Morgan State Architecture and Planning Students Earn Top-Three Placement in National Disney Imagineering Design Competition

For the second consecutive year, students from Morgan State University’s School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) have earned a top-three placement in the prestigious Disney Imagineering Imaginations Design Competition. Last year, Morgan’s Team M.O.D. Squad captured first place. This year, Team AJ Squared—comprised of Architecture and Environmental Design (AREN) juniors Alanna Jackson and Jawaan Johnson—earned third-place honors for their project, “Above It All – The Elevated Campus Experience.”

Jackson and Johnson competed against teams from universities across the nation in a highly competitive showcase of ingenuity, creativity and architectural innovation. More than 90 teams participated in this year’s competition, representing institutions including Hampton University, Howard University, the University of Texas, California Polytechnic State University and the California Institute of the Arts. Six finalist teams were ultimately invited to Disney’s headquarters in California to present their projects to Disney Imagineering leaders.

Sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, the Disney Imaginations Design Competition is designed to cultivate the next generation of diverse Imagineers. The program challenges students from colleges and universities across the country to apply innovative design thinking as they develop and present proposals for imaginative new spaces and experiences to Disney executives and creative leaders. 

The 2025–2026 Disney Imaginations Project Challenge asked participants to design a new space within their college or university that addresses the needs of students, faculty and visitors while providing a meaningful respite from the stresses of college life.

Team AJ Squared’s concept, Above It All – The Elevated Campus Experience, centers on the Vertical Respite Tower—a contemplative architectural landmark designed to support the emotional, sensory and communal rhythms of campus life. Through immersive environments—from the mist-filled Cloud Room and the introspective Better Light Path to the Rain Café’s dynamic water curtain—the tower invites visitors to pause, reflect and reconnect. At its summit, the Bird’s Eye View offers a soaring gathering space where ceremonies and shared moments unfold high above the landscape, symbolically and physically holding the campus community “above it all.”