Kennesaw State Univ. Wins PCI Design Precast

CHICAGO – The Kennesaw State University team of Ashely Borgman, Ines Konji, and Asma Nadir was the overall winner of the PCI Spring 2026 Design Precast competition. Their winning design, the Folded Frame contemporary art museum, embraces the site’s artistic and industrial identity by exploring how precast concrete can serve as an efficient building system and an expressive architectural language that shapes light, atmosphere, and human experience.

In PCI Design Precast, teams of two or three students present their designs in the form of elevations and 3-D BIM modeling. Students are encouraged to work with a local Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI)-certified precast concrete producer to learn about design-assist, understand precast concrete production, and learn about the colors and textures needed to complete the design. In this competition, each team was to design a museum focused on a specific theme or topic of interest in a location aligned with that theme or topic.

“Our main central concept of this project was to show how precast concrete can be both structurally efficient and aesthetically compelling,” said Nadir, a member of the winning team. “Rather than using precast concrete as a flat enclosure material, the building transforms it as a folded architectural system that introduces rhythm, shadow, depth, and spatial identity.”

The winning team will present the winning design at the 2027 PCI Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 1-5.

PCI Spring 2026 Design Precast Top Three Teams – First Place: Kennesaw State University-Ashely Borgman, Asma Nadir, Ines Konji, Second Place: Lehigh University-Katie Bui, Samantha McEvoy, and Third Place: Kennesaw State University-Dulce Hernandez, Connor Johnson, Joanna Lin

The 2027 PCI Design Precast Competition is open. Visit pci.org/archcomp for more information.

About PCI

Founded in 1954, The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) is a technical institute for the precast concrete structures and systems industry. PCI develops maintains, and disseminates the Body of Knowledge for the design, fabrication, and construction of precast concrete structures and systems. PCI develops consensus base standards, industry handbooks, quality assurance programs, certification, research and development projects, design manuals, continuing education, and periodical publications. PCI members include precast concrete producers, erectors, suppliers, professional engineers and architects, educators, students, and industry consultants who complement the wide range of knowledge of precast concrete. For more information, visit pci.org/howprecastbuilds.