For the third consecutive year, students from Louisiana Tech University’s School of Design have placed in the national ACSA Steel Design Competition. The 2025 team earned second place for their project, Nor-Cal 101 Fire Station, continuing an impressive streak that includes first-place finishes in both 2023 and 2024.
The competition, sponsored by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Steel Construction, celebrates innovation and creativity in steel design.
The winning team — Blayne Springer, Leyton Spencer and Matthew Wright — developed a wildfire response station on Lake Shasta in Northern California. Guided by faculty sponsors Dr. Pasquale De Paola and Professor Kevin Singh, the students created a thoughtful response to ongoing wildfire crises across the West. Their design addresses the increasing scale and frequency of these disasters by incorporating water conservation and firefighter training facilities.
Jurors praised Nor-Cal 101 Fire Station for presenting “a thorough and futuristic vision for a fire station.” They noted the project’s expressive exterior and inventive “kit-of-parts” strategy. The jurors also appreciated its overall playfulness, visible in both the design and the drawings: a direct reflection of the team’s camaraderie.
“I think what made this project so memorable was just how much fun we had working together,” said Spencer. “It’s something architecture students look forward to since second year. To be able to collaborate on a project at this scale really made us lean into each other’s strengths. Blayne handled a lot of the modeling and rendering, I focused on drawings and graphics, and Matt played a huge role tying everything together. Matt and I built most of the physical models while Blayne pushed the visuals. We all worked on what we enjoyed most. That made the process not just efficient, but actually super fun.”
Each year, fourth-year architecture students at Louisiana Tech participate in the ACSA Steel Design Competition, developing projects that explore unique ways of working with steel. The University’s continued success reflects a strong studio culture where creativity and collaboration consistently produce exceptional work.
For a full list of 2025 winners, visit the ACSA website.