March 2, 2009

For the first time the University of Maryland claims a spot in the winner's circle in the HINES Urban Design Competition. An interdisciplinary team from the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation reached the top 10 among 90 teams from across the country in the competition. Maryland earned one of the six Honorable Mentions awarded and is in good company with the other teams in the winner's circle:  MIT, Harvard, Penn, Cornell, Columbia, University of Miami and Kansas State.

The team includes five graduate students—three from the Planning program and one each from the Architecture and Real Estate Development programs. The team members are: Senait Kassa, Nicole Wynands, Nicolas Dei Castelli (Planning); Lin Mao (Architecture); and Priya Kanchan (Real Estate Development).

Architecture Professor Matthew Bell, AIA served as faculty adviser, and Marc McCauley of RCLCO Real Estate Advisors served as professional adviser. Bell recently won one of seven national honor awards in urban design presented by the American Institute of Architects for the design of a new town in Gaithersburg, Maryland

Almost 500 students distributed among 98 teams representing 42 universities in the U.S. and Canada applied to compete in the competition. Through the competition, interdisciplinary teams of students were challenged to create a design and development proposal for a 75-acre site, which is located a mile and a half south of Denver adjacent to two light rail stations and the historic Baker and West Washington Park neighborhoods.

The Urban Land Institute is the largest international organization of real estate professionals in the world. Its stature in the planning, design and development fields is unparalleled. The HINES Urban Design Competition is one of the premier planning, development and design competitions worldwide.

CLICK HERE to see the team's competition entry (PDF).

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland is home to four academic disciplines: architecture, urban planning, historic preservation and real estate development. Committed to educating its students and community about the importance of sustainability and smart growth, the School practices an interdisciplinary approach to education, research, creative work, and community and professional service. For more information, please e-mail us or call 301.405.8000.

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