Awards & Honors

Spitzer student Husan Ahmed B Arch ’23 received the Center for Architecture’s 2022 Common Bond Scholarship. Ahmed was feted at the Center for Architecture Gala: Common Bond on October 27 at Chelsea Piers, where he was one of three scholarship winners presented with a cash prize of $3,500 and a chance to mingle with professionals.

“Husan is amazing — engaging, open, full of good will, hope, and visions for our world. He received such a warm welcome at the Gala, which culminated with a standing ovation and being wooed by architects bearing business cards,” said Spitzer School Dean Marta Gutman.

The 24-year-old’s future goals match his charisma, that of becoming a “great architectural concept designer.”

“I hope to one day push the boundaries and inspire large urban cities like New York to incorporate more natural elements into our designs,” said Ahmed, who believes that sustainable architecture is necessary to keep the planet healthy, and aids our connection to it. “The space we inhabit should inspire a healthier lifestyle both on an individual level (physically and mentally) and on a larger planetary scale. I strongly believe that as a species, we’re slowly losing our sense of harmony with the ecosystem and each other.”

Ahmed, 24, who plans to graduate in Fall 2023, has already fulfilled the requirements of a minor in Studio Arts, two years of liberal arts, and is in the fourth year of the five-year architecture curriculum.

The Center for Architecture is the storefront for the American Institute of Architects, New York chapter (AIA New York). The Common Bond scholarship acknowledges the outstanding accomplishments of the students honored and also invests in the future of an industry that struggles to retain talent due to high education debts post-graduation that force many promising designers out of the profession.

Born in rural Sylhet, Bangladesh, Ahmed immigrated with his family in 2003. Now, he calls the diverse neighborhood of Norwood, in the north Bronx, home. “Although I wasn’t born here, I’ll always consider it home. I hope to give back to the community someday as the population mainly consists of other immigrant families just like mine,” he said.

As part of the scholarship selection process, students submitted essays and portfolios. Ahmed’s essay was about the ways in which recent obstacles he and his family faced “opened his eyes to the direct impact that our inhabited spaces have on our health.”

Ahmed seeks future internship opportunities to foster the necessary experience and skill-set to achieve his goals. He is thankful for his supportive friends and Professor Jason Joon Kim, “who paved the road for how I think and design every day.”