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鈥檚 project 鈥淢achine on the Horizon鈥 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.
鈥淗orizontally, 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鈥 as per Heid鈥檚 project statement.
Heid鈥檚 architecture career has just begun. Winning this award has 鈥淢ade me realize there is more out there [AIA Awards]鈥 said Nathan Heid, second-year architecture student. 鈥淢ade me push harder to see what I can do.鈥
Taking the reins of what it means to be an architecture student, one of Heid鈥檚 biggest takeaways from his success is what it takes to be that top-tier architect.
鈥淭hings you learn now you will always use throughout your career. It will take you as far as you want it to,鈥 Heid remarked.
However, his achievement could not have been possible without the passionate faculty and friends Nathan made along the way.
鈥淚 thank the CAED for accepting me into the program. I couldn鈥檛 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,鈥 Heid said.
For prospective students, Sung Ho Kim will teach first-year architecture for the upcoming three years. Kim鈥檚 pedagogy of architecture continuously challenges his students, provoking innovation and a fresh outcome for the ever-improving program.
鈥淭o me, anything in motion is being human. Mechanism of movement is really important. These are the things you need to learn in school because AI can鈥檛 do it,鈥 Kim recited.
Winning an AIA Ohio Student Design Competition Award is no small feat, and especially remarkable for a first-year architecture student. Nathan Heid鈥檚 鈥淢achine on the Horizon鈥 is a transformative piece for the school鈥檚 curricular trajectory and a foundation of what is yet to come from such a promising student. Visit Heid鈥檚 project on display in the glass stairwell on the west side of the John Elliot Center for Architecture and Environmental Design.
