Ida Newell designed a space where people could pause, step away from digital distractions and connect through music.
Inspired by nostalgia and analog listening experiences, her idea earned a top statewide honor and introduced her to the professional architecture community she could one day join.
The second-year Architectural Design student at the Guthrie Center earned first place, receiving the Most Outstanding Individual Award for high school students in the Texas Society of Architects’ 2026 Student Design Challenge.
Her achievement builds on Guthrie’s recognition in 2025, when Mayar Badi earned first place and Zanli Morris received the People’s Choice Award.
This year’s challenge, “Gather,” asked students to explore how design can bring communities together. Drawing inspiration from Houston jazz saxophonist Jean-Baptiste “Illinois” Jacquet, Ida developed a music-centered gathering space where people could set aside electronic distractions and share an experience in person.
Her concept addresses a question architects consider every day: How can a space help people connect?
For Ida, the answer also reflected something personal. Her teacher, Mr. Loutfi, said her family makes time to disconnect from technology and be present with one another, a practice she brought into her design.
“Ida had a very refreshing idea for this project,” Loutfi said.
Turning that idea into a finished project required research, creativity and problem-solving. Ida had to consider how people would use the space, how its elements would work together and how to communicate her vision through her presentation.
Loutfi said Ida grew in her understanding of composition and spatial relationships while learning to manage the time needed for each stage of design development and presentation. Working through challenges helped her refine both the project and her ability to explain the thinking behind it.
Those experiences are built into Guthrie’s Architectural Design program. Students work toward city, state and national competitions as part of their preparation, connecting classroom learning with the standards and expectations of practicing professionals.
Loutfi said the demands of that work help students challenge one another and grow. Competition within the classroom and with students outside the district gives them opportunities to push their skills further.
“We have a high bar set for what is expected, and even for students with talents, we push them to develop and refine even more,” he said.
For Ida, the competition brought those classroom expectations into a professional setting. Her work became part of a statewide conversation about design, giving her an opportunity to see how her ideas could contribute to the field.
The project also gives her meaningful work to include in a portfolio and discuss in college applications or future internship interviews. Behind the recognition is an experience she can draw on: developing an original concept, working through revisions and communicating a finished design to an audience beyond her classroom.
Guthrie’s continued recognition reflects the opportunities students have to pursue their interests, develop technical skills and share their work with professionals, supported by teachers who help them meet ambitious goals.
As Ida explores her next steps, she already has a project that reflects both her skills and her values: a place designed to bring people together, with music at its center.