Over the January 30-February 2 weekend, the 2026 AIA Virginia Prize competition kicked off with students around Virginia. We were thrilled to have competitors from William & Mary, Hampton University, UVA, Virginia Tech (Blacksburg and the WAAC), and JMU in addressing the challenge.
The first round of submissions is juried at the university level and up to 10 finalists from each school will be sent to be juried at the state level by the competition jury. We look forward to sharing and celebrating the results.
2026 AIA Virginia Prize Challenge
Background
A Third Space is where community happens—part public living room, part creative commons, part everyday hangout. It’s a place to linger, read, work, make, perform, meet friends, meet strangers, and simply be. Third Spaces aren’t formal civic buildings; they are welcoming, flexible, low-threshold environments that invite people to gather. Bridgewater, VA is a compact town nestled within a bend of the North River, with Round Hill rising to the west. Many towns in the Shenandoah Valley have walkable historic downtown cores that grew outward over time. Others, like Bridgewater, have evolved into more linear patterns, with auto traffic shaping the main thoroughfares and making it harder to form a true town center where people can easily gather.
The Challenge
This competition asks you to imagine a central space that brings people together in new ways, supports creative activity, and strengthens the rhythms of everyday life. Across Main Street from the competition site sits Generations Park—home to free winter ice skating for residents, pickleball courts, concerts under the stars, and year-round community events—and an opportunity to expand a “third space.”
Your site is a Main Street (Route 42) infill parcel directly across from Generations Park. Your charge is to: Create a Third Space that expands and complements the energy of Generations Park, Strengthen connections across Main Street and support safe pedestrian movement, Propose an inventive infill strategy—renovation, new construction, hybrid reuse, or a mix of approaches. Above all, design a place that feels alive: a space the community can claim, adapt, and return to again and again. The site has an existing building that you may choose to ignore or incorporate as part of your design, but you should consider flexibility, safety, and accessibility as priority considerations.
About the AIA Virginia Prize
Conducted simultaneously 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, the competition is a design charrette that engages students across the Commonwealth. Students receive the competition program on a Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a design solution and submit it by 9 a.m. the following Monday.
Launched in 1980, the competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students, and professors in Virginia.
Development of the competition brief rotates between the schools annually — the 2026 Prize challenge was developed by JMU.
The AIA Virginia Prize is a design charrette that engages students at all of the architecture programs in Virginia. Conducted simultaneously at each institution, students are given the competition program Friday at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a board presenting their design solution by 9 a.m. the following Monday. The competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students and professors in Virginia.
The first round of submissions is juried at the university level and up to 10 finalists from each school will be sent to be juried at the state level.
The 2026 competition takes place over the January 30 weekend. Faculty at James Madison University are finalizing the brief. The challenge brief will be posted to this page at 5 p.m. on Friday, January 30 and submissions are due to the school at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 2.
If you would like to make a donation to the AIA Virginia Prize, please click here. All donations are tax-deductible.
We wish the participating students a pleasant outing and look forward to considering and celebrating their proposals.
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the 2025 Design Awards. These honors celebrate projects no older than seven years that contribute to the built environment and are clear examples of thoughtful, engaging design. Within each award category, consideration was given to sustainability, affordability, social impact, innovation, durability, addressing the natural and built context, and meeting the client’s specific needs.
From a field of 125 entries, only 24 were selected by the jury for recognition. These few projects stood above the rest and were particularly notable. Awards of Merit are presented to those projects worthy of recognition and an Award of Honor is reserved for those projects deemed by the jury to be truly exceptional. Consideration is given to aesthetics, social impact, innovation, context, performance, and stewardship of the natural environment — with particular emphasis on the Framework for Design Excellence.
