The 2025 Student Program will run on two tracks, one online and one in person. The in-person track is open to a limited number of students from participating schools. Students, including those with individual League memberships, must use their school’s code to register for the in-person track. The online track is open to current students from any college or university. 

Participating in-person schools: 

• Columbia University GSAPP
• The Cooper Union
• Cornell University
• Kean University
• New Jersey Institute of Technology
• New York Institute of Technology
• New York City College of Technology (City Tech)
• New York University
• Parsons School of Design
• Pratt Institute
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York
• Syracuse University
• Tyler School of Art and Architecture
• Yale University 

Morning Session

The program will open with presentations from:

Laura Britton, associate, Shigeru Ban Architects, adjunct assistant professor, The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, The Cooper Union
Betsy Daniel, assistant vice president for urban design, Neighborhood Strategies Department, New York City Economic Development Corporation
David Polk, chief architect, Northeast & Caribbean Region, U.S. General Services Administration
Akemi Sato, public space planner, principal & co-founder, Sustrato

Panelists will present their distinct professional trajectories in the field, followed by a moderated discussion and live audience Q&A. The panel will take place in person for on-site attendees and will be livestreamed on Zoom for online attendees.

Afternoon Session

In the afternoon, all students will select one architecture studio to tour either virtually or in person. Please note: In-person studio tours are available only to students who attend the in-person morning session. The online studio tour is accessible to all students.

In-person studio tours: 

• Diller Scofidio + Renfro
• Ennead Architects
• Future Green Landscape Architecture
• Henning Larsen
• JG Neukomm Architecture
• Marble Fairbanks Architects
• Moody Nolan
• WXY

Online studio tour:

• PRODUCTORA

In-person attendees will gather at the end of the day for a second studio tour and reception at Rockwell Group.

Learn more about the panelists and studios below.

Laura Britton is an architect, author, and frequent lecturer on the subject of mass timber. Currently an associate at Shigeru Ban Architects (SBA), Britton has led and contributed to a wide range of projects for the studio, including as the author-editor of the firm’s 2022 monograph Shigeru Ban: Timber in Architecture, which traces the evolution of 45 wood projects from concept through construction. Prior to joining SBA, she worked in the offices of design firms such as Sou Fujimoto Architects, Atelier Bow-Wow, and LTL Architects.

Britton is an adjunct assistant professor at The Cooper Union’s Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture and the co-founder and board chair of Mass Timber Pedagogy, an academic working group that develops curricular resources for teaching mass timber at the university level. Britton holds an MArch from Princeton University School of Architecture, where she was a recipient of the Howard Crosby Butler Traveling Fellowship and the AIA Henry Adams Medal, and a Bachelor of Arts in architecture from Yale University.

Recent projects with Shigeru Ban Architects include Kentucky Owl Park in Bardstown, KY, Terrace House in Vancouver, Canada, and Cast Iron House in New York City.

Betsy Daniel is an assistant vice president for urban design at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in the Neighborhood Strategies Department, where she works on large scale planning and urban design projects across the five boroughs. A registered architect in New York State and LEED Green Associate, Daniel previously worked at design firms including HOK, where her projects ranged from zoning feasibility and campus designs to projective research on the impacts of rising sea levels on cities. 

A community-oriented urban designer, Daniel “strives to have the built environment be inclusive, healthy, and accessible for all people,” in her own words. She was a 2022 Urban Design Forum Forefront Fellow focused on waste and keeping the city clean, a member of the 2020 AIANY Civic Leadership cohort, and a 2018 Engage Community Design Fellow for the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety. Daniel holds a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University GSAPP and a BArch from Syracuse University.

Recent projects with NYCEDC include Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay in New York City and Brooklyn Marine Terminal and Coney Island West mixed-use district in Brooklyn.

David Polk currently serves as the chief architect for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Northeast & Caribbean Region. In this role, he oversees implementation of national Design Excellence policies across public projects such as courthouses, federal offices, and ports of entry while providing expertise on architecture, public art, preservation, workplace and urban design, and real estate strategy. As an adjunct professor, Polk teaches architecture, interior, exhibition, and urban design classes. 

Actively involved in numerous professional and community service organizations, Polk was a member of the AIANY Civic Leader Program class of 2023 and was recently named one of Building Design + Construction’s 40 under 40 and a part of the 2024 NextCity Vanguard. He holds an MArch from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Science in architecture from the University of Utah.

Recent projects Polk has guided at GSA include John A. Volpe U.S. Department of Transportation Systems Center, designed by SOM, in Cambridge, MA, Morphosis Architect’s United States Land Port of Entry, Alexandria Bay in Wellesley Island, NY, and the San Juan, Puerto Rico U.S. Courthouse designed by Davis Brody Bond.

