Five Taubman College students have been recognized in the annual Saarinen Swanson Essay Contest. Their essays explored the themes of justice, power, and repair, and how the concepts influence architecture or urban planning.
This year, there were three winners and two honorable mentions. Malak Atwi, B.S. Architecture ’25, David Vega II, M.Arch ’25, and Misbah Shahid, B.S. Architecture ’26, were awarded $3,000 in prizes. Lauren Chew, Ph.D. Arch, and Sophia Hoffacker, Ph.D. Arch, each received $2,000 as honorable mentions.
Established in 1994, the contest encourages the use of writing to generate and disseminate ideas about architecture and planning. It is open to all students at Taubman College, at any level, in any program. The competition seeks 1,000- to 1,500-word essays addressing contemporary issues in architecture, planning, and related topics. The essay can be a new text or work produced for a course.
Here are the titles and an excerpt from each of their essays:
Atwi for “Dear Architecture: A Letter of Reckoning”
Excerpt: “I want to work with land as kin, not commodity. To understand materials not just for their color palette, but for the histories they carry. I want to build in a way that considers the cost of construction- the environmental effect, the human labor, the sociopolitical implications. But more than anything, I want to use you to protect, not to dominate.”
Vega II for “Pa’lante: A Manifesto for Spatial Justice & Erasure”
Excerpt: “In NYC, injustice is written into the cracked sidewalks, the shadows of urban renewal, the infrastructure vacancy, the disintegration of NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) campuses, and the generations resisting erasure. It lingers in neighborhoods where our Hispanic, Caribbean, and African American communities have built, fought for, and reclaimed space despite policies designed to displace, disinvest, and erase them from the urban fabric.”
Shahid for “Where the Cracks Are: Repairing the Architecture of Care in Pakistan.”
Excerpt: “Sometimes I wonder: what would Pakistan look like if we designed with justice in mind? What if planning departments prioritized flood-resilient housing in Sindh, where climate change has devastated entire communities? What if architects worked with displaced people, rather than for clients in air-conditioned offices? What if our buildings were less about marble and more about mutual aid?”
Chew for “Migration, Power, and Belonging in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia”
Excerpt: “These acts of persistence go beyond mere survival; they are acts of resistance. Every unlicensed food stall, informal settlement, and reclaimed gathering space challenges urban policies that seek to render them invisible. Migrants do not simply exist within the city—they actively shape its rhythms, textures, and identity. Their influence matters because migration is not an incidental aspect of urban life; it is central to its ongoing transformation.”
Hoffacker for “Planning for Health Equity, Planning for a Better Future”
Excerpt: “In this moment, nothing is more important than health, defined as the right to wellbeing. The stakes are high. If we do not meet the demands of this moment, untold numbers of people will suffer physical and mental health consequences, perhaps even the ultimate consequence. Marked by its commitment to both health and justice, I can think of no better benchmark for today’s planners than the relentless pursuit of health equity.”
Submissions for this year’s essay contest were reviewed by the Architecture and Urban Planning Collaboration Committee. Members included Kimberly Kinder, associate professor of urban and regional planning and chair of the committee; María Arquero de Alarcón, associate professor of architecture and urban and regional planning; Scott Campbell, associate professor of urban planning and former director of the doctoral urban planning program; Gabriel Cuellar, assistant professor of architecture; and Jen Maigret, professor of architecture and director of climate futures.
