Founded in 1985, inspired by a lifelong love of travel and a commitment to philanthropy, SMMA founder Jon McKee established the Lyceum Fellowship. The non-profit organization “seeks to advance the profession of architecture by engaging students in design and travel.” Each year, the Fellowship hosts a student-only design competition, inviting participation from across the country. Comprised of well-regarded industry professionals, the jury convenes to bestow travel grants to the top three entrants, totaling $24,000 in scholarships.
The Lyceum Fellowship recently announced the 2020 grants recipients following an entirely virtual submission and judging process. This year’s competition prompted participants to reimagine a new housing prototype for the city of Chicago, considering the lessons learned from the city’s iconic Bungalow-style homes and its ability to adapt with the changing conditions and needs of a new generation.
First Place: Bungalow Backbone
Nicholas Earman, University of Cincinnati, advised by Terry Boling
In response to this year’s query, Earman proposes introducing “affordable customization into the context of urban housing.” By creating a new spinal corridor that stretches across lots, homeowners can easily put additions on their homes, expanding on their square footage. They can be designed to serve a variety of purposes. Such flexibility allows owners to customize their home for themselves, create multi-generational housing, or spike their income with rental units – all while sharing resources and building greater equity.
Second Place: Bungled Bungalows
Christine Sima, University of Cincinnati, advised by Terry Boling
Sima’s submission makes a case for providing an interactive framework, much like an arcade game, to provide a neighborhood’s residents with the power to make decisions about their community’s future, thus helping resist gentrification. The first step is to prompt residents to assess their community and determine their needs. It begins with small attainable projects “to build interest and neighborhood pride,” and eventually working towards larger architectural projects.
Third Place: Evolving Bungalow
Ruth Shiferaw, University of Cincinnati, advised by Terry Boling
With a sustainable bent, Shiferaw offers a new prototype for housing in the city that is flexible and affordable, while promoting a more interactive lifestyle among residents. Her proposal includes the design of a modular structure than can easily accommodate additions. To minimize waste during construction and lower costs, the structure is built from simple, easily-recyclable natural materials and is prefabricated. The additions allow to expand or downsize easily while offering the ability to increase their wealth via renting out parts of their space.
SMMA’s Mark Spaulding and Michael Pardek serve on the Lyceum Fellowship Board of Directors. To date, the Lyceum has awarded over half a million dollars in travel prizes, enriching the education of highly talented students through travel to over 100 different countries. It continues to celebrate John McKee’s vision of extending architecture education beyond the classroom, creating a vehicle for stimulating perceptive reasoning and inspiring creative thought.
