UB’s international design competition exhibition opens Jan. 28

Group of people seated at a table reviewing design plans.

Representatives from each firm participating in The Resilient Campus design competition visited UB’s South Campus in the fall for a site visit, where they met with students. Photo: Lukas Iverson

David J. Hill January 21, 2026

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Over the past several months, seven teams of architects and consultants from around the world have been developing their entries for The Resilient Campus, an international design competition sponsored by the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning.

On Jan. 28, the final team submissions will be showcased as part of a competition exhibition opening taking place from 5-7 p.m. in Room 116 of Crosby Hall on UB’s South Campus. Julia Czerniak, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, and Jason Sowell, associate professor of architecture at UB, will give welcome remarks beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Resilient Campus competition challenged architects, landscape architects, planners and other allied design professionals to boldly envision UB’s South Campus — a public campus on its way to becoming carbon neutral — as a socio-ecologically integrated landscape.

Each team’s entry had to consider climate change, biodiversity loss and human vulnerability, positioning UB as a test site where design strategies can be replicable across all scales of the built environment.

The competition jury will review each of the entries Jan. 29-30. Winners will be announced in February. The winning team will receive $50,000.

Teams whose entries will be showcased are:

  • STOSS Landscape Urbanism + Höweler Yoon Architecture
    Faculty Liaison: Maia Peck
    Student Assistants: Janice Ng, Edwin Sanchez Rodriguez, Ethan Ikegami

  • OBRA Architects + LOLA Landscape Architects
    Faculty Liaison: Jon Spielman
    Student Assistants: Ryan Bingham, Ben Jellinick

  • MVRDV + RIOS
    Faculty Liaison: Randy Fernando
    Student Assistants: Lydia Diboun, Kaya Jost, Gianni Rinaudo

  • MASS + EinwillerKuehl + SITELAB Urban Studio + Second Nature Ecology and Design
    Faculty Liaisons: Joyce Hwang, Hiro Hiroaki
    Student Assistants: Ryan Mellen, Ashley Johnson, Will Sundell

  • LTL Architects + Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects + Derive Engineers
    Faculty Liaisons: Kristine Stiphany, Nick Bruscia
    Student Assistants: Berkan Sari, Gennaro Rovello, Allison Lavis, Shruti Kunadia

  • Barkow Leibinger + TOPOTEK1 + Transsolar KlimaEngineering + Guy Nordenson and Associates
    Faculty Liaisons: Martha Bohm, Mohamed Aly Etman
    Student Assistants: Danny Escandon, Jamie Jiang, Sukriti Sharma

  • ASPECT Studios + Woods Bagot Architecture + Dr. Jillian Wallis
    Faculty Liaison: Elaine Chow
    Student Assistants: Alec Pitillo, Ester Rafailova, Daniel Syperski

The competition is sponsored by UB’s School of Architecture and Planning, with assistance provided by the Graduate School of Education, Office of Sustainability and University Facilities.

Community members interested in attending the exhibition opening should register by completing the online form.