Erin Kurtycz, B.S. Arch ’25, is one of four undergraduate architecture students nationally to win the 2024 Robert L. Wesley Award from the SOM Foundation.
With the award, each student receives $10,000 and yearlong mentorship that connects them with leading practitioners and educators.
“I am extremely honored to be a recipient of the Robert L. Wesley Award,” Kurtycz said. “Being recognized by the SOM Foundation provides me with both personal motivation and further career opportunity as I continue pursuing my journey as an architect. I am excited to connect with industry professionals and further understand how I can personally contribute to a more empathetic future within all facets of design.”
Through her work, Kurtycz challenges the idea of exactly who and what purpose architecture is meant to serve, forcing both client and designer to constantly question their intent. Her projects highlighted in the award include an outdoor gallery space in Detroit, a proposed replanning and innovation of the Kalamazoo Post Office, and “A House for People Who Like Hot Yoga,” which questions the limits of interior and exterior space.
Kurtycz, a Detroit-area native, said she most enjoys spending time in studio and making new friends. “While faculty might call this distracting other students from their projects, I believe the type of critical yet non-judgmental socialization I engage in with my peers has been the most important aspect of my education.”
Zain AbuSeir, lecturer in architecture and DEI faculty lead at Taubman College, said Kurtycz has demonstrated an outstanding spatial intuition and sophisticated design ability as a student.
“Erin’s passion for architecture is evident in her work, where she consistently demonstrates a genuine spirit of inquiry and an immersion in design principles,” AbuSeir said. “She consistently demonstrates a natural aptitude for creativity and an admirable work ethic.”
The SOM Foundation created the Robert L. Wesley Award in 2020 to honor the first Black partner at the Chicago-based architecture firm SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill). The Wesley award supports Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) undergraduate students enrolled in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, urban design, or engineering programs in the United States.
In addition to Kurtycz, the other 2024 SOM Foundation Fellows are Ferras Coulibaly from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture in New York, Beni Lawson from the University of Illinois School of Architecture, and Salma Rodriguez from the Texas Tech University Huckabee College of Architecture.
“I was beyond impressed with the caliber of students that applied for the Robert L. Wesley Award,” said award juror Monica Chada. “We have so many talented young people in design who are deserving of an easier path in school. The fact that this award can honor, support, and provide mentorship is invaluable.”
