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ArchiNova

An annual “Shark Tank”- style entrepreneurial ideas meets the design world competition for University of Maryland architecture students.

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Graduate student Ignace Batsuli makes one of the winning pitches in ArchiNova, an annual ideas competition hosted by UMD’s Architecture Program. It challenges students to share an innovative idea with a design bent that solves a contemporary challenge, from the housing shortage to water scarcity. (Photo by Maggie Haslam)

Leveraging the critical thinking skills, creativity, spacial prowess and more that they’ve gleaned in the program, students are charged to conceive innovative ideas for new businesses, initiatives and products that make a positive impact on society. ArchiNova is a semester-long competition held every spring; students benefit from professional mentorship from Suzanna Kelley, FAIA, chief experience officer at McKinley Advisors to hone their idea.  Finalists go “into the tank” to pitch their idea to an expert jury.

ArchiNova was developed by Architecture Program Director and Professor Mohammad Gharipour, Associate Clinical Professor Ken Filler and Suzanna Kelley, chief experience officer at McKinley Advisors in Washington, D.C., to encourage design students to flex their creative and entrepreneurial muscles to solve a societal, environmental or business challenge. 

Read about the previous ArchiNova competitions

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ArchiNova 2.0 team
Photo: Jelena Djakovic.
NeoBoo, Bamboo Extraction
Architecture students Joshua Leveille ‘25 and Luis Andres '26 presenting their winning ArchiNova 2.0 project.
ArchiNova 2.0 second place team
Photo: Jelena Djakovic.
Green District Design
Zeina Rahi '27, Heyam Abualrub '26 and Uma Gupta '25 presenting the second place winning design for their business proposal.

Use ArchiNova to…

  • Learn about innovation

    By competing in ArchiNova, a semester-long competition held every spring that leverages the critical thinking skills, creativity, spacial prowess and more, architecturs students are charged to conceive innovative ideas for new businesses, initiatives and products that make a positive impact on society.