The Mission & Vision
HIGH SCHOOL DESIGN COMPETITION
Welcome to the High School Design Competition (HSDC) by AIA Atlanta. Now entering the 18th year, this competition has created opportunities for over 1400 Georgia high school students to immerse themselves in fundamental architecture concepts in the city and the built environment and learn new skills that will be useful in their university studies and beyond.
HSDC focuses on a design prompt (or program) in which students create a solution using their creativity and architectural knowledge. The competition features two levels; beginner and advanced, to accommodate students with different experience levels. Winners are announced during a special ceremony in April, with those in the more challenging advanced competition receiving scholarships.
The AIA Atlanta High School Design Competition was founded in 2005 by Dr. William “Bill” Carpenter and architect Jay Silverman AIA working closely with James Perkins AIA who had a similar program in Michigan and then President of AIA Atlanta James Gantt Fausett FAIA. AIA National Gold Medalist Antoine Predock served as the chair of our first jury in 2005. The HSDC is managed each year by AIA Atlanta staff, Missy Bower, and its focused and energetic HSDC committee, who write the program and administer the jury and act as mentors to each of the schools and students participating. The goal of the HSDC is to engage students in the design process and raise their awareness of the built environment and urbanism to spark their interest in architecture and design. Over 1800 students have competed from 49 different school with over $170,000.00 being awarded in scholarships. Many students have gone on to full scholarships at some of the finest universities in the world.
In many architectures school now, over 40-48 percent of the student body are women and minorities and only 17 years ago they comprised over 10 percent of the student body. This scholarship is dedicated to my own high school professor, Robert Fisher of Mattituck High School in New York who saw talent in me and helped me to study architecture.
The Breather Scholarship Program
Breather is a brand that gives back. It was founded by Dr. William “Bill” Carpenter, FAIA, DPACSA to give back specifically for scholarships to underrepresented students to study Architecture and Design. Breather is inspired by the multi-disciplinary legacy of Virgil Abloh who studied architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology and served as artistic director for Louis Vuitton in Paris and artistic director of OFFWHITE.
Breather is a Design Conference, a website of inspiration and design, an app that celebrates healing and beauty. It builds upon his 35-year legacy in teaching and innovation and his retirement this year (2023). It also celebrates his achievement as National AIAS/ACSA Educator of the Year and ACSA National Distinguished Professor Medalist.
Dr. Carpenter was also selected as Chancellor of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture College of Distinguished Professors and recently nominated for its highest honor; The 2023 ACSA Topaz Medallion.
Dr. Carpenter is the founder of Lightroom in Atlanta (www.lightroom.tv) and serves as full Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at Kennesaw State University College of Architecture and Construction Management. This scholarship will raise funds specifically targeted this year for women and minority students.
“Thank you, Maryan Aiken and CityBox Media and all of our partners for believing in this vision of this important and meaningful initiative.”
Dr. William “Bill” Carpenter. Founder. Breather. Benefiting The American Institute of Architects Scholarship Program. FAIA. Architect. Founder. President. Lightroom Studio. United States. Brazil.