The SOM Foundation supports individuals with the highest aspirations to enhance the design of the built environment.
Robert L. Wesley (1937–2026)
Robert L. Wesley, Chicago, 1996. © SOM.
2025 Research Prize
Visioning Eco-Connectivity with Youth in the Rio Grande Valley
Maggie Hansen
Miriam Solis
Cyclists enjoy the bike trail at Estrero Grande State Park, one regional precedent for our work. © Maggie Hansen.
Ali Fard
2025 Research Prize
Through the Cloud: Remapping Mobility in the Technical Landscapes of Northern Virginia
Development timeline along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. © Ali Fard.
2025 European Research Prize
Coastal Register: Disrupting the Corridor: Water/Ground Mobilities Across the Adriatic
Water stories. © Simonetta Armondi.
Simonetta Armondi
Agim Kërçuku
2025 Robert L. Wesley Award
Jenae Edwards
“Siren City.” © Jenae Edwards.
2025 Robert L. Wesley Award
Israel Jimenez
Braced Communal Platform. © Israel Jimenez.
2025 Robert L. Wesley Award
Nekelle Thomas
Examine the Existing. © Nekelle Thomas.
2025 China Fellowship
Rising Tides, Resilient Lives: Reimagining Vulnerable Communities in the River Deltas of Kampung Melayu, Jakarta
Hao Chang
Reclaiming the Negative Space. © Hao Chang.
2025 China Fellowship
Reconstructing the Power Order of the “Human-Water Relationship” Along China’s Grand Canal
Lu Ming
Axonometric drawing of the inner part of the city wall in the waterfront area. © Lu Ming.
2025 China Fellowship
Four Dimensions of Water Security: Availability, Accessibility, Resilience, and Sustainability
Zhang Nan
Scene of the transformation of the space under the viaduct in the Discover Eco-corridors project. © Zhang Nan.
2025 Researcher-in-Residence
A Permeable Atlas
Pablo Castillo Luna
A Tent for Lovers, A Garden for Pollinators, 2022. © Pablo Castillo Luna.
2025 Structural Engineering Fellowship
Reef Resilience: Designing Modular Solutions for Coastal Protection
Rebecca Henig
Coral Rubble at Moore Reef after MARRS star installation. Courtesy of Mars Incorporated and GBR Biology.
Supporting Lafayette International High School Students Interested in Architecture
Gordon Bunshaft. © SOM.
Call for Applications
Structural Engineering Fellowship Applications Now Open. Deadline: March 13, 2026
China Fellowship Applications Open in February 2026
Featured Fellow
The San Francisco Columbarium
2015 UK Award Part 1
Douglas Miller
University College London
Bartlett School of Architecture
© Douglas Miller.
© Douglas Miller.
Past
Block by Block: Decoding New American Dreams of Housing
Organized by De Peter Yi, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati DAAP and director of Rebuild Collective, Block by Block is an exhibition that explores the design potential of accessory dwelling units, upzoning, lot splitting, single stair exits, and mass timber construction in housing. Read
Recent News
Iker Gil to Step Down as Executive Director of the SOM Foundation
Iker Gil, Executive Director of the SOM Foundation since 2019, announced today that he will step down from his position in August 2026 coinciding with the end of the current awards cycle.
Robert L. Wesley (1937–2026)
It is with deep sadness that we announce that Robert L. Wesley has passed away at the age of 88. An architect who joined SOM in 1964 and became the firm’s first Black partner in 1984, Wesley made a lasting impact through both his built work and many years of committed civic leadership. In 2020 the SOM Foundation created the Robert L. Wesley Award to honor him and to support BIPOC undergraduate students enrolled in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, urban design, and engineering programs in the United States.
SOM Foundation Announces Winners of the 2025 Robert L. Wesley Award
The SOM Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Robert L. Wesley Award. Three fellows, Jenae Edwards (University of Southern California, School of Architecture), Israel Jimenez (Texas Tech University, Huckabee College of Architecture), and Nekelle Thomas (Pennsylvania State University, College of Arts and Architecture) will each receive a $10,000 award in addition to a yearlong mentorship program that connects the students with leading BIPOC practitioners and educators. Awardees will also be supported by Black Spectacles as they work toward becoming licensed architects.