Share: mail

PCC architecture student Gabriela Colmenares took second place at the annual “2×8: Source” exhibition, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, on May 7. The exhibit is designed to showcase emerging talent in the field of architecture.The competition took place at the Architecture and Design Museum in Los Angeles. Students from participating undergraduate and graduate programs throughout the Los Angeles area were asked to submit their projects to be viewed by industry professionals.

Participants were assigned a particular site and had to revolutionize the historical landmarks. The best work was selected by a panel of esteemed architects and designers; including architect Zoltan Pali, architect Michael Folonis, and freelance writer Sam Lubell of The Architect’s Newspaper.

Colmenares’ project, ‘Places of Performance at the Los Angeles Grand Central Market’, won her a $1,750 scholarship from architecture firm Gensler and Hinerfeld-Ward Construction.

Being selected over participants from universities such as UCLA, USC, and Cal-Poly Pomona left the winner feeling “a little shocked.”

“It was pretty exciting. I was already happy to be a part of the exhibition so I was a little shocked when I heard my name,” said Colmenares. “Winning this scholarship could really open doors for more opportunities.”

Carlo Caccavale, Associate Director at AIA-Los Angeles Chapter, took note of the two-year program that Colmenares was representing.

“While judging her project, the jurors had a relevant point: the level of the project was impressive and I agree. She deserved the award,” said Caccavale. “It was nice to see that a community college did extremely well in comparison to USC, UCLA, and other prestigious universities.”

According to Architecture Professor, Coleman Griffith, Colmenares beat every undergraduate competitor and placed second to two students from the UCLA graduate program.

“Gabriela’s win shows the architecture community the high value of our program at PCC,” said Griffith. “For me, it is the biggest gratification to see my students be successful. I am proud of them and the program.”

After receiving the scholarship, Colmenares had some words of advice for her peers in the architecture department: be open-minded.

“[Students] need to take other people’s critique and use it to make a project better. Also, work hard, be confident, and have fun since this field can be stressful,” said Colmenares.

Previous PCC participants have won scholarships at the exhibition in recent years. Cody Glen, a graduate from the college’s program, took first place at last year’s exhibit. In 2009, Erick Rodriguez placed second, losing to graduate students.

Follow: rssyoutubeinstagrammail

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.