Over the weekend of the 30 January – 2 February students at Hampton University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech (both in Blacksburg and at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center/the WAAC), William & Mary, and James Madison University participated in the 2026 AIA Virginia Prize competition. Faculty at James Madison University developed a brief for a site in Bridgewater, Virginia and challenged students to imagine a “third space”; a central space that brings people together in new ways, supports creative activity, and strengthens the rhythms of everyday life.
The students have completed their work and the submissions have been delivered for consideration by an impressive jury. Jury Chair James (Jim) Cutler, FAIA, is joined by Bruce Anderson, AIA, Ed Weinstein, FAIA, and Marlon Blackwell, FAIA.
About the Jury
James Cutler, FAIA
James Cutler, FAIA is one of the last students of the Louis Kahn Studio at University of Pennsylvania who is actively practicing architecture. Many of his design philosophies he learned in studio are reflected throughout his work. His designs are based upon a deep understanding of the land, materials, program and institution. He surveys each piece of land at the onset of every project which allows him to reflect its essence and spirit in the design work. Some of Jim’s most recognized projects have been a single family home built across an old logging pond in Newberg, Oregon, a residential compound for Bill Gates in Medina, Washington as well as the Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Building remodel in Portland, Oregon which was awarded the “Best Tall Building in an Urban Context in the Western Hemisphere” by the Council of Tall Buildings. As the founder of Cutler Anderson Architects, this small 10-person firm is currently designing residential and mixed-use projects in Maine, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California, Washington, Oregon and Singapore.
Marlon Blackwell, FAIA
Marlon Blackwell, FAIA together with his partner in life and work, Ati Blackwell, AIA, ASID lead the internationally recognized practice Marlon Blackwell Architects. Their work has received recognition with significant publication and more than 200 design awards including the 2016 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture and the 2025 Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize. Working between the universal language of architecture and the particulars of place, they have cultivated a studio recognized for its formal clarity, contextual depth, and architectural integrity. In 2020, Marlon was honored with the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects for his enduring impact on the theory and practice of architecture. He’s a lifetime member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and an inductee of the American Academy of Arts and Science. Equally respected as an educator, he served as the E. Fay Jones Distinguished Professor at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas where he taught for over 30 years. Most recently, he was the Louis I. Kahn Visiting Professor at Yale University for the Fall of 2025. A monograph of their recent work, titled “Radical Practice”, was published in 2022 by Princeton Architectural Press.
Ed Weinstein, FAIA
Ed Weinstein, FAIA is an award-winning architect who has practiced in Seattle for over 50 years. A Principal and founder of Weinstein A+U, Ed has assisted a broad array of clients in solving complex problems, leading to unique design solutions that meet the specific needs of each project. Ed is recognized as one of our region’s leading designers. His firm has received more than 80 Seattle Chapter, Northwest and Pacific Region, and National AIA Design Awards. He has been invited to serve on numerous design juries throughout the country including the 2000 National AIA Honor Awards Jury. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (1993) and was awarded the 2011 AIA Seattle Medal of Honor for lifetime design achievements.
Bruce Anderson, AIA
Bruce Anderson, AIA has been a Principal at Cutler Anderson Architects on Bainbridge Island, Washington since 2001. Along with partner, James Cutler, their unobtrusive style preserves the land while incorporating form, function and esthetics into a building’s design and placement. He holds a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington and is a registered architect in the states of Washington, Utah, Vermont and Kentucky. Bruce is known for his design skills, but also has extensive experience in project management and regulatory issues. From 1996 – 1998, Bruce served as Chair of the Bainbridge Island Planning Commission. Additionally, while serving as President of the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, he was instrumental in decisions pertaining to acquisitions of vacant land for not only the Land Trust, but also for the Bainbridge Island Park District. Throughout his tenure Bruce has taught architecture courses for the University of Washington and served as a design critic and juror for several design competitions throughout the country.
