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 2025 competition takes place over the January 31 weekend. Faculty at Virginia Tech WAAC are finalizing the brief. The challenge brief will be posted to this page at 5 p.m. on Friday, January 31 and submissions are due to the school at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 3.
We wish the participating students a pleasant outing and look forward to considering and celebrating their proposals.
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the 2024 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 143 entries, only 19 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 A committee of esteemed architects chaired by Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, Principal and Design Leader at Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects in San Francisco, California, judged the entries for AIA Virginia’s 2024 Awards for Excellence in Architecture. Joining Cavagnero on the jury were Craig Hartman, FAIA, Curtis Clay, AIA, Paul Woolford, FAIA, and Bill Leddy, FAIA.
From the jury: In summary, our jury members have all been involved in architectural design for many years. There were many that were very close in our consideration, but the final call was to honor these 19 projects as just slightly more worthy of our accolades and acknowledgment. As a team we thoroughly enjoyed seeing and considering the extremely high-quality designs submitted. Well done, Virginia!
Celebrate these winning designs and designers at Visions for Architecture, on Nov. 7th at the Downtown Richmond Marriott.
In the ARCHITECTURE category
In their deliberations, the jury considers aesthetics, adherence to the client program, proven and projected building performance, and concept development.
Award of Honor
Stead Park Recreation Center (Washington, D.C.)
Image courtesy of VMDO Architects. Photo by Tom Holdsworth.
Architecture Firm: VMDO Architects Owner: DC Department of Parks + Recreation Contractor: GCS SIGAL Photographer: Tom Holdsworth
Jury Comments: The jury unanimously found this project elegant, handsome, and thoughtful. We discussed its beautiful proportions and its strong, clear diagram. The Net Zero aspect was also very well appreciated. One juror called this project the one true Home Run in the competition, leaving the group with very little need to spend much time reviewing it beyond accolades and appreciation.
Awards of Merit
U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad, India
Image courtesy of HGA. Photo by Gabe Border.
Design Architect: Richard Kennedy Architects Associate Architect: HGA Contractor: Caddell Construction Co., LLC Photographer: Gabe Border
Jury Comments: The jury found this to be a generally very handsome statement of civic presence and cultural architecture. The systems’ explanation in the submittal was well-appreciated. Jurors admired the lobby particularly.
UVA Softball at Palmer Park (Charlottesville, Va.)
Image courtesy of VMDO Architects. Photo by Tom Holdsworth.
Architecture Firm: VMDO Architects Owner: University of Virginia Contractor: Jamerson-Lewis Construction Photographer: Holdsworth Photography
Jury Comments: The jury saw this as a strong and clear architectural form. The base is well detailed and the canopy above is a beautiful form.
In the CONTEXTUAL DESIGN category
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.
Citation
Folly & Utility at the MSV (Winchester, Va.)
Images courtesy of Reader & Swartz Architects, P.C.
Architecture Firm: Reader & Swartz Architects, P.C. Owner: Museum of the Shenandoah Valley Contractor: Howard Shockey & Sons Inc. Photography: Beth Reader, FAIA, Chuck Swartz, FAIA, Caleb Snyder, AIA
Jury Comments: The jury appreciated the way the architect clarified the earlier Michael Graves’ project without overshadowing it. The horticultural center was particularly well received as a sophisticated response to the context. Overall the counterpoint was subtle, clear, and in-balance.
In the 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.
Jury Comments: The jury saw this as an exemplary piece of workplace architecture and a clever way to engage a historic structure and give it new life. The stair was particularly well received.
Citations
The Historic Douglass High School Education & Development Campus (Leesburg, Va.)
Image courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle. Photo by Sam Kittner.
Jury Comments: The jury, once again, was impressed by the sensitivity and understanding the architects’ displayed in handling such a culturally significant building and all it represents to the community.
The University of Virginia: Renovation of Gilmer Hall (Charlottesville, Va.)
