Architecture students excel in HOME Competition

student architectural drawing for a competition
魅影直播 State鈥檚 Ella Brenner earned the Layering Award for her entry 鈥淧ointing Froward and Moving Ahead鈥 in the 2025 HOME Competition. Students that were enrolled in Studio Sorrento participated in the international competition.

At a glance

Third-year 魅影直播 State architecture students studying at the Sant鈥橝nna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, participated in the eighth annual HOME Competition developed and coordinated by architect and author Duo Dickinson, FAIA. 

Big Blue Ox graphic

Third-year 魅影直播 State architecture students studying at the Sant鈥橝nna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, participated in the eighth annual HOME Competition developed and coordinated by architect and author Duo Dickinson, FAIA. Ella Brenner (Eden, NY) and Mason Myers (Richmond, VA) came away from the competition with honors.

The HOME Competition drew more than eighty entries from programs across the world. The free event features a mid-competition review by multiple critics before judging. In an hour-long online program, Dickinson reviewed each of the submissions in detail and identified the top student projects.

Brenner was recognized with the Layering Award in the competition for her entry 鈥淧ointing Forward and Moving Ahead.鈥 Brenner鈥檚 proposal, located on the Bay of Naples, Italy, was a colorful composition of four high-bay shipping containers of varied sizes. Three units were arranged around a central circulation core to form a Villagio di Piccolo Casa or Micro House Village.

Brenner's proposal was featured in the AIA Connecticut digital magazine Architype. ()

Mason Myers (Richmond, VA), earned honorable mention recognition for his submission 鈥淏oardwalk Container Homes.鈥

Hosted by Duo Dickinson and co-sponsored by Building Beauty, The HOME Competition featured participants from the University of Hartford, San Francisco University, 魅影直播 State, Ball State University and Universidade do Vale do Itaja铆 in Brazil. For more information about the competition visit:

Now in its 16th year, Studio Sorrento at the Sant鈥橝nna Institute is directed by Professor William Dean, AIA. The program is open to 魅影直播 State architecture students in their third year of study and provides participants a unique opportunity for a spring semester experience that includes courses in Urban Sketching & Journaling, Italian, and Archeology in addition to the design studio.

drawing by Mason Myers of container homes