Architectural students from the University of Idaho and Washington State University received awards during the 2025 Architecture “Design with Wood Competition” sponsored by Idaho Forest Products Commission on April 22.
UI students were asked to design a new campus visitor center, while WSU students designed innovative housing solutions.
UI’s Cami Heath (pictured) won first place for her design called Hope is Light. Heath’s visitor center design used a reusable and easy to construct flexible column, beam and plate system, which utilizes wood for structure and light towers. The design incorporated cedar posts and beams and douglas fir cross laminated timber (CLT) panels for the roof and shear walls.
“The structural possibilities of wood are underestimated,” said Heath. “There is such an enormous range of uses.” Heath is passionate about sustainability and plans to utilize wood in future designs.
Second place winner for the UI was Jeffrey Arnzen for his project Entanglement. Arnzen incorporated the history of log drives along the Clearwater River, a waterway that has served as a unifying force for surrounding communities. Using a traditional wanigan as inspiration, the design utilizes moment frames, dowel laminated timber (DLT) roof panels, and wood floors.
Third place went to Everett Beck for his project Moving Up. Beck’s design utilized glulam beams and ceiling, CLT walls, DLT flooring and wood siding.
WSU gave awards to three teams for their innovative housing solutions, including: Odalis Medellin, Bruce Kibet, and Tess Crilly for Resonance Apartments ; Andi Orman, Logan Parejo, and Carissa Smith for Weave; and Noah Hilderbrand, Cooper Irinaga, and Matthew Johnson for Presence.
Resonance Apartments was designed to facilitate community and celebrate music through wood construction. Weave was designed to provide those impacted with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with modular mass timber affordable housing that incorporates elements of nature into the built environment with the intent to connect people to the natural world and enhance their well-being. Presence was designed to provide ALS sufferers enhanced community through a shared greenhouse and a public learning center incorporating wood throughout the design.
In its 14th year, IFPC’s “Design with Wood Competition” seeks to provide hands-on opportunities for architecture students to learn about Idaho forests, sustainable forest management, wood products and manufacturing while fostering learning experiences about the energy efficiency, strengths and codes, and the environmental and biophilic benefits of wood.