Where Student Innovation Leads

Barbara G. Laurie
​​​​​​​Student Design Competition

Empowering emerging architects to design with equity, sustainability, and social responsibility at the forefront.

Since its inception in 2000, the NOMA Student Design Competition has aimed to foster creativity and innovation among aspiring architects. Each year, participants are challenged to address real-world architectural problems through a lens of equity, sustainability, and social responsibility.

By integrating principles of design justice, emerging architects are empowered to create spaces that prioritize inclusivity and address systemic inequalities within the built environment.

A Legacy of Mentorship

Honoring Barbara G. Laurie, AIA

In 2013, the annual NOMA Student Design Competition was renamed in honor of Barbara G. Laurie, AIA, a lifelong friend, supporter, professor, mentor, and active member within the NOMA family. An accomplished architect in her own right, Barbara dedicated her life to the education and mentorship of young students as a professor of architecture at Howard University.

NOMAS students at past competition​​​​​






The 2026 Challenge

Currents

A Place for Culture, Science, and Resilience

Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is recognized by the State of Florida as both an environmental and historic landmark. It draws thousands of visitors annually who come for its beaches, open space, and recreation, just minutes from downtown Miami. Yet many people don't know its powerful past as a segregated "colored-only" beach and its early role in the Civil Rights Movement in South Florida.

The fight for equal access to public recreation was part of a national struggle, as African Americans pushed for the right to enjoy parks, facilities, and coastlines long denied to them. In Miami, that fight resulted in Virginia Key Beach when local leaders and residents organized a protest and won the establishment of a designated Black beach in 1945. This achievement remains one of Miami's earliest examples of community activism and helped lay groundwork for the broader civil rights movement.



Community & Environment

A Living Museum for a Changing Coast

The history of Virginia Key Beach still resonates deeply with Miami's Black community, many of whom have personal or family connections to the site. It also matters to educators, historians, preservationists, and environmental advocates who continue to defend its legacy. But public awareness has faded — the park's closure in 1982 and its long absence until reopening in 2008 left its story largely forgotten.

Virginia Key's coastal environment now faces serious threats from erosion, sea-level rise, and climate change. Any new development must therefore be rooted in sustainability and preservation, and complement the island's natural environment. A living museum, cultural and resilient hub, and Marine Life Research and Education Center could fill this gap — offering an inclusive, educational, and interactive space that supports storytelling, environmental learning, and civic connection across communities.

NOMAS students at past competition​


Need a Direct Contact?

University Liaisons by Region

Reach out to your regional liaison for questions about your NOMAS chapter, the conference, or the design competition.

Northeast Region

Joshua Ssebuwufu

neliaison@noma.net
Midwest Region

Tianna St. James

midwestliaison@noma.net
West Region

Jamilla Afandi

westliaison@noma.net
South Region

Colby Mitchell

southliaison@noma.net


2025 Competition Winners

Last Year's Honorees

Awards were presented to the following NOMAS chapters for their projects in the 2025 Barbara G. Laurie Student Design Competition.

Anchored Corners — University of California, Los Angeles​​ 1st
First Place

Anchored Corners

University of California, Los Angeles

First Thread: The Start Of Something Better — California State Polytechnic University, Pomona​​ 2nd
Second Place

First Thread: The Start of Something Better

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Cadence — Santa Monica College​​ 3rd
Third Place

Cadence

Santa Monica College

Honorable Mention

Questioning Edge: A Study in Community, Memory & Movement

Pratt Institute

Special Recognition

KCK All-in

Kansas State University


Conference Pricing

Student Registration Fees

No tiered pricing for students. One fee across all registration periods.

Student Member

$356.00

Student Member Speaker

$254.00

Student Non-Member

$454.00







Got Questions?

NOMAS FAQS

What if our chapter can't pay by September 1st?

It is the chapter's responsibility to ensure that their funding is in place to pay on time and register by the deadline, or to provide proof that payment is being processed to conference@noma.net. NOMA will not facilitate late or back-end registrations once the conference is sold out.

Chapters should start inquiring with their university now if they plan to request funding. Chapters should also consider creative ways to fundraise — seeking sponsorships from local firms, reaching out to their local professional NOMA chapter, or hosting events on their campus.

Why does the Chapter Report require bank account information? What if our chapter doesn't have a bank account?

All NOMAS chapters are required to have a bank account with the name of the chapter on the account. If the chapter receives any payment from NOMA (for example, winning first place in the student design competition), payment will be issued based on the information provided in the chapter report. Accounts should not be in the name of an individual student.

If you do not have a bank account, you can enter the information for the mailed check option, with the goal of establishing a bank account in the chapter's name as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can work with your local professional NOMA chapter to manage your funds from their account with prior permission from that chapter.

I am a student, how can I get more information about the 2026 Student Design Competition?

You can find all the details about the competition here.

If our school is paying in bulk, is the conference registration transferable?

Yes — registration is transferable to another student that attends the same university if the chapter is paying for bulk memberships.

What if I can no longer attend? Can I request a refund?

There are no refunds but registration is transferable. 

What if my school requires a chaperone?

If your university's travel policy requires a faculty member to attend the conference as a chaperone, the faculty member will be included in the allotment of Reserved Tickets for the chapter. The faculty member must pay conference registration at the eligible rate (Professional, Emerging Professional, etc.). Faculty members not required to register for the conference will not be included in the allotment of Reserved Tickets.