Women in Architecture Awards

The Women in Architecture Awards recognize licensed women architects within AIA Connecticut who showcase exceptional design skills, advocate for fair and sustainable practices, and positively impact the industry.

Deadline Dates:

2026 Nominations Open: March 9, 2026
Nomination Deadline: April 3, 2026

2026 Jurors:

E.B. Min, AIA
Founder and Principal
Min Design
San Francisco, California

Kim Yao, FAIA
Principal
Architecture Research Office
Brooklyn, New York

Monica Blasko, AIA, NCIDQ
Senior Architect
Desmone
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2025 Awardees

Elizabeth DiSalvo, AIA

Trillium Architects Co-operative, Inc.

Elizabeth DiSalvo is the founder and CEO of Trillium Architects Cooperative, Inc., a 12-person employee-owned firm focused on designing highly sustainable, energy-efficient buildings. For over 20 years, she has led the firm as a recognized leader in the Northeast’s green building movement, with work concentrated in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Trillium specializes in Net Zero homes, LEED-certified residences, Passive House design, and other sustainable solutions, earning multiple awards for both design and environmental performance.

Beyond Trillium, Elizabeth founded SEED Homes, which offers Net Zero modular homes at lower costs, and NetZ GenZ Homes, which provides affordable, energy-efficient mini apartment solutions. Raised in the building design industry, she began working in the field at age 14 and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master’s in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Her diverse experience spans Los Angeles, New York, off-grid projects in Colorado, and work with Centerbrook Architects in Connecticut.

Elizabeth is also a dedicated community activist, serving on local planning, housing, and energy committees, and co-chairing the AIA CT Small Firms Exchange. Her collaborative approach to architecture emphasizes full team participation, believing inclusive input leads to the best outcomes. A strong advocate for equity in the profession, she structured Trillium as a cooperative to share ownership and opportunity among its employees.

Julia McFadden, AIA

Principal, QA+M Architecture

Julia McFadden is a Principal with QA+M Architecture, co-leading the firm’s education studio. For the past 17 years Julia has led dozens of public and private education projects from early childhood schools to higher education. Through the transformative experience of designing the rebuild of the Sandy Hook School, Julia has become an advocate for the innovative ways school design can promote academic achievement, socio-emotional well-being, and a safe environment through biophilic design and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles. She has written and spoken both nationally and internationally on these topics, most recently for EdCrunch in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Throughout her career, Julia has promoted equitable practices and encouraged participatory collaboration with her team, consultants, and especially the client and users. In graduate school, long before the current JEDI focus of the profession, Julia organized a national symposium to address gender and diversity challenges in architectural education.

As a project leader and principal, Julia’s unique ability to facilitate dialogue and creative engagement with large and diverse client groups fosters enthusiasm and cooperation while building consensus around strong visionary goals. She inspires clients with her passionate articulation of their project’s potential and how the design will elevate their organization’s goals.

Through her speaking engagements and writing, Julia has become a sought-after expert and advocate for: sensitive, holistic, and sustainable K12 school design; design engagement for traumatized communities; and the integration and intersection of Feng Shui, wellness, biophilic design, and sustainability.

Awards Info:

Eligibility

Nominations are submitted through Jotform. A nominee may self-nominate or be nominated by their firm.

The nominator must be an active AIA member.
The nominee must be a current member of AIA Connecticut and demonstrate excellence in the following areas:
- Design Excellence: A body of work that conveys contributions to the design community and built environment through the design of built or unbuilt work, writing, teaching, or publication
- Exhibits a collaborative and participatory approach to working with others
- Promotes Equitable Practice: Demonstrated intent and ability to promote equitable practice through their work and values.
- Promotes sustainable practices, demonstrated by their body of work
- Affects Change: Exhibits a forward-thinking and progressive approach with a goal to create positive change in the profession, built environment, or wider community

Submission Materials

Submission Format & Technical Requirements

All nomination materials must adhere to the following:

Maximum 20 single-page PDF pages (cover page and table of contents are not included in the page count)
Maximum file size: 25MB
Page numbers included in footer margin
Margins between 0.5″ and 1.0″
Vertical or landscape orientation permitted
Font size no smaller than 11 pt (photo captions may be smaller)
Font must be legible

Failure to follow format requirements may result in disqualification.

——————————————————————–

Required Submission Materials

Materials must be compiled into one PDF in the following order:

Nominee Statement (Overview): A concise description highlighting the nominee’s overall impact and distinguishing qualities. This should summarize why the nominee is deserving of the award.
Curriculum Vitae
100-Word Biography: A brief professional biography suitable for publication if selected as a recipient.
Awards Criteria Narrative (100–250 words): A clear statement describing how the nominee meets the five award criteria outlined above.
Supporting Work (Five Projects, Articles, and/or Publications)
For each of the five selections, include:
- 100–250 word description, including the nominee’s specific role
- List of collaborators
- Up to five (5) images per project
- PDF excerpts or links for articles/publications (if applicable)
Statement on Sustainable Practice: Description of actions taken to promote or advance sustainable practice.
Two Letters of Recommendation
- One from a professional colleague
- One from an individual who can specifically address the award criteria (e.g., leadership, equity, sustainability, or impact)
Contact Information: Provide contact information for follow-up, including nominee’s address, phone number, and email. If applicable, include marketing or communications contact information for publication purposes.

Additional Required Upload