Image courtesy of Perkins&Will. Photo by Lincoln Barbour
Architecture Firm: Perkins&Will Owner: University of Virginia Contractor: The Whiting Turner Contracting Company Photographers: Todd Mason and Lincoln Barbour
Jury Comments: The jury discussed the care and restraint involved the project execution. It was seen as a very strong example of architects understanding one of our important roles- of maintaining, preserving and communicating the cultural heritage of artifacts entrusted to us.
In the HISTORIC PRESERVATION category
The historic preservation category focuses specifically on excellence in strategies, tactics, and technologies that advance the art, craft, and science of preserving historically significant buildings and sites. The jury takes into consideration adherence to local, state, and national criteria for historic preservation.
Awards of Honor
Michigan Central Station (Detroit, Mich.)
Image courtesy of Quinn Evans.
Architecture Firm: Quinn Evans Owner: Michigan Central, Ford Motor Company Contractor: Christman/Brinker Photographers: James Haefner, Justin Maconochie, Jason Keen
Jury Comments: The jury found the historic building to be a joyous expression of civic architecture and realized that its preservation was an enormous effort worthy of such a building. The discussion also praised the government entities who found the funding to commit to such a restoration and realization of architecture’s cultural significance within a community.
Renovation of Richmond’s Old City Hall (Richmond, Va.)
Image courtesy of Quinn Evans. Photo by Joseph Romeo.
Architecture Firm: Quinn Evans Owner: Virginia Department of General Services Contractor: Grunley Construction Photographer: Joseph Romeo Photography
Jury Comments: The jury also found great effort and skill in the resolution of such a complex project. Like the Michigan Central Station, the jury discussed with excitement the wonderful level of commitment it took to not only design and build this but to find the funding to execute it. These projects were really inspiring to the jury for what architects can do with their skill, determination and energy in the 21st Century to carry forward our earlier aspirations and realizations.
Award of Merit
The Kanawha (Washington, D.C.)
Image courtesy of Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS. Photo by Anice Hoachlander.
Jury Comments: The jury appreciated the careful preservation of the street façade and the beautifully detailed contemporary rear face which relates to the historic structure through its sense of scale, craft and care.
Citation
Georgetown University Gaston Hall Balcony Reinforcement (Washington, D.C.)
Image courtesy of Hord Coplan Macht. Photo by Anne Chan.
Architecture Firm: Hord Coplan Macht Owner: Georgetown University Contractor: The Christman Company Photographer: Hord Coplan Macht, Anne Chan
Jury Comments: The jury appreciated the hard work and clever determination involved in relocating the columns to celebrate the historic balcony form. The craft and care is very evident.
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.
Award of Honor
Embassy of Australia (Washington, D.C.)
Image courtesy of KCCT. Photo by Joe Fletcher
Architect of Record: KCCT Lead Designer: Bates Smart Owner: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Contractor: Clark Construction Group, LLC Photographer: Joe Fletcher
Jury Comments: The jury found the interiors to be stunning and strong in their cohesion. It was seen as a jewel-box in the city, reflecting a level of care and materiality not existing around it. Though submitted as an architecture candidate, the jurors thought the interiors were the strongest of any project submitted and so decided to recategorize the project as such, allowing it to achieve a higher award level.
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
Citations
North Adams House (Arlington, Va.)
Image courtesy of Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect. Photo by Anice Hoachlander.
Jury Comments: The jury enjoyed seeing a home without a huge budget developed into a cheerful, light-filled, and well-organized structure. The plan is logical yet reveals quite a bit of spatial interest throughout.
Sister Cities Pavilion (Philadelphia, Penn.)
Image courtesy of StudioMB Architects. Photo by Sahar Coston-Hardy.
Architecture Firm: StudioMB Architects Owner: Center City District Contractor: Bittenbender Construction Photographer: Sahar Coston-Hardy
Jury Comments: The jury found this project to be clever, thoughtful, and quite simple. There is delight in a small but important urban intervention. It reminded one juror of 20th-century pocket parks in its ability to take a small space and create a large engagement.
