Master of Architecture students Marwan Bamasood and Eric Soifer from the fall 2018 Buoyant Ecologies Maldives studio have been selected for a 2x8: Echange Merit Award and $2,500 scholarship by the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles chapter for their project Suitcase Archipelago.

The 2x8: Exchange is a three-pronged program that provides students the opportunity to submit their work for the competition, be a part of the student exhibition, as well as provide scholarship opportunities. Now in its 13th iteration, the competition received participation from 16 schools throughout the state to participate in the annual show. Each school selects two students to represent the program in the competition. The winning student projects are on exhibition at the Helms Design Center in Culver City through June 7.

The Buoyant Ecologies Maldives advanced Integrated Building Design studio, led by CCA faculty Margaret Ikeda, and Evan Jones, is part of an ongoing research partnership between CCA, Autodesk's Pier 9 Workshop, Kreysler & Associates, and the Benthic Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. The research is focused on developing innovative material approaches to resilient waterfront structures.

Suitcase Archipelago proposes an expandable and adaptable floating community for the Maldives that considers the culture of its residents in the design of a kit of reconfigurable parts that allow for a variety of architectural scenarios. From the jury citation: "The strongest asset of this project is the programmatic thinking and the systematic approach to how the components of this resort interconnect and how they approached sustainability, which is otherwise a byproduct or a waste, and turning into a positive by creating a consumable product for the resort. There was a really big depth of thinking beyond just the esthetic and the architecture.”