Weitzman Students Win 2021 HOK Futures Competition

Master of Architecture students from the Weitzman School of Design made a clean sweep in the 2021 HOK Futures Competition. All three of the finalist spots were awarded to teams of Weitzman students:

First Place: "Enigma" by Nicholas Houser (MArch'22) and Danny Ortega (MArch'22)
Second Place: "Under One Roof" by Eric Anderson (MArch'21) and Megan York (MArch'21)
Third Place: "Seaming Picturesque" by Monte Reed (March'23) and Kyle Troyer (MArch'23)

Now in its fifth year, HOK Futures invites Philadelphia-area architecture students to participate in the competition. The three finalists were recognized at a virtual award ceremony on February 16. 

Anderson and York also earned Second Place in last year's competition.

Project descriptions for each team are below:

First Place: "Enigma" by Nicholas Houser (MArch'22) and Danny Ortega (MArch'22)

Tasked with the incorporation of a Neighborhood Food Market, Maternal Health Clinic, and Cafe staffed by troubled youths, Enigma redefines the meaning of second chances through adaptive reuse of the existing building by designing a minimal intervention with maximum impact for the Mill-Creek Neighborhood community. Two large Monoliths are inserted into the existing edifice, allowing for Frontage space to be created through engagement by the open-air neighborhood food market. Rather than creating a traditional frontage space through building mass, this space needed to always be seen as public to promote interaction with the community. Within the nesting of programs, an entanglement of synergy is created through exploration of spatial conditions, uniting all programs to function as one regardless of programmatic identity. The application of movable follies and walls not only allow for picturesque moments to be shared across social media, but also function as a way to create spatial organizations for a multitude of scenarios. Being respectful of the surrounding context and typologies, Enigma remains intentionally obscure while simultaneously having the ability to be outwardly expressive to create a space for the community.

Second Place: "Under One Roof" by Eric Anderson (MArch'21) and Megan York (MArch'21)

Located in West Philadelphia’s Mill Creek neighborhood, “Under One Roof” is a public health campus that catalyzes community growth around holistic well-being. Two buildings, separate but united, sit postured on the site, creating a sense of place. The project’s aspirations are anchored in three primary amenities: a market, a clinic, and a garden. Our design strives to create a feeling of continuity. Continuity with the existing structure, surrounding community, and the various, seemingly unconnected programs. Holistic well-being is an on-going process that, when done right, simply becomes part of a healthier life. All are welcome here; all are welcome under one roof.

Third Place: "Seaming Picturesque" by Monte Reed (March'23) and Kyle Troyer (MArch'23)

Caught between a world of beauty and the sublime, Seaming Picturesque provides an escape into the confluence of intricate landscape and architecture. Much like 18th-century landscapepaintings, the project site becomes a sentimental effect generated between the contrast of trees, vegetation, and ruins, all while providing an immersive experience for healing and wellness. A series of seams become a method of delaminating the ontology of landscape, whose constituent layers reflect on the past, present, and future of the Mill Creek neighborhood. In addition, the seams become an allusion to activity, while their formal operations frame the picturesque views within and outward from the site.