Projects up to $150,000
Award of Honor
Sylvan Scrapple (Columbus, Ind.)
Image courtesy of After Architecture, LLC. Photo by Hadley Fruits.
Architecture Firm: After Architecture, LLC Owner: Landmark Columbus Foundation Contractor: Before Building Laboratory Photography: Leonid Furmansky, Hadley Fruits for Landmark Columbus Foundation, and After Architecture, LLC
Jury Comments: The jury found this project delightful in the unique combination of humility and budget versus beauty and impact. The submittal was very clearly put together as well. The plan is both rigorous and playful and charming in the way it engages the landscape. The use of materials was also discussed as very clever and well done.
Citation
Studio.mp.2 (Washington, D.C.)
Image courtesy of Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect. Photo by Anice Hoachlander.
Jury Comments: The jury found this project to be an excellent example of an architect re-purposing smaller elements and fabrics. Nooks and crannies are all utilized to high advantage. It is part of a larger story about clever ways to densify our community without losing character.
Projects up to $500,000
Award of Merit
CUSHNER (Washington, D.C.)
Images courtesy of David Jameson Architect. Photo by Paul Warchol Photography.
Jury Comments: The jury appreciated the way two small structures were used to create a third element- the garden as the space between. The structures themselves were simple, clear and worked together strongly.
In the UNBUILT WORK category
Unbuilt work was considered, as long as it was commissioned by a client as opposed to hypothetical work completed in the mode of research or academic training.
Citations
Agricultural Retreat (Churchville, Va.)
Image courtesy of ARCHITECTUREFIRM
Designers: Adam Ruffin, Danny MacNelly
Jury Comments: The jury found this project to be sensitive and emotive in ways not typically seen. One juror was impressed with the development of vernacular forms into a strong contemporary expression.
The Shockoe Project (Richmond, Va.)
Image courtesy of Baskervill.
Designer: Burt Pinnock, FAIA, NOMA
Jury Comments: The jury found it handsome, lyrical and restrained. One juror appreciated it moving beyond more common African prototypes in its expression. Another jury was happy to see architecture highlighting an important part of history.
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce that Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, Principal and Design Leader at Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects in San Francisco, California will chair the 2024 AIA Virginia Design Awards Jury.
Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, directs a large architecture firm in California. He began his career in New York being mentored by Edward Larrabee Barnes, a nationally prominent architect known for work in the arts and higher education. In 1993, Mark established Mark Cavagnero Associates in San Francisco. The firm’s first project was the modernization of the iconic California Palace of the Legion of Honor. Over the course of the next three decades, Mark has led the design of a large and significant portfolio of new buildings and building modernizations. These projects have been widely published nationally and internationally and have received numerous awards. Projects include the SFJAZZ Center, the Oakland Museum of California, the ODC Theater Center, the Moscone Convention Center, the San Francisco Public Safety Building, the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, the Finn Center in Mountain View, and the Bowes Center for the Performing Arts at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His work has included multiple projects in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. He also has executed projects in numerous locations abroad: London, Amsterdam, Munich, Dublin, Tokyo, Paris, Hyderabad, and Sydney. He also currently serves as the master architect for the global software company Salesforce. Current projects include three embassies for the U.S. State Department- located in Estonia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Burkina Faso.
Mark’s projects have garnered well over 100 major design awards. These awards range from national, state, and local awards from the American Institute of Architecture, the Chicago Athenaeum Awards for both International and American Architecture, the International Interior Design Association Awards and numerous others. Mark was personally honored with the 2010 Distinguished Practice Award and the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Maybeck Award from the American Institute of Architects. In 2012 the firm received the Firm of the Year Award from the California Council of the American Institute of Architects. Under Mark’s leadership, the firm ranked #8 in Architect Magazine’s ranking of the top architecture firms in the country for design.