About the Jury Andrew Chin, Assoc. AIA, Dean of the School of Architecture + Engineering Technology (SAET) at Florida A&M University (FAMU) mustered a tremendously dignified jury to deliberate over the 2025 Design Awards. Joining him was a veritable council of deans, including Abimbola Asojo, FAIA, Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at Morgan State, C.L. Bohannon, FASLA, Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Community Engagement at the University of Virginia, José L.S. Gámez, Dean of the College of Arts + Architecture at UNC Charlotte, Marilys Nepomechie, FAIA, DPACSA, Associate Dean for Architecture at Florida International University, and Quilian Riano, Dean of Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture.
In their deliberations, the jury considers aesthetics, adherence to the client program, proven and projected building performance, and concept development.
The awards for contextual design are chosen based on outstanding architecture that perceptibly reflects the history, culture, and physical environment of the place in which it stands and that, in turn, contributes to the function, beauty, and meaning of its larger context.
Award of Honor
The Burying Ground Memorial at the University of Richmond (Richmond, Virginia)
Architecture Firm: Baskervill Contractor: Team Henry Enterprises LLC Photographers: Ansel Olson and Aaron Doggett
Award of Merit
Reservoir District Master Plan: Recreation Center and Park (Washington, DC)
Architect of Record: Quinn Evans Master Planner and Design Architect: Perkins Eastman DC Contractor: Gilbane Building Company Photographers: Quinn Evans and Alan Karchmer Architectural Photographer
Honorable Mentions
Virginia Institute of Marine Science EARC (Wachapreague, Virginia)
Architecture Firm: VIA design architects, pc Contractor: E.T. Gresham Company, Inc. Photographer: Yuzhu Zheng Photography
General Assembly Building (Richmond, Virginia)
Architect of Record: Robert A.M. Stern Architects Associate Architect: Glavé & Holmes Architecture Contractor: Gilbane Building Company Photographers: Francis Dzikowski/OTTO and Thomas Holdsworth
Beaverdam Reservoir Park (Loudoun County, Virginia)
Architecture Firm: Studio Twenty Seven Architecture Contractor: Meridian Construction Co, Inc. Photographer: HDP Studio
In the Extended Use: ADAPTIVE or CONTINUED USE category
Projects submitted in this category should include either a renovation within an existing building or new construction that expands an existing structure or site. This award intends to recognize thoughtful interventions that create synergy between old and new construction, improve functionality, and energy efficiency, meet contemporary standards for comfort and utility, and/or capitalize on the embodied energy of an existing structure.
Honorable Mentions
Center City Public Charter School, Maker Space (Washington, DC)
Architecture Firm: Page Contractor: Chiaramonte Construction Company Photographer: Allen Russ
Slayton House Renovation and Addition (Washington, DC)
Architecture Firm: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect Contractor: Peterson & Collins Photographer: Anice Hoachlander
In the INTERIOR DESIGN category
Interior design projects are judged on mastery of composition, functionality, material and color palettes, and well-integrated adherence to the highest levels of accessibility, health and safety, environmental, and occupant-comfort considerations, standards, and regulations.
Awards of Merit
Goochland Elementary School (Goochland, Virginia)
Architecture Firm: Stantec Contractor: Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. Photographer: Tom Holdsworth Photography and Jerry Marinzel Photography
Riggs (Washington, DC)
Architecture Firm: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect Interior Designer: Baron Gurney Interiors Contractor: Peterson and Collins, Inc. Photographer: Anice Hoachlander
Honorable Mention
Capital Turnaround (Washington, DC)
Architecture Firm: MTFA Design + Preservation, PLLC Contractor: Forrester Construction Photographer: Matt Johnson
In the RESIDENTIAL DESIGN category
Aesthetic appeal and functionality are two long-established criteria for home design, as are affordability and resource efficiency. The jury looks at each submission in its totality toward meeting those goals.
Award of Merit
Vienna Zero Energy 2024 (Vienna, Virginia)
Architecture Firm: Peabody Fine Architect Contractor: Allen Built Inc. Photographer: Kate Wichlinski
In the SMALL PROJECTS category
Design excellence can be achieved, no matter the size or scope of a project. These awards celebrate projects with modest budgets that have a substantial impact. Small Project Awards are given in three categories, offering opportunities for recognition to a wide range of project sizes and budgets. All projects must demonstrate design achievement, including how the project fits into its environment and how the project connects to the Framework for Design Excellence.
