Established in 1994, the Saarinen Swanson Essay Competition writing fund at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning encourages strong writing as a medium to foster critical thinking and exposition among future professionals in architecture and planning. The competition seeks 1000-1500 word essays addressing contemporary critical discourse in Design and/or Urbanism.

• First Place: Heidi Wong (M.Arch) - Form Follows What?: The Architect's Folly
• Second Place: Anastasia Kostrominova (M.Arch) - State of Ruins Second Place
• Honorable Mention: Brian Barber (M.Arch) - Revolutionary Students
• Honorable Mention: Danielle Zoe Rivera, (URP PhD) - The Urban and Nature or Urban-Nature?

Essays were judged by the following Taubman College faculty: John McMorrough (Architecture); Julie Steiff (Urban Planning); Kimberly Kinder (Urban Planning).