UDEM’s School of Architecture hosted the XLI Alberto J. Pani Architectural Composition Award
- During the Fall 2025 semester, the School of Architecture at the Roberto Garza Sada Center for Art, Architecture, and Design had the honor of hosting the 41st Alberto J. Pani Architectural Composition Award, one of the most prestigious academic competitions in the field of architectural education in Mexico.
Organized by the Faculty of Architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Pani Award annually invites final-year students from architecture schools and faculties that are part of the Association of Institutions of Architecture Education of the Mexican Republic (ASINEA). In the short stage, held over one week at UNAM’s Faculty of Architecture, 38 students from across the country participated. From this group, five finalists were selected, representing the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, the Autonomous University of Baja California, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Querétaro, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, and Universidad Anáhuac. These finalists traveled to Monterrey to take part in the long stage, which took place from October 13 to 31 at the Roberto Garza Sada Center.
The proposed project for this edition, titled “Inclusive Sports Center for Powerchair Football: Sports Infrastructure for Adaptive Excellence, Intercorporeal Inclusion for a Shared World, and Regeneration of the La Silla Riverbank”, posed a deeply human and contemporary challenge. The proposal invited participants to design a specialized and socially necessary architectural piece aimed at making visible, dignifying, and enhancing the talent of athletes using power wheelchairs, while promoting spaces for interaction between people with and without disabilities.
Beyond the design exercise, the theme encouraged reflection on inclusion, accessibility, and the role of architecture as a tool to build a shared world—where human interaction transcends physical differences and fosters empathy, collaboration, and mutual understanding.
Hosting this important competition represented a recognition of Universidad de Monterrey and its School of Architecture for their academic leadership, cutting-edge infrastructure, and commitment to the comprehensive education of future architects in Mexico. The experience strengthened ties with the national academic community and left a lasting impact on the students, professors, and visitors who participated in this edition of the Pani Award.