Projects under 5,000 Square Feet
Honorable Mention
CASA Playhouse/Brown Bear’s Cave (Richmond, Virginia)
Architecture Firm: Hanbury Contractor: DPR Construction Photographer: Hanbury
Back to school marks more than just the end of summer; it’s an opportunity for students to step into environments that spark curiosity and possibility. The sense of discovery felt when starting a new school year is powerful because it does not stop at the physical space. When students encounter a thoughtfully designed environment, it invites them to imagine, question, and create in ways they might not have before. Every detail, from the openness of a learning commons to the energy of shared spaces encourages them to see learning not as a task but as an adventure, where students can uncover new strengths, passions, and ideas within themselves. By designing schools that ignite creativity and support exploration, we create more than classrooms – we create experiences that help students discover who they are and what they can achieve.
In the article below, Clark Nexsen demonstrates how they use technology and computational design to create new opportunities for design in their K-12 studio.”
The revitalization of Fire Station #1, the longest continuously-operating fire station in Virginia, illustrates how, at best, the relationship between architecture and the public is one of reciprocity. Landmarks like Firehouse One invite interaction and add value to people’s lives, and in return, the community engages with the building, breathing new life and creativity into its existence. The purpose of historical and adaptive reuse in architectural practice is to maintain that connection and encourage the continued dance between the constructed environment and those who dwell there.
image courtesy of Hill Studioimage courtesy of Hill Studio
The project between Hill Studio and Old School Partners rehabilitated the historic Fire Station #1 building through a public engagement design process and restored the building making it more accessible to the public than ever before. “Made in Roanoke” is displayed in large letters on the lower level with a large open format retail space outfitted for local furniture manufacturer, Txtur’s. The second floor features a compatible anchor tenant—a specialty-themed boutique hotel. The facility repurposes the large old bunk room space into a lobby and reception for small events while preserving the historic skylights and firepoles. As a part of the process, Old School Partners granted a permanent easement on the property to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Originally built to protect us from the destruction of flames, Firehouse One is now protected by the city and community and given a new notch in the timeline of its life, with its spirit of public service embedded in every element of the building. Read more here about this award-winning project.
Public toilets in the vicinity of the King Street Metro Station
“Inequality in access to public toilets has taken on an increasingly urban/suburban divide. In suburbia, bathrooms in privately owned businesses such as gas stations, fast-food restaurants, or big-box stores stand in for public toilets. In contrast, fewer establishments in the city allow access to toilet facilities, particularly for non-customers.” So states the brief for this year’s Virginia Prize, written by faculty from Virginia Tech’s Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (the WAAC), which afforded students the opportunity to design a public toilet for the local municipality of Alexandria, Virginia in the vicinity of the King Street Metro Station.
The brief was distributed to students at Hampton University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech (both in Blacksburg and at the WAAC), William & Mary, and James Madison University at 5 PM on Friday 31 January. Submissions were due at 9 AM Monday 3 February. Over those scant sixty-four hours, students developed their entries.
Each school selected no more than ten of their best entries for further consideration by a jury consisting of Julie Nelson, AIA, David Kubik, AIA, Harpreet Dhaliwal, AIA and Todd Poisson, AIA from the New York City-based firm BKSK Architects.
BKSK Architects is an accomplished firm designing across a broad range of markets with expertise in sustainability, preservation, community impact, and planning. Their projects include Battery Playscape, an intentionally flexible framework that supports open-ended play informed by the local ecology, which was nominated for the Best Public Playground in the United States. Principal Julie Nelson, who received Honorable Mention in a past edition of the Virginia Prize while studying at UVA, offered that the firm “has a surprisingly large portfolio of public restroom facilities including several in New York City Parks and a large restroom project at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter,” and suggested that it was “great to see this program as the focus of a design competition and the care the students put into the design solutions.”
