K-State Architecture

2026 EKDAHL LECTURES

Mark your calendars for the 2026 Ekdahl Lectures!

UPDATE ON NEW LOCATION:

February 16 | Nader Tehrani- Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, Due 1109-Engineering Lecture Hall at 4:30 p.m.

Nader Tehrani is an internationally recognized architect and educator whose work pushes the boundaries of material innovation, tectonics, and the role of design in shaping contemporary culture. As Founding Principal of NADAAA, a practice spanning architecture, urbanism, interiors, and fabrication, Tehrani has earned a reputation for transforming complex constraints into inventive, construction-driven design solutions. His award-winning projects — including multiple architecture school buildings — demonstrate a powerful belief that the built environment can also serve as a pedagogical platform.

Kansas State University's College of Architecture, Planning & Design, or APDesign, has selected Populous as the recipient of the 2026 Firm of the Year Award.

The Firm of the Year Award is presented annually to a design practice that has demonstrated exemplary leadership, a significant influence on the profession, and a strong partnership with APDesign and its students.

Populous was selected as the 2026 Firm of the Year based on the following areas of outstanding engagement:

Direct support for student scholarships
Faculty support and endowed leadership chairs
Recruitment, internships and full-time employment opportunities for APDesign graduates
Research collaboration and sponsorship
Professional mentorship and participation in academic initiatives

The award will be presented during a special reception at the 2026 Design Expo in Regnier Hall, bringing together students, faculty, alumni and industry partners to celebrate Populous' achievements and continued commitment to APDesign.

College of Architecture, Planning & Design recognizes Populous as its 2026 Firm of the Year The distinguished honor from APDesign recognizes Populous' transformative impact on the built environment and its long-standing dedication to excellence, innovation and mentorship in the design profession.

✨Big congratulations to graduate students Ethan Edington, Josue Ventura-Vasquez, Noah Kotlinski, and Shane Gallagher—all completing the final year of K-State’s five-year Master of Architecture program in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design (APDesign)—stood out among hundreds of entries submitted by students from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Their projects, guided by Professor Genevieve Baudoin, earned First Place and Honorable Mention in the competition’s Open Category, administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

Edington and Ventura-Vasquez captured First Place and a $4,000 prize, while Kotlinski and Gallagher received an Honorable Mention. Both projects will be showcased at the 2026 ACSA Annual Meeting and the 2026 AIA National Convention, and published on the ACSA and AISC websites, placing their work on a permanent stage of student design excellence for K-State.

Architecture students compete in 26th annual Bowman Design Forum

The College of Architecture, Planning & Design's department of architecture at Kansas State University, held the 26th Bowman Design Forum on Dec. 4.

The forum, sponsored by BBN Architects since 1999, highlights the best work in Architectural Design Studio 3, the fall semester of the third-year students. One representative from each studio section — five nominees — presented their work to a jury of BBN architects and honored guest jurors James Graham and Maureen O'Leary of Graham Baba Architects, Seattle, Washington.

Students presented designs for a mixed-use, high-density housing project, conceived as an urban living environment with public and communal programs and designed open spaces, to be situated on a site in downtown Emporia.

The design process began with a series of analytical assignments, including site/context analysis, precedent study, unit aggregation studies and a master planning component.

The following students were awarded a total of $4,500 in prizes:

Tennyson Gray, Colorado Springs, Colorado, $1,500 Honor Award. Gray is a student in the studio of Michael Grogan, associate professor.

Nada Hatamleh, Amman, Jordan, $1,000 Special Merit Award. Hatamleh is a student in the studio of Kory Beighle, assistant professor.

Ella Schultz, Pratt, $1,000 Special Merit Award. Schultz is a student in the studio of Reese Greenlee, assistant professor.

Wyatt Potter, Brashear, Missouri, $500 Merit Award. Potter is a student in the studio of Carsten Boschen, instructor.

Evan Marley, Liberty, Missouri, $500 Merit Award. Marley is in the studio of Gabrielle Coleman, visiting assistant professor.

"Congratulations to the Bowman award winners," said Michael Grogan, coordinator of third-year architectural studios. "All the work was excellent and, I should add, many other terrific projects were developed in all five studio sections. This year's project represented a different type of programming challenge for this third-year studio. The diverse and engaging results are evidence that the students, across the board, were clearly up to the task!"

APDesign's continued encouragement of student participation in events like these aligns with the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan to deliver impactful experiences through participation in regional and national competitions.

https://www.k-state.edu/today/announcement/?id=101363