Akemi Sato is an architect and urban planner focused on co-creating community-specific design solutions in partnership with funders, decision-makers, and technical and local experts. Throughout her career, Sato has worked globally on projects ranging from a cellphone-based program for disaster survivors in Peru and Puerto Rico to more recent initiatives to enhance public spaces in New York City—first with WXY and more recently as the director of programs for the Design Trust for Public Space. Sato is also the principal and co-founder of Sustrato, a non-profit that coaches local leaders in Mexico City and New York to implement design improvements in their communities.

Sato received a 2023 Urban Design Forum Forefront fellowship, focused on waste and keeping the city clean, and co-authored multiagency recommendations for climate change adaptations as a Rainproof NYC Consultant with Rebuild by Design and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. She holds a master’s in city planning with a focus on international development from MIT and a Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Recent projects include Barrilaco Ravine Recovery in Mexico City with Sustrato and The Neurodiverse City: Rethinking Public Space Access and Turnout NYC in New York City with the Design Trust for Public Space.

PRODUCTORA is a Mexico City-based architecture studio founded in 2006, currently led by Carlos Bedoya, Victor Jaime, and Wonne Ickx. Recognized for precise geometries and attention to materiality, the firm’s work in Mexico focuses on civic and cultural institutions along with residential and hospitality projects. Since their expansion to the U.S. in 2015, PRODUCTORA has completed work in cities from Los Angeles to Houston. The practice’s engagement with historical context and adaptive reuse extends to their Mexico City office, which is located within La Laguna, a former textile factory that the firm has gradually transformed into a complex which currently houses over 25 creative firms. Their neighbors at Laguna include LIGA Space for Architecture, a platform to promote emerging Latin American architecture that PRODUCTORA founded with curator and art critic Ruth Estevez in 2011.

Completed projects include Headquarters of Houston Endowment with kdA in Houston, TX, Teopanzolco Cultural Center in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Teotitlán del Valle Community Cultural Center in Oaxaca, Mexico. Current projects include Hotel Kymaia and Hotel and Villas Nayaá in Oaxaca, Mexico, as well as the ongoing renovation of Laguna in Mexico City.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) is a New York-based design studio whose practice integrates architecture, urban design, installation art, performance, and digital and print media. With a focus on cultural and civic projects, DS+R’s portfolio “addresses the changing role of institutions and the future of cities,” in the firm’s own words. This cross-genre work has been widely recognized by architecture and arts institutions, with founders Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio receiving the first grant awarded in the field of architecture from the MacArthur Foundation in 1999. Founded in 1981 by Diller and Scofidio, the studio added Charles Renfro as a partner in 2004 and Benjamin Gilmartin in 2015, leading a staff of 100+ architects, designers, artists, and researchers.

Completed projects include The High Line, with Field Operations and Piet Oudolf, and Lincoln Center campus redevelopment, both in New York, NY, and Zaryadye Park in Moscow, Russia. Current projects include V&A East Storehouse in London, United Kingdom, Rice University’s Sarofim Hall in Houston, TX, and Pina Bausch Zentrum in Wuppertal, Germany.

Ennead Architects is a planning and design practice headquartered in New York City with offices in Shanghai and Los Angeles. Founded in 1963 by James Polshek, the firm’s staff of over 200 people is currently led by ten partners. The firm’s design services include new construction, renovations and expansions, historic preservation, interior design, and master planning, as well as advisory services and professional counsel to institutions and government agencies. Ennead’s diverse portfolio spans countries and sectors, with projects ranging from museums and performing arts centers to research facilities and infrastructure work to commercial and mixed-use developments. 

Completed projects include The Delacorte Theater in New York, NY, Stanford University Sarafan ChEM-H and the Wu-Tsai Neurosciences Institute in Stanford, CA, and United State Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. Current projects include Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University in Mantua, NJ, the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI, and Bytedance Houhai Center in Shenzhen, China.

Future Green Landscape Architecture has offices in Red Hook and Chester, New York. Founded in 2008 by David Seiter, the firm aims, in their own words, to “reimagine how cities engage with nature,” adapting existing sites into multifaceted landscapes that contribute to their larger ecosystems. Working across various sectors, including cultural, residential, civic, transportation, and retail projects, the practice centers its process on research, site analysis, and community engagement. 

Completed projects include St. John’s Terminal in Manhattan and Amant Art Campus and Empire Stores in Brooklyn, all located in New York. Current projects include New Jersey Performing Arts Center Arts District in Newark, NJ, La Central in the Bronx, NY, and Sewall Park & Plaza in Somerville, MA.

Danish architect Henning Larsen founded the eponymous global firm in 1959. With 15 offices worldwide, including in Copenhagen, Singapore, and the New York office, which opened in 2017, Henning Larsen employs over 550 designers, scientists, and researchers. Practicing across architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, interiors, and graphic design, the firm aims to “connect the built environment with ecological systems and societies at large,” according to their website. Henning Larsen’s portfolio of projects includes community facilities, museums, and business centers in cities across the world.

