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Only a first-year in a competitive program, Nathan Heid's ambitions, conceptualizations, and hard work caught the eyes of the jury at the state level, ultimately leading to him winning an Honorable Mention Award by the 2024 AIA Ohio Student Design Competition. With a true mechanical element stemming from an engineering background and hours spent meticulously prototyping, Heid’s project “Machine on the Horizon” paves a new path for first-years and students beyond to design with risk and brilliance.

The AIA Ohio Student Design Awards program recognizes the best innovative, high-quality student designs submitted across five competing architectural programs. Evaluated on the aesthetic, functionality, contextualization, and social characteristics of the design by a jury, students are given the opportunity to present leading projects.

Under the guidance of architecture program director Sung Ho Kim, Heid created an observatory with hairpin-shaped module trusses that mechanically rotate to engage different site aspects.

“Horizontally, observers occupy the interiors to hover over the river and precipice; upright, they collect rainwater and enable celestial viewing.The largest module spins down to track the waterfall, propelling observers closer to nature's dynamics” as per Heid’s project statement.

Heid’s architecture career has just begun. Winning this award has “Made me realize there is more out there [AIA Awards]” said Nathan Heid, second-year architecture student. “Made me push harder to see what I can do.”

Taking the reins of what it means to be an architecture student, one of Heid’s biggest takeaways from his success is what it takes to be that top-tier architect.

“Things you learn now you will always use throughout your career. It will take you as far as you want it to,” Heid remarked.

However, his achievement could not have been possible without the passionate faculty and friends Nathan made along the way. 

“I thank the CAED for accepting me into the program. I couldn’t have done it without Sung Ho, he really pushed me. He was there [at the CAED] all the time so anytime I could ask him questions,” Heid said.

For prospective students, Sung Ho Kim will teach first-year architecture for the upcoming three years. Kim’s pedagogy of architecture continuously challenges his students, provoking innovation and a fresh outcome for the ever-improving program.