CULTURE

Congratulations to the Junior Earl Prize 2nd Place Winner, Margaret Schmidt as well as their professor Hugh Swiatek.

About their winning project Woven Together:
“Situated in downtown Urbana, Woven Together investigates how housing can be redesigned to create connections between residents, while still maintaining the autonomy of an individual resident. Initial research exposed how American housing is designed to fit the needs of a traditional nuclear family, leaving many groups with living spaces that do not support their needs and lifestyles. This project aims to serve both young professionals and elderly residents by creating spaces where age groups can gather on a variety of scales of privacy.”

Congratulations again!

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On September 27, Prof. Joseph Altshuler welcomed Chicago Mayor, Brandon Johnson to the fifth edition of the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival.

The fifth edition of the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival is now open through October 19, 2026, featuring the work of multiple Illinois School of Architecture faculty members Wekeana Lassiter and Madalyn Asker. The Chicago Sukkah Design Festival brings together neighbors, community organizations, architects, designers, artists, and students to co-create sukkahs—structures inspired by Jewish tradition-reimagined as places of belonging, solidarity, and community identity.

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Congratulations to the Senior Earl Prize Third Place Winner, Mariah Saniel, Miracle Thomas, and Samantha Hess, as well as their professor David Isern.

About their winning project Healing Canopy:
Located between the small villages of San Francisco and Payorote in the Nauta District, Healing Canopy enforces spiritual connection and health education. The design reflects the hybrid quality of care within the space: traditional methods of construction with western integrations. Through familiar architectural elements, local materials and textiles, Healing Canopy builds trust with the Peruvian community. It envisions a nee approach to one’s healing journey—honoring tradition and embracing modernity.

Congratulations again!

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Arthur “Art” Kaha

April 4, 1939 - July 30, 2026

As a teacher, mentor, and gentle guide to generations of Illinois architects, Kaha gave more than thirty years of teaching and service to the Illinois School of Architecture, including two decades as Associate Director advising undergraduate students.

Bachelor of Architecture 1966 • Master of Architecture 1974, University of Illinois • 1996 AlA Excellence in Education Award • 1999 FAA Excellence in Teaching Award • 2000 Campus Award for Excellence in Advising Undergraduate Students • 2025 Illinois Medal in Architecture

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Fall 2026 Midterm Reviews

Freshman Studios

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Fall 2026 Midterm Reviews

Graduate Studios

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Dear School of Architecture Community,

We are pleased to announce our next guest lecturer, Co-Founder & Co-Director of Floating Museum, Andrew Schachman. He will be speaking at 5:30PM on Monday, October 12, 2026, here in the Plym Auditorium (Room 134) of Temple Buell Hall.

Andrew Schachman designs environments, infrastructures, and installations. He co-founded and co-directs two nonprofits. Floating Museum uses site-responsive art and design to explore the relationships among art, community, architecture, and public institutions. Fieldwork Collaborative Projects turns civic spaces built for sport and recreation into platforms for culture and civic engagement. Floating Museum served as the artistic team for the 2023 Chicago Architecture Biennial, This is a Rehearsal.

As principal of Studio Andrew Schachman, he designed the Palais de Tokyo’s exhibition “Singing Stones” at the DuSable Museum of African American History. Trained as an architect, he worked for Doug Garofalo, Carol Ross Barney, Zaha Hadid, and Perkins + Will. His projects have received the AIA Distinguished Building Award and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design.

Food will be served in the Temple Buell Hall Atrium beginning at 5PM.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Fall 2026 Midterm Reviews

Seniors and Juniors Studios

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