UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Zachary Anderson, a third-year student in the Department of Architecture, Stuckeman School, at the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture, was named the winner of the Department of Architecture’s 2026 Corbelletti Design Charrette.
The annual competition challenges Penn State architecture students to create hand-drawn designs based on a selected theme, continuing a long-standing Department of Architecture tradition. This year’s theme, “Material Narratives,” encouraged students to explore how materials can communicate stories and ideas through design.
“I was in disbelief, filled with pride and too many other emotions to unravel,” Anderson said of winning the coveted prize.
Anderson’s winning design focused on corrugated iron and its complexity and economic impact in Rocinha, Brazil. The design features a cityscape at the center of the board surrounded by a simplified depiction of how corrugated iron is developed.
Anderson’s design developed gradually through experimentation and revisions.
“I was always making tweaks and reinventing the ideas I had as the board evolved,” Anderson said. “The corrugated progression was all trial and error, so it was only after each horizontal line was complete did the project read as I had envisioned.”
Jessica Colangelo and Charles Sharpless, co-founders of Somewhere Studio and faculty members in the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas, served as visiting architects and jurors for this year’s competition. Clarissa Albrecht and Tung Chen, both lecturers in architecture in the Stuckeman School, rounded out the jury.
Daniel Anthony, a fourth-year bachelor of architecture student, was named runner up. Ashima Gopal, Lucy Lokovic, Anjali Raghavendran and Jubayer Siddiqui each earned honorable mentions.
“It is an honor to represent this year’s competition and continue the long-lasting tradition,” Andrewson said. “I hold this competition in high regards because of the rich history and dedication it represents, and I could not be happier with the outcome.”
The Corbelletti Design Charrette, named after former Department of Architecture head Raniero Corbelletti, is an annual tradition that ushers in the new academic year for Penn State architecture students. The event highlights the art of hand-drawn design. Past winning entries can be explored through the Corbelletti Digital Archives or viewed in person as framed originals displayed on the first floor of the Stuckeman Family Building on the University Park campus.