Awards & Honors

Spitzer Students win top prizes in the Montclair Gateway to Aging ADU Design Competition

11. 15. 2023
  • A group of six people smiling in a line.

    Montclair Gateway To Aging in Place Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition prize winners.

  • Image of building in front of a green grass lawn.

    Project by Endrit Sopa.

  • Student standing in front of his project on an easel.

    Endrit Sopa and his project.

  • Composite image of floor plans and building on front of a green grass lawn and tree.

    Project by Evangelos Vasos.

  • An image of a lawn of green grass in front of a building.

    Project by Evangelos Vasos.

  • Drawing of a building and a tree.

    Project by Miriam Perel.

  • Image of a building in front of a green grass lawn.

    Project by Bardh Maraj.

  • Composite image of floor plans, interior building images of a home, and a building in front of a green grass lawn.

    Project by Endrit Sopa.

Spitzer students won top prizes in the Montclair Gateway To Aging in Place Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition sponsored by AARP and The Partners for Health Foundation. The students entered the competition as part of their Advanced Studio taught by Professor Jane Kim. There were over 60 undergraduate and graduate entries from Northeast schools including CCNY, Yale, Columbia, NJIT, MIT, Boston Architecture School, and Marywood University. ⁠
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Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are small housing units, generally of 1000sf or less, that can be built onto a lot⁠ with an existing single-family home. ADUs create “gentle density” for neighborhoods where detached single-family homes are the norm and are a tool in helping to alleviate the affordable housing crisis. The competition focus was on creating ways for longtime community members to age in place rather than having to leave their communities due to increased housing costs. Universal Design, green building techniques, and the lives of older community members were topics of research.⁠
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Bardh Maraj B Arch  ’25 won first prize ($2000), Miriam Perel B Arch  ’25 won second prize ($1500), and Endrit Sopa B Arch B Arch  ’26 won third prize ($1050). Evangelos Vasos B Arch  ’25 and Louie Apostol B Arch  ’25 won Best in Category for their 800 sf and 1200 sf ADU designs, with a prize of $150 each.

Congratulations to our students who won 5 of the 6 prize categories! For more information, please read the recent Montclair Local article on the competition.

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