA competitions is to make students aware that research is a fundamental element of any design solution. Students are encouraged to research material properties and methods of steel construction, as well as precedent projects that demonstrate innovative use of structural steel.

Steel Presentation

Faculty can request a Steel Presentation that covers the basics of steel structure and discusses how steel structure can enhance architectural design, form, and space from Jeanne Homer, AIA, an architecture educator for over 20 years focusing on integrative design. Examples will include several different building typologies. Questions about the competition can be addressed and will be posted to the website. The presentation, depending on schedule, can be virtual or in-person and is designed for 50-minutes.

Presentation Sign-up

Steel Construction References

AISC website: For references and quick videos: AISC.org/ArchEducation and Steel Rules of Thumb HERE.
Modern Steel Construction: This authoritative monthly magazine is made available online free of charge. This magazine covers the use of fabricated structural steel in the variety of structural types. It presents information on the newest and most advanced applications of structural steel in a wide range of structures. Issues of Modern Steel Construction (1996 – Present) are available online. Visit Modern Steel Construction to view them.
Terri Meyer Boake. Understanding Steel Design: An Architectural Design Manual. (Birkhäuser 2013)
John Fernandez. Material Architecture. (Spon Press, 2006)
Victoria Bell and Patrick Rand. Materials for Design 2. (Princeton Architectural Press, 2014)
Shulitz, Habermann, Sobek. Steel Construction Manual. (Birkhäuser Basel 2000)
Annette LeCuyer. Steel and Beyond. (Birkhäuser Basel 2003)
Sutherland Lyall. Remarkable Structure: Engineering today’s Innovative Buildings. (Princeton Architectural Press, 2002)

Ballet, Dance, & Performance Studio References

Competition Sponsor

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), headquartered in Chicago, is a non-partisan, not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry in the United States. AISC’s mission is to make structural steel the material of choice by being the leader in structural-steel-related technical and market-building activities, including: specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, market development, and advocacy. AISC has a long tradition of service to the steel construction industry providing timely and reliable information.

Membership to AISC is free to university faculty and full-time students, and AISC membership provides valuable benefits. Information can be found at www.aisc.org/universityprograms.

Competition Organizer

Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)

Leading Architectural Education and Research

ACSA is a nonprofit, membership association founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education. The school membership in ACSA has grown from 10 charter members to over 250 schools in several membership categories. These include full membership for all accredited programs in the United States and government-sanctioned schools in Canada, candidate membership for schools seeking accreditation, and affiliate membership for schools for two-year and international programs. Through these schools, over 5,000 architecture faculty members are represented. In addition, over 500 supporting members composed of architecture firms, product associations and individuals add to the breadth of interest and support of ACSA goals. ACSA provides a major forum for ideas on the leading edge of architectural thought. Issues that will affect the architectural profession in the future are being examined today in ACSA member schools.

Competition Program written and developed by: Anthony Monica, Belmont University, along with ACSA & AISC.

Anthony Monica, AIA, is an architect and educator whose teaching is deeply informed by his passion for design thinking and his extensive professional experience. Having practiced at distinguished international design firms, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom, integrating the complexities of contemporary practice into architectural education. His expertise spans the design, management, and execution of highly crafted, complex projects, offering students meaningful insights from every facet of the profession.

Anthony’s pedagogy is rooted in the exploration of design methodologies through an iterative process framed by critical inquiry. By structuring his studios to reflect the dynamics of professional practice, he challenges students to think critically and engage in meaningful discourse as a model for lifelong learning. His teaching emphasizes architecture’s deep relationship to place and culture, encouraging students to investigate process, tectonics, materiality, sustainability, and vernacular fabrication methodologies as integral components of contemporary design.

Anthony believes in the transformative potential of architecture and is passionate about equipping students with the skills and perspectives necessary to effect positive change in the built environment. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Building Construction Science and Management.