Mark has been very involved in the community in California. He has been a Board Member for a number of institutions, by way of example, currently serving on the Board of Trustees of the UC Berkeley International House, an organization initiated by the Rockefeller family to promote international understanding and collaboration for the past hundred years. His community efforts have also included many tasks of planning commission participation and chair leadership, athletic coaching, involvement with libraries and theater organizations, and fundraising for his college and graduate school alma maters. He has served UC Berkeley’s School of Architecture as a distinguished Howard Friedman Professor and as a member of the Chancellor’s Curriculum Committee.
Other 2024 Design Awards Jury members include:
Craig Hartman, FAIA Craig W. Hartman, FAIA, is an architect and Design Partner in Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s San Francisco, California, office. His most prominent work includes the Cathedral of Christ the Light for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. It is the first cathedral in the world built entirely in the 21st century. He also completed the International Terminal at the San Francisco International Airport, Harvard University’s Northwest Science Building, and the new US Embassy in Beijing.
Hartman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and graduated from Wolf Lake High School in 1968. He enrolled in Ball State University’s College of Architecture & Planning and spent a year studying under Cedric Price at The Architectural Association in London. After graduating from Ball State in 1973, Hartman started his career at SOM in Chicago. He has served as a Design Partner in SOM’s Houston and Washington, D.C. offices prior to joining the San Francisco office as an architectural Design Partner for SOM’s West Coast operations in 1990.
In 2001, Hartman became the youngest recipient of the AIA California Council’s Maybeck Award—an Individual Honor Award for Outstanding Achievement expressed in a body of work. In September 2008, Hartman received the Vatican’s Knighthood for Service to Society (St. Sylvester) from Pope Benedictus XVI during the dedication ceremony for The Cathedral of Christ the Light. He is a member of the AIA’s College of Fellows and a Design Futures Council Senior Fellow.
He received an Honorary Doctor of the Arts Degree, conferred by Ball State University, during the school’s 2009 commencement ceremony. He also received an Honorary Doctor of the Arts Degree from DePaul University in 2017.
Curtis Clay, AIA
Curtis Clay is the Director of Architecture at the Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. Mr. Clay is responsible for overseeing a wide range of architectural project design functions that support the design, construction, and renovation of diplomatic posts overseas. Mr. Clay is a licensed architect in Virginia and the District of Columbia and supervises all phases of architectural design and construction. He has over 20 years of experience in the design and construction industry including government, commercial, institutional, and private work. OBO is the single real property manager for all U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world, managing a portfolio of properties in over 291 locations around the world, valued at over $80 billion. OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and resilient facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support its staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives.
Paul Woolford, FAIA
As the design principal for HOK’s San Francisco studio and member of the firm’s global design board, Paul leads interdisciplinary teams of architects, engineers, interior designers and landscape architects.
Paul has focused his entire career on rethinking the relationships between people and their environments. His design of innovative, people-centered buildings has earned him numerous accolades, including three AIA COTE Top Ten Awards and consistent LEED Platinum certifications.
Under Paul’s guidance, our San Francisco studio has been recognized as AIA California’s Firm of the Year, and his teams have won dozens of regional and national design awards.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Paul is an influential figure in architectural education, having taught at UC Berkeley, Cornell University and the Savannah College of Art and Design. He is also an engaged member and leader of various organizations, demonstrating his dedication to public service and urban planning.
Bill Leddy, FAIA
William Leddy, FAIA, is a Founding Principal of San Francisco-based LEDDY MAYTUM STACY Architects (LMSA), the 2017 recipient of the national American Institute of Architects Firm Award. For over three decades he has been a national leader in the design of environments that promote social justice and advance urgent climate action. LMSA has received over 175 regional, national and international design awards and has been recognized by numerous organizations including the American Institute of Architects, the French Institute of Architects, the Norwegian Association of Architects, the U.S. Department of Energy, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the National Building Museum. The firm is one of only three in the nation to have received eleven or more national AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project awards. Leddy has lectured widely and served as visiting professor at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and the California College of the Arts, as the Howard A. Friedman Visiting Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Pietro Belluschi Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Oregon. As past chair of both the national AIA Committee on the Environment Advisory Group (COTE) and the AIA California Climate Action Committee, he has worked for decades to accelerate the decarbonization of the built environment in California and beyond. His firm’s new book – “Practice with Purpose: A Guide to Mission Driven Design” was published in 2023.
