Design Awards

Chengdu Museum of Natural History | Pelli Clarke
& Partners
Arch Exist Photography

Grinnell College, Humanities & Social Studies Center | Page Southerland Page
David Sundberg/Esto & AJ Brown/AJ Brown Imaging

Horse Island Research Station | Gray Organschi Architecture
Photos: Millie Yoshida

Leather Factory Lobby | Atelier Cho Thompson
Photos: Jared Kuzia

MOCA Workshop | Atelier Cho Thompson
Photos: Samara Vise

The Design Awards recognize design excellence of built and unbuilt work in Connecticut or in other locations by Connecticut-based firms.

2024 Registration Opens: June 10
Registration Deadline: July 26
Submission Deadline: September 6

2024 Jurors

René Clawson, AIA,LEED AP
Clawson Architects
Maplewood, NJ

Elizabeth Cox, AIA,LEED AP
HOK
Boston, MA

Christian Dean, AIA
Christian Dean Architects
Minneapolis, MN

Categories

Residential Design

Single family residences, additions, and accessory buildings (new or remodeled). Projects previously submitted to the Alice Washburn Awards program may also be submitted to this category.

Interior Architecture

Projects of any interior scope that may be new construction, renovation, preservation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, or restoration.

Commercial, Institutional, Educational, or Multi-Family Residential Design

Both public and private projects. Can be single buildings or a related group of buildings forming a single project, renovations, and additions. Two categories of awards will be considered in this category:

Small: under 25,000sf
Large: over 25,000sf

Planning: Community, Campus, Town and Urban

Projects that include more than a single structure and engage the private and public realms of the built environment. Two categories of awards will be considered in this category:

Village and Small-Town scale: built or natural environment (public space)
Large or more dense Urban: built or natural environment (public space)

Architecture: The Encompassing Art

Includes but is not limited to: designs for such details as hardware, stairways, railings, graphics, lighting or fixtures, furniture, scholarly research, environmental or energy research, urban planning analyses, or technical innovations.

Adaptive Re-Use

Buildings 50 years or older, both public and private projects. Can be single buildings or a related group of buildings forming a single project, renovations, restorations, and additions.

Unbuilt Design

Unbuilt architectural designs, for which there is no current intent to build, of any project type, including purely theoretical or visionary projects, with or without a client.

Small Firm

Projects no larger than 5,000sf completed by firms of no more than ten people total.

Eligibility

Architects licensed and residing in Connecticut may submit projects located anywhere.

Architects whose practice is located outside Connecticut may submit projects located in Connecticut.

Architectural interns and students are eligible only for the Unbuilt and Architecture: The Encompassing Art categories.

Submitted projects must have been completed within the last 5 years. “Completed” is defined as “Substantial Completion” in accordance with standard AIA contracts.

Entrants should select a single category for their project. Entries that fall into more than one category must be assigned to only one.

Submission Materials

The submission form will require the following items:

Project name and location
250-word clear and concise project description that includes:
- Square footage, site information, and context
- Year of completion
- Brief synopsis of the project and design rationale
- Sustainability features, if any
  - Certifications or sustainable building standards that have been met. If listed, provide the metrics that demonstrate building performance.
Identification of at least three (3) principles from AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence that your project fulfills
- - Each principle requires an explanation (no more than 150 words) about how your project exemplifies the principles selected
  - More than three principles may be indicated if applicable.
  - Click here for a helpful infographic that outlines the Framework for Design Excellence
Maximum of 12, minimum of 8 high resolution photos following these guidelines:
- Maximum of 10MB per photo
- Interior and exterior images are strongly encouraged
- Site plans are encouraged and should have a scale and North arrow
- Floor plans, elevations, and sections as required to describe your project
- All photos must be properly oriented as jurors will not be able to rotate them
- Do not include firm identification in the file names or photos
- All photography permissions and releases are the responsibility of the submitting architect
Photographer’s name/photo release
List of project team members with names and email

Do not include any identifying firm information in any part of your submission. This includes file names because they are visible to jurors. Submissions with identifying information will automatically be disqualified.

Judging Criteria

The Design Award jury consists of peers who are located outside the state of Connecticut.

Jurors will take into consideration and acknowledge:

Design excellence
- Project’s fulfillment of at least 3 principles from AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence
Meeting or exceeding client program needs
Intersectional achievement such as design excellence plus elements that address diversity and equity, sustainability, health and well-being, technical innovation, etc.
Sustainability in theory, detail, or practice

Fees

AIA Connecticut member:

Adaptive Re-use: $200.00
Architecture: Encompassing Art: $75.00
Commercial, Institutional, Educational, or Multi-Family Residential Design (both size categories): $200.00
Interior Architecture: $200.00
Planning: Community, Campus, Town, and Urban: $150.00
Residential Design: $200.00
Unbuilt Design: $150.00

Member of another AIA component:

Adaptive Re-use: $275.00
Architecture: Encompassing Art: $125.00
Commercial, Institutional, Educational, or Multi-Family Residential Design (both size categories): $275.00
Interior Architecture: $275.00
Planning: Community, Campus, Town, and Urban: $250.00
Residential Design: $275.00
Unbuilt Design: $250.00

Non-Member Registered Architect:

Adaptive Re-use: $400.00
Architecture: Encompassing Art: $250.00
Commercial, Institutional, Educational, or Multi-Family Residential Design (both size categories): $400.00
Interior Architecture: $400.00
Planning: Community, Campus, Town, and Urban: $300.00
Residential Design: $400.00
Unbuilt Design: $300.00

Click here for tips and tricks for award submissions.

PAST DESIGN AWARD RECIPIENTS