2025 Design Awards Announced

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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.

Celebrate these winning designs and designers at Visions for Architecture, the evening of November 6th at the Downtown Richmond Marriott. Purchase Your Tickets>>

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

Sycamore & Oak (Washington, D.C.)

Architecture Firm: Adjaye Associates
Architect of Record: Winstanley Architects & Planners
Contractor: Banneker Ventures
Photographer: Dror Baldinger

Awards of Merit

New U.S. Embassy Windhoek (Windhoek, Namibia)

Architecture Firm: Honore Carmona / Page
Contractor: Dan Hogan / B.L. Harbert International

Woodlands Stewardship Education Center (Chantilly, Virginia)

Architecture Firm: Quinn Evans (Washington, DC)
Contractor: Cooper Building Services, LLC
Photographer: Joseph Romeo Photography

Honorable Mentions

Ferguson Headquarters 3 (Newport News, Virginia)

Architecture Firm: Clark Nexsen
Contractor: WM Jordan Company, Inc.
Photographer: Mark Herboth Photography LLC

Virginia Tech Academic Building One (Alexandria, Virginia)

Architecture Firm: SmithGroup
Contractor: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Photographers: Judy Davis – Studio HDP and Alan Karchmer

James A. Buzzard River Education Center (Richmond, Virginia)

Architecture Firm: 3North
Contractor: Kjellstrom & Lee
Photographer: Yuzhu Zheng Photography, 3North, and QPH Photo

University of Miami Centennial Village (Coral Gables, Florida)

Architecture Firm: VMDO Architects
Contractor: Coastal Construction
Photographer: Alan Karchmer

NASA Langley Research Center Measurement Systems Laboratory (Hampton, Virginia)

Architecture Firm: AECOM
Contractor: W.M. Jordan Company
Photographers: Robb Williamson – AECOM, Scott Wertz – Studio SMW

Micron Team Member Center (Manassas, Virginia)

Architecture Firm: Jacobs
Contractor: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Photographer: Jeffrey Totaro

Howard University Myra Miner Building (Washington, DC)

Architecture Firm: Studio Twenty Seven Architecture
Contractor: MCN Build
Photographer: HDP Studio

Dorothy Height Elementary School (Washington, DC)

Architecture Firm: CGS Architects
Contractor: GCS-Sigal / Grunley JV
Photographer: Chris Ambridge Photography

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.

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

Projects up to $500K

Honorable Mention

Houselet (Richmond, Virginia)

Architecture Firm: Fuller/Overby Architecture
Contractor: Peregrine Builders LLC
Photographer: Paul Warchol

2025 Design Awards Jury

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Andrew Chin, Assoc. AIA

Andrew Chin, Assoc. AIA, has mustered a tremendously dignified jury to deliberate over the 2025 Design Awards, which are scheduled to be announced to the membership soon.

This year’s jury, a veritable council of deans, includes:

  • 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
  • Quilian Riano, Dean of Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture
  • Chaired by Andrew Chin, Assoc. AIA, Dean of the School of Architecture + Engineering Technology (SAET) at Florida A&M University (FAMU) 

We will celebrate the Design Awardees along with our Honorees in Richmond at our annual Visions for Architecture Gala, the evening of Thursday, November 6, 2025, during our annual convention, Architecture Exchange East. Tickets and registration for the events are available now.

Design Awards Jury Chair Announced

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Andrew Chin, Assoc. AIA will serve as the chair of this year’s Design Awards Jury. Andrew is Dean of the School of Architecture & Engineering Technology (SAET) at Florida A&M University (FAMU).

He holds a Bachelor of Design and a Master of Architecture from the University of Florida and a Master of Science in Urban & Regional Planning from Florida State University. Since 1991, he has taught design studios, urban design, and thesis research at the University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology, and FAMU.

Chin’s scholarship focuses on the intersection of race and urban form in North Florida communities and has attracted over $2 million in external funding from federal, state, and foundation sources. His contributions to architectural education have been recognized by organizations such as the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), reflecting a sustained commitment to equity, design justice, and community engagement.

Andrew will be inviting professionals and academics to join him on the jury. We look forward to celebrating these achievements at our annual Visions for Architecture Gala on Thursday, November 6, 2025, during Architecture Exchange East.

Entries for the 2025 Design Awards are open until June 27, 2025. For more information and to submit>>

Call for Entries: 2025 Design Awards

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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.

Enter the 2025 Design Awards

The Design Awards program is sponsored by:

Bronze
Bamforth Engineers + Surveyors

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.

Awards Categories include:

  • Architecture;
  • Design for Context;
  • Unbuilt Architecture;
  • Extended Use;
    • Historic Preservation
    • Adaptive or Continued Use
  • Interiors;
  • Residential; and
  • Small Projects
    • Up to $150K in construction cost
    • Up to $500K in construction cost
    • Under 5,000 square feet

Check out the complete descriptions of each award category, and review the regulations, eligibility requirements, and frequently asked questions for more information.

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 Virginia Members:
$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

Not an AIA Virginia member? Apply for unassigned membership.

About the Framework for Design Excellence

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.