An honor award winner in the Excellence in Architecture for a New Building category, ANSYS Hall is a hive for teaching, prototyping, and implementation, designed for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering in collaboration with the engineering software company ANSYS, Inc. The 36,000 square-foot building serves as a connective framework, acting as a physical bridge between the surrounding buildings while bringing together multiple academic departments, ANSYS Inc., and extracurricular groups. Commenting on the project, the SCUP jury noted that “it was exciting to see how a ‘missing link’ was added into an existing cluster of buildings and seamlessly stitched back as if it was always there.”

Centrally located on Kent State’s main campus, the Design Innovation Hub is a collaborative, “owned by all, shared by all” environment that brings together students, faculty, and experts from diverse disciplines under one roof. A revitalization of the 1970s-era former art building, the DI Hub is the focal point of a University-wide innovation ecosystem. The recipient of a merit award in the Excellence in Architecture for Building Additions, Renovations, or Adaptive Reuse category, the design process stripped the building to its original structure and created a light-filled and interconnected maker environment within, continuing a legacy of creative exploration while providing a flexible framework for the next generation of innovators at Kent State. The SCUP jury praised a thoughtful breakdown of scale and use of the building’s original cellular geometry to create varied studios and makerspaces. Read more about both projects below: