EPIC Metals Competition

The next round of the competition takes places in spring 2025.

The EPIC Metals Corporation sponsors the EPIC Metals Competition for third-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) students in the Praxis II Studio to design an innovative project incorporating metal deck systems. Students compete for up to three prizes – first, second, and third place. The first-place team may be invited to tour EPIC Metals’ manufacturing plant in Rankin, PA.

2024 Project Brief: Margaret Morrison Corridor Campus Improvements

As Carnegie Mellon continues to enhance shared exterior spaces across campus it has identified the southeast corner of campus, along Margaret Morrison Street, as the site for improvements. These upgrades are informed by the University’s mobility plan and a broader aim to enhance student and spectator activities occurring along the Margaret Morrison corridor and the south edge of the soccer field.

The University has identified five areas for improvement, as follows: (1) the creation of a covered bike parking zone to support an increase in bike commuters, (2) the addition of a canopy above the soccer field spectator stands, (3) a ‘dining’ canopy adjacent to the food trucks, (4) a food service/concession facility that offers food for outdoor dining along Margaret Morrison Street and when needed, at the soccer field, and (5) an improved field entrance along Margaret Morrison Street. In working along the Margaret Morrison corridor, the University’s aims are practical and symbolic. It seeks to expand campus services while enhancing the arrival experience at the southeast corner of campus.

Students, working in teams of two, are charged with developing design proposals that address the stated requirements through the use of EPIC Metals’ architectural products. Proposals should seek to leverage the spanning capabilities of EPIC Metals' products. 

Spring 2024 Jury: Michael Schuyler, AIA (Manager of Estimating, EPIC Metals Corporation); Steve Lee; Praxis II Studio faculty Jeremy Ficca (coordinator), Vicki Achnani, Erica Cochran Hameen, Jeff King, Jongwan Kwon

Spring 2024 Award Amounts: $3,000 (first place), $2,600 (second place), $2,200 (third place)

This competition is open to third-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) students in the Praxis II Studio.

The next round of the competition takes places in spring 2025.

