The Results of the 2026 AIA Virginia Prize
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 that challenged students to imagine a “third space” to bring people together in new ways, support creative activity, and strengthen the rhythms of everyday life.
The submissions were reviewed by an impressive jury that included Jury Chair James (Jim) Cutler, FAIA, Bruce Anderson, AIA, Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, and Ed Weinstein, FAIA.
The jury was charged with selecting projects for special recognition and awarding $5,500 in cash prizes. The jury awarded a tie for First Place to Isabel Alarcon (VT) and Noah Depeyrot (UVA) – who each received $2,250. Third Place, and $1,000, was awarded to Nick Wald (VT).
First Prize: Noah Depeyrot (UVA) “Bridgewater Stoop” – $2,250
Of Noah Depeyrot’s Bridgewater Stoop the jury remarked that “the design is simple and direct in one large gesture. It takes a mundane service garage and visually converts it into a recognizable public space”. The jury felt the proposal would be eminently achievable in the real world. They commented that the combination of the scale and the big roof makes the project more accessible to the community. And they commended the entry as an example of “the importance of learning to edit the design down, rather than adding more to the project”.
First Prize: Isabel Alarcon (VT) “Re-fuel” – $2,250
In response to Isabel Alarcon’s Re-Fuel the jury felt that the designer had a fundamental understanding of what it takes to make a civic building “alive” – programming this project as a multipurpose building, that would naturally have some constant activity. They commended the physical design of the building, which they considered deft in both plan and section. Stating that “this was a project of substance”, they also appreciated how the project responded to the scale to the street.
They noted that the first place submissions were “similar in some important ways” while offering “a strong yet dramatically different approach”.
Third Place: Nick Wald (VT) “Hearth” – $1,000
The jury admired how the boldness of Nick Wald’s Hearth “put a stake in the ground to mark the civic heart of Bridgewater”. They appreciated how the arcade surrounding the ‘obelisk/chimney’ could serve multiple functions and events – it was “decidedly urban” while recalling an industrial port or cenotaph.
We congratulate the winners and appreciate the engagement of the many students, faculty, and institutions that participated in this year’s edition. We thank the Architectural Design faculty at JMU’s School of Art, Design and Art History for developing the provocative brief. And we thank the jury for their thoughtful deliberations.
If you’d like help us support this effort, which launched in 1980, you are most welcome to make a contribution to the Virginia Prize designated fund on the AIAVA Foundation page of our website.
