July 29, 2010 — University of Virginia School of Architecture graduate students Maria Bninski, Alexandre Garrison, and John Kupstas, working with faculty sponsor William Sherman, were recently awarded an honorable mention in the 10th annual steel design student competition.

Administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction, the program annually calls for students, working individually or in teams, to explore a variety of design issues related to the use of steel in design and construction.

The 2009-10 competition program, "Re-ligare Institute," challenged architecture students to design a public urban center dedicated to reconnecting people with their authentic selves, others and nature. Using steel construction, the building design was to provide a necessary retreat from real world diseases, promote healing and foster a reconnection at the individual and collective levels.

Chosen from 291 design submissions nationally, the U.Va. student team’s design, “Reconnecting Mind & Body,” explored the five senses at three different scales: street, building and body.

More information about this year’s program and awards can be found on the institute's  website.