AUSTIN, TX Texas Central, the private developer of the Texas bullet train, announced winners of a design competition for Texas architecture students to help produce an inspiring vision for the high-speed train passenger stations. Entries were based on creative vision, technical accuracy, quality of submittal materials and overall presentation.

Students and multi-disciplinary student teams in a Texas college or university-level program in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, architectural engineering or transportation were invited to participate. They were encouraged to be inventive in submitting their vision for the future of transportation in Texas.

"We were energized by the students' creativity and excitement building the stations of the future," said Holly Reed, Managing Director of External Affairs for Texas Central, the private company developing the project. "Students from across the state showed their innovative ideas and vision for the proposed stations in Dallas, Houston and the Brazos Valley."

After reviewing students' submitted materials and overall presentation, the Texas Central Student Design Competition Committee and its judges named the winners in the following categories:  

"¢ High Speed Rail Station Design Award: Julia Green, University of Texas at Arlington, Dallas station design.

"¢ Urban Planning Award: Dana Moore, Nathan Chen, UJ Song, Hannah Williams and Alex Davila, University of Texas at Austin, Dallas station design.

"¢ Sustainability Award: Ledell Thomas and Kaylah Wesley, Prairie View A&M, Brazos Valley station design.

The competition drew 45 proposals, representing almost 100 Texas architecture students. Thirteen finalists made presentations Nov. 18 in Dallas to the judges: Kristian Teleki of Matthews Southwest; Lisa Lamkin of BRW Architects; Andrew Hawkins of Hawkins Architecture; Ralph Hawkins of HKS; and Don Gatzke, former dean of the University of Texas at Arlington's Architecture College. 

Each of the winning teams received $5,000 for their school and $2,000 to be split among team members.