SoA Grad’s tower design wins international honor in Tokyo

Francisco Aguilar Cortez, a May 2025 architecture graduate and incoming architecture master’s student, has been chosen to exhibit his work in Tokyo, Japan as part of the American Society of Architectural Illustrators’ Architecture in Perspective 39 International Competition.

This annual juried competition recognizes the world’s best architectural illustrations from both professionals and students. This year’s theme “ARTificial Intelligence,” explores the intersection of AI and artistic creation and invites both creative freedom and reflection on how AI influences the meaning and process of art.

Aguilar Cortez’s entry earned an Award of Distinction in the Student Competition which ensures his place in the 39th annual Architecture in Perspective catalog and exhibition. His piece was one of only 35 student images selected from across the globe. 

“You have earned one of the highest honors the architectural illustration profession can bestow, and we all benefit from the inclusion of your work and sharing that news with the design community around you,” ASAI President Tom Gastel said in the award notification to Cortez. 

Aguilar Cortez’s illustration was created as part of Associate Professor Mark O’ Bryan’s Fall 2024 studio, in which students were tasked with designing a tower.

This tower is inspired by Theo van Doesburg, a Dutch artist, architect and key founder of the De Stijl movement, a design philosophy that embraced geometric abstraction, primary colors and the pursuit of harmony through form. 

“The composition of the tower is made up of an interplay of squares with linear elements that create moments of disconnection and reconnection within the structure,” Aguilar Cortez said. “Despite the tower's simplicity, there is still complexness within the space. Through the strategically placed wall and irregular arrangement of stairways, the tower encourages movement and exploration, creating an engaging spatial experience. This results in a tower that honors the De Stijl ideals while inviting users to interact with space in unexpected ways.”

“We are very excited and proud of [his] accomplishment,” O’Bryan said upon learning of Aguilar Cortez’s award. 

The exhibition is part of the annual ASAI conference, held this year in Tokyo. The exhibition will be on display at the Jiyugakuen Myonichikan Building, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, beginning on Oct.1 , and Aguilar Cortez was invited to accept his award in person at the ASAI AIP 39 awards ceremony on Oct. 3.

See a full list of winners at https://asai.org/architecture-in-perspective-39/.