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce that Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, Principal and Design Leader at Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects in San Francisco, California will chair the 2024 AIA Virginia Design Awards Jury.
Mark Cavagnero directs a large architecture firm in California. He began his career in New York being mentored by Edward Larrabee Barnes, a nationally prominent architect known for work in the arts and higher education. In 1993, Mark established Mark Cavagnero Associates in San Francisco. The firm’s first project was the modernization of the iconic California Palace of the Legion of Honor. Over the course of the next three decades, Mark has led the design of a large and significant portfolio of new buildings and building modernizations. These projects have been widely published nationally and internationally and have received numerous awards. Projects include the SFJAZZ Center, the Oakland Museum of California, the ODC Theater Center, the Moscone Convention Center, the San Francisco Public Safety Building, the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, the Finn Center in Mountain View, and the Bowes Center for the Performing Arts at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His work has included multiple projects in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. He also has executed projects in numerous locations abroad: London, Amsterdam, Munich, Dublin, Tokyo, Paris, Hyderabad, and Sydney. He also currently serves as the master architect for the global software company Salesforce. Current projects include three embassies for the U.S. State Department- located in Estonia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Burkina Faso.
Mark’s projects have garnered well over 100 major design awards. These awards range from national, state, and local awards from the American Institute of Architecture, the Chicago Athenaeum Awards for both International and American Architecture, the International Interior Design Association Awards and numerous others. Mark was personally honored with the 2010 Distinguished Practice Award and the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Maybeck Award from the American Institute of Architects. In 2012 the firm received the Firm of the Year Award from the California Council of the American Institute of Architects. Under Mark’s leadership, the firm ranked #8 in Architect Magazine’s ranking of the top architecture firms in the country for design.
Mark has been very involved in the community in California. He has been a Board Member for a number of institutions, by way of example, currently serving on the Board of Trustees of the UC Berkeley International House, an organization initiated by the Rockefeller family to promote international understanding and collaboration for the past hundred years. His community efforts have also included many tasks of planning commission participation and chair leadership, athletic coaching, involvement with libraries and theater organizations, and fundraising for his college and graduate school alma maters. He has served UC Berkeley’s School of Architecture as a distinguished Howard Friedman Professor and as a member of the Chancellor’s Curriculum Committee.
AIA Virginia President, Kelly Callahan, AIA has made the following appointments to the 2024 Honors Committee:
Bill Brown, AIA (Chair)
Bill Brown, AIA (Chair) Scott Campbell, AIA Tim Colley, AIA S. Jeanne LeFever, AIA Robert Reis, FAIA Warees Smith, AIA Lori Garrett, FAIA Bruce Wardell, FAIA Shannon Dowling, AIA Eric Keplinger, AIA Erin Webb, AIA David Prevette, AIA Nina Comiskey, AIA Paul Battaglia, AIA (staff liaison)
The honors program recognizes the best efforts of Virginians who, by profession or avocation, have made creating, preserving, and enhancing Virginia’s communities an important life commitment.
Entries to the 2024 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.
Each entry will be judged on how successful the project is in meeting its individual requirements. 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.
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.)
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, 2017. Enter online.
Entries are due by 5 p.m. on June 28, 2024.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.
Do you have a colleague who deserves recognition? Is there a firm with a great culture that consistently produces incredible work? Is there a building that has captured your heart? Consider nominating them for an award in AIA Virginia’s 2024 Honors Awards program.
