The SOM Foundation supports individuals with the highest design aspirations to achieve excellence.
Bringing together the brightest design minds to undertake interdisciplinary research that can help shape our future
© David Schalliol.
© Daniel Kelleghan.
Creating New Architecture Through Research
September 6, 2019
2020 Research Prize
Reclaiming Black Settlements: A Design Playbook for Historic Communities in the Shadow of Sprawl
Diane Jones Allen
Austin Allen
Kathryn Holliday
2019 Structural Engineering Fellowship
A Case Study of the Cities of Japan
Samantha Eng
2017 China Prize
Architecture, Infrastructure, and Urban Design and the Emerging Role of Infrastructure Design in the Modern City
Yue Wu
Upcoming Deadlines
Fall 2021 Research Prize
Fall 2021 Robert L. Wesley Award
Featured Fellow
Kenya Steward
2020 Robert L. Wesley Award
Kenya Steward
Academy of Art University
School of Architecture
Passage. © Kenya Steward.
Passage. © Kenya Steward.
Passage. © Kenya Steward.
Featured Events
Towards an Agrarian Urbanism: Progressive Potentials for Contemporary Practice
On October 14, 2020, architect and urbanist Charles Waldheim, juror of the 2019 Research Prize, discussed his work as it relates to the topic of the Research Prize: “Shrinking our Agricultural Footprint.” The lecture was organized in collaboration with the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts and the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Watch
Recent News
SOM Foundation Announces Winners of the 2021 China Fellowship
The SOM Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 SOM Foundation China Fellowship. Three fellows, Chang Guo, Han Tu, and Yunhan Zhu will each receive $5,000 to conduct original research. This year’s topic, “Examining Social Justice in Urban Contexts,” encouraged applicants to explore and identify long-term policies, immediate actions, and comprehensive plans have the potential to shape a more equitable and sustainable future. Read
SOM Foundation Announces Winner of 2021 Structural Engineering Fellowship
The SOM Foundation is pleased to announce the winner of the 2021 Structural Engineering Fellowship. Michelle Chang will receive $20,000 to conduct original research. This year’s topic, “Examining Social Justice in Urban Contexts,” encouraged applicants to explore and identify long-term policies, immediate actions, and comprehensive plans have the potential to shape a more equitable and sustainable future. Chang’s proposal, “Decolonizing Urban Landscapes: Reclaiming a Black and Indigenous Right to the City through Structural Design,” aims to study exemplary structures in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that address race relations in both process and form. Read
SOM Foundation Announces Winners of 2020 Robert L. Wesley Award
The SOM Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 SOM Foundation Robert L. Wesley Award. Three fellows, Viridiana Hernandez Sevilla, Temi Osanyintolu, and Daniella Slowik will each receive a $10,000 unrestricted award to support their academic development. In addition to the three fellows, the jury decided to expand the number of fellows to include two $5,000 unrestricted awards to Corey Norman and Kenya Steward. All recipients of the award will be mentored for a year by the jurors and an extended network of advisors. Read
SOM Foundation Announces Winners of 2020 Research Prize
The SOM Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 SOM Foundation Research Prize. Two teams—one from the University of Texas at Arlington and one from Tulane University—will each receive a grant of $40,000 to conduct original research. This year’s topic, “Examining Social Justice in Urban Contexts,” encouraged applicants to explore and identify long-term policies, immediate actions, and comprehensive plans have the potential to shape a more equitable and sustainable future. Read
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