September 7, 2022
by Center for Architecture

In 2022, AIA New York and the Center for Architecture have awarded a total of $95,000 in academic scholarships to ten students via the Grants and Scholarships Program, a platform to make architecture education accessible to all and diversfy research in architecture while connecting students and emerging professionals to AIANY members and programs.

 

Center for Architecture Design Scholarship

 The Center for Architecture’s namesake scholarship, the Center for Architecture Design Scholarship is targeted at students seeking their first professional degree in architecture or a related design discipline from an accredited school in New York State. The dean or chair of the architectural school or accredited design program may invite up to two students from their respective college or university to apply based on their academic performance and evidence of financial need. The student’s financial need will be determined by the guidelines of the Financial Aid Officer of the school nominating the candidate.

In 2022, the Grants and Scholarships Committee awarded two merit-based scholarships totaling $15,000:

  • Casey Breen was awarded $7,500 to continue her Master of Landscape Architecture at the Spitzer School of Architecture, City College New York. Breen’s work demonstrates the exceptional critical thinking skills that she employs throughout her design process, applying broader ecological sciences to New York City urban infrastructure.
  • Earl Kwofie was awarded $7,500 as he enters his fifth year of the Cooper Union School of Architecture’s B.Arch program. Kwofie’s portfolio demonstrates his commitment to the discipline of architecture through innovative, ambitious, and experimental design work. A clear proponent of the local community, his concentration aims to support New York City housing initiatives and public projects while emphasizing the importance of social discourse.

 

Allwork Scholarship

The Allwork Scholarship supports architecture students with demonstrated financial need seeking their first professional degree in architecture or a related design discipline from an accredited school in New York State. Students must be nominated by the dean or chair of the school of architecture in which they are currently studying to apply for this award.

In 2022, the Grants and Scholarships Committee awarded four merit-based scholarships totaling $30,000:

  • Alexander Htet Aung Kyaw was awarded $7,500 towards his Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University. Originally from Myanmar, Htet Aung Kyaw is interested in technology and dedicates his time to several research labs that focus on sustainability, computation, robotics, and their applicationsto infrastructure. His heightened computational design skills are demonstrated in his portfolio, which addresses enhanced housing methods and community spaces.
  • Bethany Greenway was awarded $7,500 towards her dual Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Planning at the University at Buffalo, where she also completed her Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Greenway’s use of architecture to better the broader environment is evidenced in projects that improve educational facilities, vegetation restoration initiatives, and wildlife paths. Greenway engages with social projects at her university and holds leadership roles in the American Institute of Architecture Students and the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students. 
  • Stephen Zimmerer was awarded $7,500 in the pursuit of a Master of Architecture at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP). Prior to GSAPP, he worked at Architensions, where he was involved in projects including the renovation of a townhouse in the West Village and the masterplan for San Ferdinando, Italy. Zimmerer’s portfolio demonstrates his heightened leadership abilities and his dynamic approach to the field, which emphasizes the importance of conceptional drawings, models, and writing in conjunction with narratives and contextual histories.
  • Valeria Bardi Cohen was awarded $7,500 towards her Bachelor of Architecture at Pratt Institute. Originally from Maracaibo, Venezuela, Bardi Cohen’s dedication to her local student-led community is exhibited by her leadership role at the Latin American Architecture Lab and her work organizing the new student-run lecture series, Pratt Futures. She has demonstrated rigor and dedication to architecture both through critical studio and research production.

 

Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Scholarship

The Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Scholarship was founded to promote and encourage the study of architecture by New York public high school students. The scholarship provides financial assistance to supplement tuition and related costs during a student’s freshman and sophomore years at a NAAB-accredited school of architecture in the U.S. The scholarship honors Hunt’s dedication to the field of architecture and architectural education.

After careful consideration of the highly competitive applications received, one primary applicant was selected, with three additional applicants receiving honor awards totaling $50,000. Their thoughtful applications and commitment to the discipline and their committees inspired the committee to offer scholarships to all four students:

  • Bailey Lee, a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, will begin the five-year Bachelor of Architecture program at Pratt Institute with $20,000 in tuition supporting her freshman and sophomore years.
  • Leah Alfred, a graduate of the Edward R. Murrow High School, will pursue the Bachelor of Architecture program at Cooper Union. As an Honor Award recipient, she will receive $10,000 in tuition supporting her freshman and sophomore years. 
  • Leah Solomon, a graduate of the Edward R. Murrow High School, will begin the five-year Bachelor of Architecture program at Pratt Institute. As an Honor Award recipient, she will receive $10,000 in tuition supporting her freshman and sophomore years. 
  • Maylin Rosales, a graduate of the Brooklyn Technical High School, will pursue the Bachelor of Architecture program at City College of New York. As an Honor Award recipient, she will receive $10,000 in tuition supporting her freshman and sophomore years.

 

2030 Fund

In 2022, AIA New York also launched the 2030 Fund, which seeks to build a more diverse and representative profession through student loan forgiveness. The fund, created by 2021 AIANY President Kenneth A. Lewis, AIA, in collaboration with the New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (nycoba|NOMA), seeks to support NOMA’s 2030 Challenge, which aims to double the number of licensed Black architects by the end of the decade. In its inaugural year, the 2030 Fund awarded $10,000 in loan forgiveness to six young BIPOC professionals.

2022 Scholarship Committee
Allison Tomlinson, Gensler
Barry George Bergdoll, Hon. AIANY, Columbia University
Catherine S. Seavitt Nordenson, AIA, Catherine Seavitt Studio
Hilary M. Sample, FAIA, MOS Architects
Jha D. Amazi, MASS Design Group
Koray Duman, AIA, LEED AP, Büro Koray Duman
Kenneth A. Lewis, AIA, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Nina Cooke John, AIA, Studio Cooke John
Sharon E. Sutton, PhD, FAIA, Parsons School of Design

Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Committee:
Judy Hunt, wife of Walter Hunt
Keith Frome Rosen, AIA, Gensler
Madeline Burke-Vigeland, AIA, Gensler
Joshua Katz, AIA, Gensler
Ambrose Aliaga-Kelly, Gensler
Leslie Jabs, AIA, Gensler

2030 Fund Selection Committee:
Kenneth A. Lewis, AIA, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Gregory T. Switzer, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, SWITZER Architecture
Andrea Lamberti, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Rafael Viñoly Architects
Allison Lane, AIA, ASID, NOMA, AECOM
Matthew Bremer, AIA, Architecture in Formation
Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA, AIA New York | Center for Architecture