2025 Competition
The 2025 Lyceum Competition explores sustainable building design in the Caribbean through the lens of its indigenous culinary arts and culture. Students will reimagine two reclaimed buildings situated on the beachfront in Bridgetown, Barbados, transforming them into vibrant hubs for culinary innovation and community gathering.
Learn MoreExperiencesThe intentions of the travel was to better understand the overall direction of my graduate research. Many of the sites and cities visited looked to understand the spatial connection between people and forests. Through these connections I wanted to learn how it could then apply to the reforestation of Ireland.
Michael Fitzpatrick 2023, First Prize
ExperiencesThis fellowship has been an invaluable opportunity for personal and professional growth. I look forward to applying these insights to my architectural practice and continuing to explore the rich tapestry of global architectural styles. This journey deepened my appreciation for architectural history and its ongoing dialogue with modern design practices. The experience has informed my understanding of sustainable design and the importance of cultural context, which I intend to integrate into my future projects.
Ilmi Licaj 2023, Second Prize
ExperiencesMy journey to Japan optimistically aimed to enhance my understanding of the built environment, explore and exercise different approaches to sketching, and draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of Japanese art and architecture.
Ruqaiyah Bandukwala 2023, Third Prize
Experiences“… the glory that was Greece, the grandeur that was Rome!” – Edgar Allan Poe
Ruth Shiferaw 2020, Third Prize
Travel By the Numbers
1986–Present
Lyceum Archives
Our mission is to build a community around design and advance the profession of architecture by engaging students in design in travel.
Established in 1985 by Jon McKee, AIA (1927‑2013), for nearly four decades, the Lyceum has conducted an annual architectural design competition for students, engaging highly noted architects from all areas of the field to develop our program briefs. We have awarded more than half a million dollars in travel grants to date, enriching the education of highly talented students through travel to more than 110 countries. In acknowledgement of the Lyceum's mission and legacy, the Lyceum was recognized nationally by the American Institute of Architects in 2015 with its prestigious AIA Collaborative Achievement Award.
See Past WinnersCompetition
LYCEUM STUDIOS
Faculty are enthusiastically encouraged to structure design studios around Lyceum competition briefs. Sign up for our emails to be among the first to learn about new competitions on the website. "The Lyceum Fellowship Competition is an outstanding learning experience for the student competitors and faculty advisors. The project brief provides a detailed and informed foundation, and the integration of developing a travel proposal along with a design project encourages expansive thinking. Aspects raised through design inquiry open portals to seeking in-situ learning. The method of presentation encourages both independent exploration and the focus to convey ideas through concise expression. While the prizes are substantial, it was evident that an incredibly valuable semester was its own reward." Joanna Lombard, University of Miami Faculty Advisor