Completed projects include the Minneapolis Public Service Building in Minneapolis, MN, Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center in Reykjavík, Iceland, and World of Volvo in Gothenburg, Sweden. Current projects include the Sundby School in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark, Downsview Framework Plan in Toronto, CA, and Raleigh City Hall in Raleigh, NC.

JG Neukomm Architecture is a New York City-based multidisciplinary boutique design firm working across the residential, retail, hospitality, and institutional sectors. Recognized for craftsmanship and thoughtful material use, the firm’s portfolio includes new construction, renovation, and historic preservation projects. The firm’s design for the Dyson store in SoHo was honored with a Silver award from the International Design Awards in 2024 for its excellence in commercial architecture, renovation, and adaptive reuse. The firm was founded by Jean-Gabriel Neukomm in 2018.

Completed projects include The Suffolk, Fabien Baron Residence, and West Village Townhouse, all located in New York, NY. Current projects include the Dyson Flagship SoHo and 220 East 72nd Street, both located in New York, as well as the Lucens Chandelier, Charles Burnand Gallery in London.

Marble Fairbanks is an architecture, design, and research office founded in 1992 by Scott Marble and Karen Fairbanks. Based in New York, Marble Fairbanks’ most recent work focuses on cultural and institutional projects for public and private clients including U.S. General Services Administration, The National Park Service, Brooklyn Public Library, The Museum of Modern Art, and multiple college and university projects across the country. A research-based practice with strong connections to academia, the studio “is at the forefront of discussions concerning digital technology, integrated design processes, and education,” in the firm’s own words.

Completed projects include Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center in Brooklyn, NY, Brown University Churchill House, with Mario Gooden Studio, in Providence, RI, and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City. Current projects include the National Parks of Boston Headquarters in Boston, MA, New Lots Branch Library in Brooklyn, NY, with MASS Design Group, and Charlestown Navy Yard Gateway Center in Boston, MA.

Moody Nolan, the country’s largest African American-owned design firm, was founded in 1982 by Curtis J. Moody and Howard E. Nolan. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and with 11 other offices around the U.S., the 310-person team “uses the built environment to catalyze social change,” in their own words. The firm’s portfolio, which includes a range of buildings in urban settings, features work across the civic, cultural, medical, and academic sectors. The firm’s practice of donating housing in underserved neighborhoods earned special recognition from Fast Company in 2022.

Completed projects include the Michigan State University, Student Recreation and Wellness Center in East Lansing, MI, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Expansion with TVS Architecture and Interior Design, WXY, and Stantec in New York, NY, and the International African American Museum with Pei Cobb Freed & Partners in Charleston, SC. Current projects include Lincoln Center West – Amsterdam Ave with WEISS/MANFREDI in New York, NY, the new terminal at John Glenn International Airport with Gensler in Columbus, OH, and City Colleges of Chicago, Malcom X College School of Health Sciences with CannonDesign in Chicago, IL.

WXY is a multidisciplinary design studio with offices in New York City and Toronto, recognized for impactful projects in the public realm. Founded by Claire Weisz and Mark Yoes in 1998, the firm’s focus on social equity and environmental health extends through projects that range from buildings and master plans to research reports and frameworks for action to the implementation of community-led initiatives. Across work with public and private clients, public engagement is embedded within the studio’s design process, which integrates planning, engineering, economic development, and policy expertise with design services.

Completed projects include Javits Center Rooftop Pavilion & Farm with TVS Architecture and Interior Design, Moody Nolan, and Stantec, Robert R. Douglass Bridge, and DSNY Manhattan District 1/2/5 Garage & Salt Shed, all in New York City. Current projects include the Peninsula Mixed-Use Campus in the Bronx, Storm King Art Center in Hudson Valley, NY, with heneghan peng architects, and Rockaway Dune Enhancement Plan in Queens.

Founded in 1984, Rockwell Group is a multidisciplinary architecture and design firm based in New York City with offices in Los Angeles and Madrid. Currently led by founder David Rockwell and five partners, the studio’s team of 350 people seeks to, in their own words, “merge performance and architecture.” The firm works across a wide range of projects, including educational and cultural institutions, transportation hubs, theatrical sets, and exhibition designs. Through its experiential design incubator, the Lab, the studio takes on projects that range from art installations and immersive pop-ups to branding and cutting-edge technology systems. 

Completed projects include the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, 550 Madison in New York, NY, and Nobu Bangkok in Bangkok, Thailand. Current projects include The Hand and the Eye in Chicago, IL, SLS Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, and the Hopkins Student Center in Baltimore, MD.