LTU team takes home national awards in architectural engineering competition

SOUTHFIELD—Students in Lawrence Technological University’s five-year combined Bachelor and Master of Science in Architectural Engineering program took home several top national awards in a student design competition sponsored by the Architectural Engineering Institute.

The team won first place in construction management, as well as first places in design challenge awards for performance optimization of the building envelope and a “celebratory” stairway. They also won second place awards for mechanical building systems, electrical building systems, and integration.

The event took place April 13-16 in Kansas City, Mo.

Team members were Kahil Knox of Farmington Hills (Team Leader and Mechanical Discipline); Payton Szymanski of Oxford (Co-Leader and Electrical Discipline); Vanessa Hannosh of Sterling Heights (Mechanical Discipline); Javeon Jordan of Franklin (Electrical Discipline); Lilli Webb of Harrison Township (Structural Discipline); Peighton Andrews of Tecumseh (Structural Discipline); Benjamin Holman of Macomb Township (Structural Discipline); Mackenzie Rzepka of Novi (Construction Discipline); and Marwa Saleh of Ann Arbor (Construction Discipline).

The team provided engineering services for a new headquarters for Carson Wealth, a money management firm in Omaha, Neb. Areas of focus were integration, mechanical systems, electrical systems, structural systems and construction management. The project also had three unique design challenges, including the design of a “celebratory” stair, performance optimization of the building envelope,and the building’s energy story. The 122,000-square-foot, six-story building included offices, conference and training rooms, and lobby spaces. The team submitted in all five categories and all three design challenges. Other universities that competed at the finals were the University of Nebraska and California Polytechnic State University.

The team was advised by LTU Associate Professor Keith Kowalkowski, who was also structural subdiscipline advisor. Assistant Professor Mamdouh Mohamed served as construction subdiscipline advisor, adjunct faculty William Fulton served as the mechanical subdiscipline advisor, and adjunct faculty Lokman Abbas served as the electrical subdiscipline advisor. Team members met with advisors regularly, incorporated current codes and standards, used industry level software, and worked as a collaborative team to complete the designs associated with the project. Said Kowalkowski “The AEI design competition is a wonderful mechanism for our students to showcase what they have learned as part of their capstone project to peer students at other universities and to industry representatives that serve as jurors. We are very pleased with their accomplishments as one of only a few teams that have been selected to the finals. Our university has been represented for three straight years and this team is well deserving of their accomplishments to carry on the tradition.”

Szymanski said the team began work on the project in September, and “developed an exceptional team dynamic through effective communication, mutual support, and a shared commitment to our goals… We overcame many hurdles together and most importantly learned to trust each other and lean on one another to meet deadlines.” Szymanski said the team’s presentation “could not have gone better,” and credited LTU faculty—and industry professionals who served as team advisors—for the team’s success.

For more information on LTU’s architectural engineering program, visit https://ltu.edu/programs/architectural-engineering/.

Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11% of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10%. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwest colleges. LTU is also listed in the Princeton Review’s “America’s Best 390 Colleges 2025,” which includes the nation’s top 15% of colleges and universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.