The jury “appreciated submissions that were easy to understand graphically, particularly those that had a legible site plan and floor plan. This allowed us to understand how the proposed projects engaged with the context, the Metro station and the plaza.” They were “drawn to designs where the form grew out of site conditions and program, rather than being a predetermined form that ‘landed’ on the site.” And they “appreciated those submissions that considered the project holistically, thinking about not only form-making but also the user experience and environmental impact.”
As a result of their deliberations, the jury commended “the variety of responses and the thoughtfulness that the students brought to the brief, despite the short weekend timeframe” and awarded the following prizes.
First Prize: Taylor Wypyski (VT) “Washington D.P(ee)” – $3,000
The jury appreciated that this project was ambitious in its design while intelligently addressing functionality. The connection to the existing Metro at two levels and the use of stormwater runoff from the large station roof to serve the bathrooms was particularly notable. The inventive form marked a gateway to the station while serving the variety of functions required by the program. The color of the finish material was found to be sympathetic to the surrounding context and a nod to the color of Virginia clay.
Second Prize: Ethan Turner (UVA) “King Street Comfort Station” – $1,500
This project was considered to be thoughtful in its urbanistic approach and in its execution. The jury appreciated not only the presentation, but also the siting, which used the bathroom structure to create a transition between Old Town and the Metro Plaza. Its circulation was considered to be particularly successful – circulation both directly through the structure and along the paths that accessed the restrooms, lavatories, and bike parking. The use of recycled materials was found to be sympathetic to the context while reducing environmental impact.
Third Prize: Eleanor Dedrick (UVA) “Go with the Flow” - $1,000
The jury discerned that the design solution grew out of an understanding of the commuters’ existing circulation patterns. They appreciated how the colorful palette and playful forms enlivened and successfully engaged with the existing concrete structure. They also enjoyed the addition of the swirling light fixtures and confetti, noting that these simple design elements add to the sense of play. And they noted that the written description of this submission was clear and effective in conveying the design intent.
Honorable Mention:
Kristina Dickey (UVA) “Tree Toilet”
This project was described by the jury as “the restroom we would most like to use.”
Addison Mainer (Hampton) “The Hive”
The jury noted that “anyone who has been in the DC Metro knows the signature floor tiles used throughout the system. We loved that these served as the point of departure for this proposal.”
Rifat Mostofa (VT – WAAC) “Social Lounge”
“We loved the energy of this scheme and the way the interventions permeated the site, inside and out. The bathroom facility layout was well done.”
Marie Zenzie (VT) (no title)
“The project was notable for its quality of presentation and clarity of idea.” The pencil drawings of the curvilinear glass block scheme were “simple yet evocative.”
Congratulations to those who were recognized. Gratitude to the jury. And appreciation to all who entered.
Entries to the 2025 Design Awards program are now being accepted. AIA Virginia’s Awards for Excellence in Architecture (also known as the Design Awards) recognize outstanding design, built and unbuilt, from the past seven years. The program is juried by a team of esteemed practitioners from outside of the region.
No specific number of awards is set, and the program is open to all categories of building as well as interiors projects. The location of projects is not restricted, but any built works submitted for consideration must have been completed on or after Jan. 1, 2018.
All submissions are due by Friday, June 27, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Each entry must include a completed Framework for Design Excellence Project Information Form as page one of their submission. Note: Entrants should not feel obligated to respond to every measure within the Framework — only those that apply to the project being submitted. It is understood that every project is different and may not respond to each measure within the Framework. The jury will consider each design holistically and within context. (Note on the form itself – make sure all of your entry text is visible from the PDF before uploading.)
