Alcoa Kawneer and AIAS Announce 2012 Student Design Competition

Alcoa's Kawneer business and The American Institute of Architecture
Students (AIAS) announce today the Enlightening Libraries: Student
Design Competition. Sponsored by Kawneer and administered by the AIAS,
this competition will challenge students to redesign a dated public
library that is an effectively urbanized, collaborative community space
appealing to all generations and integrating the most recent
technologies. Total prize money is $7,750, including $3,000 for the
first place winning design team.

The competition, now in its seventh year, challenges students to learn
about building materials and techniques, specifically architectural
aluminum building products and systems, while demonstrating an
understanding of sustainable design. Participants are required to
integrate a variety of Kawneer products, from entrances and framing
systems to windows and curtain wall systems as they relate to efficient
community spaces, to develop a new-age library that embraces an
atmosphere of enlightenment and learning.

A jury of four architectural professionals will evaluate submissions
based on ingenuity and originality as well as design clarity and the
ability to create an aesthetic that compliments the community and
environment. Appropriate use of materials, including light shelves and
sunshades that enhance natural light, will be key factors in the
evaluation and selection of winning designs.

Developed to engage architecture and design students from schools
worldwide, contest submissions can be the work of an individual or a
group of up to four students. Students interested in participating in
the competition must register no later than October 14, 2012.
Submissions must be made digitally via the competition website on or
before November 29, 2012. Winning entries will be published in the
Spring 2012 issue of Crit, Journal of the AIAS and will be on
display at the 2013 AIA Convention and Design Exposition in Denver,
Colorado, June 2013.

To learn more about the competition and how to register, visit http://kawneer.aias.org/
For more information on AIAS, visit www.aias.org.
To learn more about Kawneer, visit www.kawneer.com.

About Kawneer

With more than 100 years of innovation and experience, Kawneer North
America is headquartered in Norcross, GA, and is the leading
manufacturer of architectural aluminum products and systems for the
commercial construction industry. Kawneer is part of Alcoa′s global
Building and Construction Systems (BCS) business unit. In 2010 Traco, a
leading manufacturer of windows for more than 65 years, joined Alcoa BCS
as a division of Kawneer. Alcoa BCS manufactures and markets
architectural systems and products in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Alcoa is the world′s leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminum
as well as the world′s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina,
and has been active in all major aspects of the industry for the past
120 years. For more information on Kawneer or its products, please visit www.kawneer.com.

About Alcoa

Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the world′s leading producer of primary aluminum,
fabricated aluminum and alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day
aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in
the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction,
commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets
over the past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are
flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as
Alcoa ? wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and
building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such
as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa′s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for ten consecutive years and approximately
75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 31
countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.

About the AIAS

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an
independent, nonprofit, student-run organization dedicated to providing
unmatched programs, information, and resources on issues critical to
architectural education. The mission of the AIAS is to promote
excellence in architectural education, training, and practice; to foster
an appreciation of architecture and related disciplines; to enrich
communities in a spirit of collaboration; and to organize students and
combine their efforts to advance the art and science of architecture.

Alcoa

Investor Contact

Kelly Pasterick, 212-836-2674

or

Media
Contact

Libby Archell, 212-836-2719