The Honors program recognizes the best efforts of Virginians who — by profession or avocation — have made creating, preserving, and enhancing Virginia’s communities an important life commitment.
Nominations
Nominations must be submitted online. Nominations should be submitted as a single PDF up to 20 pages (not including letters of support) and no larger than 15 MB.
Nominations for all AIA Virginia honors may be made by individual members, by chapter honors committees, by AIA Virginia committees, or by the Board of Directors itself.
Current AIA Virginia Board members and Honors Committee members are not eligible for any award. Members of the Honors Committee may not be used as a reference or adviser or be solicited by the candidate or the candidate’s advisor.
The deadline is Friday, June 14, 2024, at 5 p.m.
Eligibility
Eligibility criteria and submission requirements vary by award. Click on the awards listed below for additional details and to review past recipients.
Submit a nomination. (nominations for 2024 are now closed.)
Award Categories
Professional Awards
The William C. Noland Medal, as the highest award bestowed on a member architect, is intended to honor a distinguished body of accomplishments, sustained over time, that spans a broad spectrum of the profession and that transcends the scope of normal professional activities. Only one medal may be bestowed each year.
The T. David Fitz-Gibbon Virginia Architecture Firm Award, as the highest honor bestowed by AIA Virginia to a Virginia-based architecture firm, recognizes a firm that has consistently demonstrated outstanding and continuous contributions to design, the profession, and to the community for at least ten years.
The Virginia Emerging Architect Award recognizes the accomplishments of an emerging leader in Virginia for their contributions to the profession in any of the following: design, research, education, service as a “citizen architect,” service to the profession, service to the community, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.
The Virginia Associates Award recognizes the accomplishments of individual Associate AIA members for being outstanding leaders and creative thinkers for significant contributions to their communities and the architecture profession.
The Award for Distinguished Achievement recognizes either a singular achievement by an architect or the work of an entire career in any of the following: design, practice, education, service as a “citizen architect,” service to the profession, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.
The Test of Time Award recognizes architectural design of enduring significance. The structure should be in Virginia and must be no less than 25 years old. Building use may change over time if the overall design is cherished as a significant contribution to the community and the built environment.
Public Awards
The Architecture Medal for Virginia Service is AIA Virginia’s most prestigious public award, honoring an individual or organization that has made an unusually significant contribution to Virginia’s built environment or to the public’s understanding and awareness of the built environment. Only one medal may be bestowed each year but may be given simultaneously to more than one person.
Honorary Membership is bestowed upon a person of esteemed character who is not eligible for membership in the AIA Virginia but who has rendered distinguished and exemplary service, over a sustained period of time, to architecture and the built environment within the domain of AIA Virginia.
AIA Virginia Honors may be bestowed on non-member individuals or organizations that have inspired, influenced, or complemented the architecture profession in Virginia through practice of an allied profession, research, education, planning, legislation, architectural writing, the arts, or crafts. An individual who has previously been elected an Honorary Member of AIA Virginia is ineligible to receive AIA Virginia Honors.
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the jury for the 2024 AIA Virginia Prize. The competition — which took place over the weekend of Feb. 2-5 —challenged students to design a public library in Phoebus, VA as a community public room to be a place both welcoming and safe for individuals, as well as for groups that choose to gather and interact.
The AIA Virginia Prize is a design charrette that engages students at all of the accredited 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.
Each school’s faculty reviewed the submissions and sent up to 10 finalists for final consideration by the jury which will be chaired by Trey Trahan, FAIA, NOMA.
