The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) announced the winners of the fifth annual MBMA Student Design Competition, awarding $32,000 in prizes to 10 winners and their faculty advisors across both undergraduate and graduate divisions.
This year’s competition saw a record number of submissions: 28 undergraduate and 52 graduate entries, almost double the number of graduate submissions compared with last year.
The contest for undergraduate and graduate architecture students challenged each participant to create an innovative metal building design for a new botanical garden and events center.
For the undergraduate division, the first-place award and $5,000 was presented to Abigail Weston, a student at California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State). She was advised by Mark Roddy, FAIA, a lecturer from the Department of Design. The second-place award, along with $3,000, went to Jaden Flint, who is also at Sacramento State and advised by Roddy. Third place, and $2,000, was awarded to the team of Gregory Brown and Shayne Simmons at Texas A&M University in College Station. Their advisor was Marcel Erminy, professor of practice at the Texas A&M University College of Architecture. Lasty, an award of merit and $500, was presented to Olivia Potvin and Alina Torrez at Texas A&M University, with Erminy as their advisor.
In the graduate division, Lorance Shabo, a student from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), earned the top award and $5,000 prize. His faculty advisor was Grant Mosey, assistant professor of architecture in the School of Architecture. Second place and $3,000 went to Stephanie Otero, also a student at UNLV who was advised by Mosey. Third place, along with $2,000, was awarded to Ted Hui at UNLV, who was also advised by Mosey. Three awards of merit, along with $500 each, were presented in the graduate division. The first went to Hayley Praytor from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. She was advised by Paolo Sanza, associate professor in the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture. The second was presented to Aayush Mondkar of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst). His advisor was Katelyn Hudson, lecturer in the Department of Architecture in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The third Award of Merit went to Yukta Karanjkar,
who is also a student at UMass Amherst and advised by Hudson.
“We congratulate Lorance Shabo and Abigail Weston, along with their advisors Grant Mosey and Mark Roddy, on earning the top prizes in the 2025 MBMA Student Design Competition,” said MBMA general manager Tony Bouquot. “This year’s contest was the largest ever, and the awards are a testament to all the winners for their amazing designs. We also would like to thank the faculty sponsors for their work and the time they put in to make this competition better than ever.”
MBMA director of research and engineering Jon-Paul (JP) Cardin, PE, added, “It’s inspiring to see so many students exploring metal building systems and developing such innovative applications. The competition continues to grow every year, and we’re excited to see the creativity and talent next year’s competition will bring.”
The six-member panel of judges included: Eric Pros, AIA, Director of Design for DS Architecture in Cleveland, Ohio; Terri Meyer Boake, LEED AP, professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture, Cambridge, Ont., Canada; Lauren Gwaltney, AIA, senior associate with Williams Blackstock Architects in Birmingham, Ala.; Greg Snyder, AIA, associate professor at the College of Arts and Architecture at University of North Carolina – Charlotte; John Underwood, consultant to Behlen Mfg. Co., Columbus, Neb., and chair of the MBMA education committee; and Robert Tiffin, national accounts manager with Silvercote, Greenville, S.C., and chair of the MBMA architect committee.
