Ruth Estien Garcia (BS Arch ‘26), a UMass Amherst architecture student from Springfield, won a top award in the North Adams Partnership's Small & Smart Design Competition for her sustainable, accessible ADU design. Drawing on her experience working with older adults, she created a bright, mobility-focused layout that fully accommodates wheelchair users. "I know this will help their daily lives… because a lot of houses here don't have a lot of light, and that gets people very depressed," she said. "There's plenty of room for someone with a wheelchair to move, and everything meets Massachusetts ADA standards."