About the Jury
Trey Trahan, FAIA, NOMA approach to architecture begins with his conviction that a building can create something that extends beyond its walls—and when we build, we shape our landscapes, communities, and cultures. His practice is dedicated to creating spaces resonant with authenticity, cultural significance, and ecological resilience, resulting in a harmonious portfolio that blends the arts, conservation, historic preservation, and social responsibility. Trahan’s work, oriented towards serving the public, strives to create venues that foster powerful communal experiences and connections, reaching beyond the traditional bounds of architecture—to shape our landscapes, communities, and cultures. Trahan is commended for his innovative use of sustainable materials, stemming from his strong personal belief in environmental conservancy. The firm has signed the AIA 2030 Commitment. He has navigated a four-decade career exploring global artistic and construction traditions, drawing influences from Eastern, Western, and Indigenous cultures. Trahan’s particular interest in Japanese culture is reflected in his extensive collection of ceramics, lacquerware, and bronzes by notable Japanese artists, with objects dating back to the 1500s. This deep interest in how materiality shapes cultures has profoundly influenced the firm’s approach to the built environment. Trahan received the Architecture Review Emerging Architecture Award in London in 2005 and was elected to the AIA College of Fellows in 2006. The firm has received recognition for combining research in emerging materials and construction with a connection to history, place, and culture, creating innovative work that feels simultaneously rooted and contemporary. In 2021, he was honored as the Laureate of the American Prize for Architecture by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Robbie Eleazer, AIA is passionate about finding new expressions of built form and working with clients to communicate those expressions to their stakeholders. The experience he brings to the New York design team includes a range of projects that exhibit inclusive design including the Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA, to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington D.C. He has contributed to work that has gained national recognition for innovation and leveraged technology in the design of beautiful facilities that contribute to wellness. As a leader in the computational design community, Robbie engages with technology to expand his understanding of what architecture can be and how it impacts people’s lives, particularly regarding materiality and safety practices to encourage public health. Robbie has contributed his expertise to a diverse portfolio of work that purposefully integrates buildings into their landscapes—believing that architecture should defer to natural settings wherever practical. Robbie’s experience includes leading the conceptual and technical design for high performance façades in a variety of climactic zones; working on complex, multi-phased projects that involved site planning, strategic renovation, and new construction; specializing in work where landscape-driven solutions provide a framework for buildings; and significant experience in cultural spaces.
David Sweere, AIA a native Arkansan and graduate from the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design at the University of Arkansas, joined Trahan Architects’ New York studio in January 2022. He believes place memory and cultural context are critical sources of inspiration in a world of increasing globalization and optimization. Prior to joining Trahan Architects, David was a designer at MARVEL in New York and Marlon Blackwell Architects in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he gained experience on a wide range of cultural, master planning, educational, retail, and government projects. He also served 9 years in the United States Air Force as an Electrical Journeyman, including multiple tours abroad in base maintenance and new construction units. In 2019, he received The Aydelott Travel Award, a $20K travel grant focused on self-directed architectural analysis, through which he traveled to 13 countries across Europe and Asia. In presenting this work, David has lectured at the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes, and Settlements and the University of Arkansas.
Over the first weekend of February, students across the Commonwealth participated in the Virginia Prize. And we were thrilled to have JMU’s Architectural Design program join competitors from Hampton University, UVA, and Virginia Tech (Blacksburg and the WAAC) in addressing the challenge.
This year’s competition was authored by Hampton University. Professor Stanford Britt, FAIA, Professor Carmina Sanchez-de-Valle, RA, and Associate Professor Marci Turner developed a brief that invited students to design a “bookless” public library as a community public room on a corner site at the intersection of N. Mallory Street and E. County Street in Phoebus, Virginia. The project is intended to complement the offerings of the traditional “book-filled” branch library located across the street. And requires students to organize the required indoor and outdoor programmatic elements so that site is building, and building is site, while also addressing resiliency issues such as flooding.
The entries are now being judged by the institutions and selected entries will be forwarded for consideration by the competition jury. We look forward to sharing and celebrating the results.
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 2024 competition takes place over the Feb. 2-4 weekend. Faculty at Hampton University are finalizing the brief. The challenge brief will be posted to this page at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2 and submissions are due to the school at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5.
We wish the participating students a pleasant outing and look forward to considering and celebrating their proposals.
