2025-26 Competition Theme
Students enrolled in Canadian Schools of Architecture and Engineering are invited to design a structure that demonstrates how steel performs under tensile and compressive loads, highlighting its efficiency, aesthetics, and its unique advantages. Steel is an excellent structural material to address tensile forces and can be very economical when members are appropriately sized.
The primary structure must be fabricated from Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS), with specific reference to the Categories and Characteristics as described in the CISC AESS Guide. Detailed references are available through the competition website.
The site is to be located in Canada to the specific discretion of the student team.
| 1st Prize – Award of Excellence | student team (1) $8,000 faculty sponsor $2,000 |
|---|---|
| 2nd Prize | student team (1) $4,000 faculty sponsor $1,000 |
| 3rd Prize | student team (1) $2,000 faculty sponsor $500 |
Proposals will be verified for conformity. Valid proposals will be scored individually by each jury member according to the 5 criteria listed below. The jury will meet in a final round to select, amongst the 10 finalist projects who received highest score, the 3 Prizes of Excellence.
Scoring and judging will be based on the following criteria:
• Aesthetics and ingenuity
• Incorporation of competition theme
• Use of structural steel
• Constructability (specification of steel sizes and shapes)
• AESS finish
The aim of the competition is to introduce students to the use of architecturally exposed structural steel and show its design potential through formal expression, detailing and surface finish.
Proposals must exclusively use steel in the design of the structure and for surfaces where appropriate. The design must demonstrate an understanding of the properties and possibilities steel has to offer.
The competition theme requires students to:
• design a structural frame with steel elements
• design constructable connections
• collaborate with a steel fabricator to choose the steel members and their connections
Collaboration between designer(s) and fabricator(s) is encouraged to familiarize students with the industry and allow them to develop a realistic and constructable proposal.
Students and faculty sponsors are encouraged to seek advice and guidance from a local steel fabricator to help chose the right steel sections and detail the design. CISC can suggest names of steel fabricators, on request.
The competition is open to all current full-time students (individually or in teams of a maximum of 3) registered in a Canadian school that offers an accredited or non-accredited program of architecture or architecture / engineering of that is at least 3 years in duration.
Each student team should register and identify a primary contact for the team. A faculty professor is endorsing the individual or team must be provided. Teams that include students in engineering are encouraged to participate.
The competition may be conducted as part of a design studio project under the direction of a faculty sponsor or as an independent extracurricular self-directed project. In all cases, winning entries and their faculty sponsor will receive the stipulated prize.
To register, go to the CISC website (https://www.cisc-icca.ca/architectural-student-design-competition/) and select Registration. Create an account, complete and submit the registration form. Registration allows students to receive Q&A and be informed of latest competition updates.
To submit your proposal, click on the link received in your registration confirmation email or go to the CISC website (https://www.cisc-icca.ca/architectural-student-design-competition/) and select Submission. Simply log into your account and attach a single project file in PDF format.
All entries must be received by 5:00 p.m., ET on May 15, 2026.