Submission Requirements
MAY NOT EXCEED 12 MB, 7 pages, and pages 2-7 may not exceed 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio in page size This PDF must include: Page 1: Required Framework for Design Excellence Project Information Sheet (Note on the form itself – make sure all of your entry text is visible from the PDF before uploading) Page 2: Brief project description (voided of design firm’s name or logo) and category to which it is being submitted Pages 3,4,5,6, 7: Photographs, renderings, and/or plans/sections that provide a clear understanding of the project. Also encouraged are concept sketches that communicate the development of the project and or its method of construction. There may not be any information in this document that identifies the firm. Entries with identifying information will be disqualified.
Entries are due by 5 p.m. on June 27, 2025.Note: You should be prepared to submit your concealed ID and project submission upon entry.
Entry fees
AIA VirginiaMembers: $210 for the first project $180 for each additional project The Small Projects Category has a reduced entry fee of $100 Note: The entrant must be a member of AIA Virginia to be eligible to receive the member discount. The submitting AIA Virginia member must be a contributor to the design team.
Non-members of the AIAVA (must have an office located in Virginia): $295 for the first project $270 for each additional project The Small Projects Category has a reduced entry fee of $200
Developed by members of the AIA, the Framework for Design Excellence, represents the defining principles of good design in the 21st century. It’s intended to be accessible and relevant for every architect, every client, and every project — regardless of size, typology, or aspiration.
The 10 measures that make up the Framework are intended to inspire progress toward a zero-carbon, equitable, resilient, and healthy built environment. They represent standards of excellence as defined by members of the AIA. These measures align with the AIA’s core values which are collectively defined by members across the country.
The completed Framework for Design Excellence Project Information Form is required and shall be page 1 of each submission. The remaining 6 pages of each submission may be designed and defined by the entrant.
Use the Project Narrative section to describe how the design aligns with the Framework for Design Excellence. Entrants are encouraged to address all applicable measures.
We recognize every project is different and may not respond to every measure within the Framework. The jury will consider the design holistically and within context.
Data may not be available for some metrics on the form, or the client may prefer to keep certain metrics confidential. If this is the case, space is provided on the form to provide an explanation.
Entrants are encouraged to call out extraordinary responses to specific measures in the remaining 6 pages of their submission as well.
Resiliency is the ability to quickly recover from disruption. But, how quickly can our buildings and systems bounce back from natural or man-made disasters? Can our infrastructure rapidly adapt to changing environmental, social, and economic conditions?
Join AIA Virginia from 12:00-1:00 pm each day from May 19 to May 20 for an exploration of resiliency in the built environment and discover why investing in resilient solutions can help protect us all.
Schedule:
5/19: Eve Szentesi with Clark Nexsen – Designing for Resilience – submitted for AIA CES approval
5/21: Jessica Steelman with Resilient Virginia – Resilient Virginia Initiatives – submitted for AIA CES approval
5/22: Denise Nelson with DNAdvising, LLC – Sustainable Infrastructure – submitted for AIA CES approval
5/23: John Wilson with Drishti Compost – The Importance of Microbes – submitted for AIA CES approval
When the weather starts to get warm and the flowers bloom, it makes us reflect on the wonders of nature. Whether it’s the beauty of a spring day or the power of a hurricane, our buildings will endure through the best and worst this world has to offer. It’s important that us as architects learn to work with nature and not against. AIA Virginia Outreach Advisory Council has been planning the next Resiliency Week for May 19th– May 23rd in order to highlight what Virginians have been doing to build more resilient communities and buildings. In anticipation of this, we would like to highlight a firm who has learn to adapt to coastal flooding. VIA Design in Norfolk has become a local expert in Coastal Virginia for resilient buildings, and we hope you will enjoy this article on their award-winning project, VIMS Eastern Shore Sea Water Lab.
Join AIA Virginia for virtual Architecture Month Trivia on Wednesday, April 23 from 12:00-1:00pm on Zoom for three rounds of Architecture trivia:
1. Name that Virginia Main Street ($25 Amazon gift card winner) 2. Virginia History ($25 Amazon gift card winner) 3. Name that Virginia Architect ($25 Amazon gift card winner)
