Seventh Year in a Row, SARA National Recognizes Student Excellence

Twenty-six students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Architecture have been honored with awards from the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA), National Design Awards 2023 program. Of the thirteen student group submissions selected by the SARA jury for award, UNL received four of the honors. This is the seventh year UNL students have gained significant recognition by this national organization.

Project Descriptions:
Jampe Gergen, Luryn Hendrickson, Haley Herman and Caleb Mohnike earned an Honor Award for their project “ep(ICE)ntric.” This project originated from Brian Kelly’s fourth year collaborate studio. Located on the site of an abandoned Atlas-F missile silo built in the 1960s, this project called for the creation of a research facility for UNL’s Antarctic ice drilling team to build and test their equipment while also providing educational exhibition spaces for Cold War and Nebraska history displays.

Lubna Al Sebaie, I-Chen Chen, Landon Healy, Sean Kelly and Aly Timmerman from Darin Hanigan and Vanessa Schutte’s fourth year collaborate studio received an Honor Award for their project titled “Ponderosa Elementary School.” Ponderosa Elementary is a K-5 school that incorporates biophilic design principles, connecting students with nature and the outdoors while serving the community through integrated facilities and dynamic outdoor learning opportunities.

Another honor award was given to Al Mundhir Sultan Saif Al Mahruqi, Essa Alouisi, John Andersen, Jarod Bengtson, Payton Betzold, Ethan Boerner, Mason Burress, Brendan Colford, Thomas Gerdes, Audrey Huse, Dariya Krestovsky, Xander Parker, Natasha Pierce, Cameron Spengler, Eden Vanarsdall and Alyssa Villarreal for their design build project “Omaha Mobile Stage” created in Jeffrey L Day’s fourth year FACT collaborate studio. Omaha Mobile Stage is a creative placemaking project to design and make a portable stage to serve as a cultural and economic catalyst in public spaces and main streets throughout the Omaha metropolitan area.

Additionally, Audrey Huse and Kathleen O'Gara earned a Merit Award for their submission “The Sheldon ARC” which was design in Beau Johnson’s 411 integrate studio. The Sheldon ARC is an addition to the Sheldon Museum of Art on the campus of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln that strengthens the museum’s connection to both the university and the local community.

"The continuous recognition of our students' work by SARA National over the past seven years is a testament to the exceptional work created by our students and the unwavering dedication of our faculty,” said Architecture Program Director David Karle. “It is truly gratifying to witness our students' exceptional talents being celebrated on a national scale."

Founded on November 9, 1956, by Wilfred J. Gregson, the Society of American Registered Architects celebrates design excellence in architecture and design through their annual National Design Awards program which attracts entries from across the country and around the world from individuals, firms and students of architecture and allied disciplines.