Each year, the Schools Connections Committee holds a scholarship competition for architecture students who are attending school in Virginia or attend an architecture school out-of-state but reside in Virginia. Cash prizes are awarded to winning students with funds coming from the Northern Virginia Chapter of the AIA, alongside matching funds from AIA National through a component matching scholarship grant program.

This year’s competition involved students creating a design to be placed on a standard white ceramic coffee mug. The aim of the competition was to design a graphic that would spark a conversation about architecture when the mug is viewed in someone’s hands.

Entries were solicited back in September of 2024 with a due date in the middle of October. Students’ entries were judged on composition, clarity, technique and an overall answer to ‘does this make me want to talk about architecture?’ Three winners were selected, each representing the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC). The winners were notified at the beginning of December, and were presented with a scholarship check as well as a mug with their winning design at the Fall Semester’s final All-School Meeting.

This 2024 Mug Design Competition winners:

FIRST PLACE

– Z A Saleh Zebermai, Master’s student
Washington Alexandria Architecture Center

The shading, line weights, and overall composition bring this piece together, visually pulling the viewer in. There is so much to see on the Architect’s Desk, because the multitude of tools, ideas, iterations that can be used to create amazing design is endless. This design won over the judges through its clear communication of the universal Architecture Studio experience. Many architectural conversations could be started after viewing a mug with this design.

SECOND PLACE

-Adam Greenfield, Year 4 student
Washington Alexandria Architecture Center

The strong use of color in this design is eye-catching, and the emphasis on the local landmarks make this a great conversation starter! It is a beautiful perspective that shows attention to detail with the reflection and tree textures, and is a great technical design that incorporates a refreshing dash of whimsy.

THIRD PLACE

-Kanako Kohara, Master’s student
Washington Alexandria Architecture Center

This entry blends beautiful arch designs with fantastic technical execution of watercolor painting into a vibrant composition enhanced by clean, well-designed lettering. The extra textural detail from the paper used made this design visually interesting, and gave off a cozy feeling; perfect for when you’re drinking a hot mug of coffee, tea or hot chocolate!

Please join me in congratulating the talented winners of the 2024 Schools Connections Committee Mug Competition! Thank you to all of the students who entered their designs and participated in this competition.

– Jess M. Somgynari, AIA, 2024 Schools Connections Committee Co-Chair