• 2024: Project Brief: Margaret Morrison Corridor Campus Improvements
  First Place: Benni Guo (B.Arch ‘26) & Patrick Zheng (B.Arch ‘26)
  Second Place: Tina Han (B.Arch ‘26) & Angela Yang (B.Arch ‘26)
  Third Place: Zoe Liu (B.Arch ‘26) & Jack Zhu (B.Arch ‘26)
• 2023: Project Brief: The Packaged Library: A Temporary, Disaster Relief Library and Community Hub
  First Place: Graham Murtha (B.Arch '25) & Jackie Yu (B.Arch '25), Project: Step Binding 
  Second Place: Michael Bi (B.Arch '25) & Jason Shao (B.Arch '25), Project: Disaster Relief Library
  Third Place: I Lok U (B.Arch '25) & Norman Situ (B.Arch '25), Project: Hawkers Library
  Honorable Mention: Brody Ploeger (B.Arch '25) & Ashley Su (B.Arch '25), Project: GCL: Global Community Library
• 2022: Project Brief: SoA Assembly and Prototyping Pavilion (SoAPP)
  First Place: Brian Hartman (B.Arch '24) & Colin Walters (B.Arch '24), Project: SoAPP Gateway 
  Second Place: Tory Tan (B.Arch '24) & Jerry Zhang (B.Arch '24), Project: EP Pavilion
  Third Place: Jai Bhatnagar (B.Arch '24) & Shenyuan Li (B.Arch '24), Project: Fine Arts Pavilion
• 2021: Project Brief: SoftSensory Play Pod for The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh
  First Place: Seyoung Choo (B.Arch '23) & Susie Kim (B.Arch '23), Project: Tangendi
  Second Place: Brendan Bogolin (B.Arch '23) & Nicholas Coppula (B.Arch '23), Project: Release 
  Third Place: Thomas Chen (B.Arch '23) & Meghan Pisarcik (B.Arch '23), Project: Push and Pull
• 2020: Project Brief: Mobile Air Quality Eco-Lab for the Neighborhood Environmental Learning Center (ELC)
  First Place: Ammar Hassonjee (B.Arch '22) & Paul Greenway (B.Arch '22), Project: Breath Mobile Air Quality Lab
  Second Place: Zeyin (Steven) Fei (B.Arch '22) & Xiaotian (Adam) He (B.Arch '22)
  Third Place: Shariq Shah (B.Arch '22) & Mohammed Rahman (B.Arch '22)
• 2019: Project Brief: Mobile Eco-Labs
  First Place: Christoph Eckrich (B.Arch '21) & Gil Jang (B.Arch '21)
  Second Place: Rachel Lu (B.Arch '21) & Brandon Smith (B.Arch '21)
  Third Place: Alex Wang (B.Arch '21) & Longney Luk (B.Arch '21)
• 2018: Project Brief: Portable Farm Stand for Environmental Charter School (ECS)
  First Place: Hugh Lee (B.Arch '20) & Fon Euchukanonchai (B.Arch '20) 
  Second Place: Christina Brown (B.Arch '20) & Scarlet Tong (B.Arch '20), Project: FLOO︵P
  Third Place: Xin Chen (B.Arch '20) & Christine Zhu (B.Arch '20) 
• 2017: Project Brief: Self-Sufficient Shelter for Environmental Charter School (ECS)
  First Place: Timothy Khalifa (B.Arch '19) & Gunn Chaiyapatranun (B.Arch '19), Project
  Second Place: Jakob Uhlenhopp (B.Arch '19) & Irfan Haider (B.Arch '19), Project 
  Third Place: Zain Islam-Hashmi (B.Arch '19) & Kelly Li (B.Arch '19), Project
• 2016: First Place: Sophie Nahrmann (B.Arch '18) & Kyle Wing (B.Arch '18) 
  Second Place: Mason Sofia (B.Arch '18) & Elle Bai (B.Arch '18) 
  Third Place: Fan Yang (B.Arch '18) & Ai Fukuda (B.Arch '18) 
• 2015: First Place: Mark Terra-Salomao (B.Arch '17) & Bobby Esposito (B.Arch '17) 
• 2014: First Place: Gloriana Gonzalez (B.Arch '16) & Avanti Dabholkar (B.Arch '16) 
  Second Place: Hsienshin (Richard) Chou (B.Arch '16) & Jae Min (Max) Park (B.Arch '16) 
  Third Place: Jacqueline Yeung (B.Arch '16) & Alexander Huseman (B.Arch '16) 
• 2013: First Place: Tony Zhang (B.Arch '15) & Kevyn McPhail (B.Arch '15) 
  Second Place (tie): Jason Kim (B.Arch '15) & Peter Salim (B.Arch '15) 
  Second Place (tie): Harris Mazur (B.Arch '15) & Chris Chan (B.Arch '15) 
• 2012: First Place: Matthew Adler (B.Arch '14) & Rohan Rathod (B.Arch '14) 
  Second Place: I-Ting Wang (B.Arch '14) & Yifan Xu (B.Arch '14) 
  Third Place: Lingnan He (B.Arch '14) & Abigail Mitchell (B.Arch '14) 
• 2011: not awarded
• 2010: First Place: Ryan Ralston (B.Arch '12) & Sara Gotschewski (B.Arch '12)
  Second Place: Ming Ming Lin (B.Arch '12) & Alex Greenhut (B.Arch '12)
  Third Place: Joseph Koon (B.Arch '12) & Arthur Notaro (B.Arch '12)
• 2009: First Place: Lowell Day (B.Arch '11) & Ben Lehrer (B.Arch '11)
  Second Place: Kaitlin Miciunas (B.Arch '11) & Matthew Z. Huber (B.Arch '11)
  Third Place: Giacomo Tinari (B.Arch '11) & Josiah Haskell (B.Arch '11)
• 2008: First Place: Craig Rosman (B.Arch '10) & Misha Varshavsky (B.Arch '10)
  Second Place: Rachelle Roll (B.Arch '10) & Ryan Bottini (B.Arch '10)
  Third Place: Niko Triulzi (B.Arch '10) & Jeff Choi (B.Arch '10)