Five students in the J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program at Indiana University's Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design were among nine statewide to be distinguished with scholarship awards from the Indiana Architectural Foundation (IAF) March 25. M. Arch students Jonathan Hill, Samantha Nardine, Anthony Reiss, Carolina Zapata Bustamante, and Will Ziegert were recognized at Monday’s awards banquet in Indianapolis. The 2023-24 IAF scholarship awards conveyed a total of $21, 500 to the nine recipients.
The merit-based awards recognize Indiana residents who have completed two years of an undergraduate degree, or are a graduate student, attending a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)-accredited or NAAB-candidate professional architecture degree program. Awardees must have 3.0 GPA or above and are selected based on the merits of their academic and professional record, a sample of submitted design work, and an essay.
Nardine, a second-year student in the M. Arch program, “feel[s] honored to receive this award.” She intends to apply the scholarship funds toward the LEED Green Associate exam, which measures knowledge and skills necessary to promote and implement green building practices. Nardine found her place at the intersection of design and sustainability as an undergraduate at IU Bloomington, where she majored in Interior Design at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design (B.S. ’22) and minored in environmental and sustainability studies at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
A strong connection with the natural world characterizes both designs second-year M. Arch student Will Ziegert submitted for his award-winning application. A community center design leverages proximity to Columbus’ recreational trail system and a design generated through engagement with ABC Stewart Montessori School stakeholders nods to Japanese architecture in incorporating natural light and sightlines to a forest.
Ziegert’s current research includes residential housing diversity and human wellness education as it pertains to sports, recreation, and healthcare design in public architecture. Over the last year, Ziegert has engaged with the Columbus community in identifying and working to restore its “missing middle” housing.
Read: New perspectives: architecture student examines “middle housing” options for Columbus
Ziegert received his undergraduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Miami University with concentrations in urban development and marketing. As an undergraduate, Ziegert also spent time in Maastricht, Netherlands, where he researched and obtained a certificate in development economics.
About the Indiana Architectural Foundation
According to the organization’s website, The Indiana Architectural Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization, founded in 1973 with the core mission of supporting architectural education, enhancing public awareness of architecture, and preserving Indiana’s architectural legacy. For the past 45 years the IAF has awarded scholarships to deserving students, published books on Indiana architecture for both professional and amateur readers, and provided grant funding to a diverse array of projects that align with our core mission.
