T. David Fitz-Gibbon Virginia Architecture Firm Award

The Fitz-Gibbon Architecture Firm Award is the highest honor bestowed by AIA Virginia to a Virginia-based architecture firm and is intended to recognize a firm that has consistently demonstrated outstanding and continuous contributions to the profession and to the community, and is known for the quality of its work. The firm must have been in practice for at least ten (10) years. Firms are eligible to be nominated again no fewer than 20 years after being honored with this award. Only one award may be bestowed each year.

Submission Material

• Nomination Form
• Nominator’s statement
  The statement should be no more than a paragraph and should include a concise description of the nominee and summarize how the nominee meets the criteria for the award.
• Complete history of firm, and list of projects.
  This should contain a complete history of the firm’s achievements and supporting material, detailing projects and other achievements and accolades. It should be no longer than 20 pages.
• Narrative, no longer than one page, addressing the evaluative criteria.
  The narrative should demonstrate consistency of philosophy, approach, leadership in the profession, and quality in body of work. It should show breadth and scope of work, and “staying power,” as well as the relationship of built work to purpose, environment, user, and physical context.
• Photographic support for the narrative.
• Three to five letters of recommendation.
  Letters of endorsement should reference the author’s relationship with the firm, cite specific examples of why the firm is qualified to receive the award, and note how the public or profession benefitted from the firm’s work.

Your submission should be no larger than 15MB and no more than 20 pages long (not including letters of support).

Past Recipients

• 1987 – VVKR, Incorporated, Alexandria
• 1989 – Marcellus Wright, Cox and Smith, P.C., Richmond
• 1993 – Johnson, Craven & Gibson, Inc., Charlottesville
• 1995 – Carlton S. Abbott & Partners, Williamsburg
• 1997 – Baskervill & Son, Richmond
• 1999 – The Glavé Firm, Richmond
• 2001 – Kerns Group Architects, Arlington
• 2003 – VMDO Architects, Charlottesville
• 2004 – Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Co., Norfolk
• 2005 – LeMay Erickson Architects, Reston
• 2007 – SMBW Architects, Richmond
• 2008 – BCWH Architecture, Interiors, Planning, Richmond
• 2010 – Ritter Architects, Alexandria
• 2011 – Commonwealth Architects, Richmond
• 2017 – Frazier Associates, Staunton
• 2018 – MTFA Architecture, Arlington
• 2019 – 3north, Richmond
• 2024 – VIA design architects, Norfolk
• 2025 – VMDO Architects, Charlottesville