AIA Virginia has named Ava Helm, AIA, as one of two recipients of the 2025 Virginia Associates Award, recognizing exceptional Associate AIA members for outstanding leadership, creative thinking, and significant contributions to their communities and the architecture profession.
A 2022 graduate of Syracuse University, Helm began her full-time career at KGD Architecture, following years of active involvement in the architecture community through internships and volunteer efforts. She played a pivotal role in revitalizing AIA Northern Virginia’s Young Architects Forum post-pandemic, serving as Vice Chair in 2023, and was a participant in the AIA Virginia Emerging Leaders in Architecture program, where her team designed resiliency hubs that included pet care support in crisis planning.
Helm’s leadership extended to Canstruction events in 2023 and 2024, raising substantial food and funds for the Arlington Food Assistance Center, highlighting how architectural skills can be leveraged for tangible community benefit.
Her dedication to mentorship, thoughtful design, and community engagement embodies the transformative power of architecture and the evolving role of architects in society.
Helm, who is now a licensed architect, will be formally recognized at the Visions for Architecture celebration on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the Richmond Downtown Marriott. Tickets go on sale September 2, 2025, at www.aiava.org.
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. For 2024, this award is given to Caitlin Morgan, Associate AIA.
Caitlin Morgan, Assoc. AIA, CSI-EP, began her career at the height of the 2020 global pandemic and has since found her passion for advocating for emerging professionals across architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Her roles at the local, state, and national levels for professional organizations exemplify her desire to work with industry leaders to ensure that future architecture professionals receive the education and mentorship they require for a successful career serving their communities. Caitlin experienced hardships in architecture upon graduating from college in 2020 when all professional networking and development opportunities were placed on indefinite holds. Not wanting to delay her goal of becoming a licensed architect, she set her sights on creating virtual networking opportunities through her local CSI and AIA chapters where she formed connections that would shape the future of her career.
Throughout the pandemic, Caitlin continued to pursue professional development and networking opportunities, culminating in a position on the AIA Virginia Board of Directors as the 2021-2023 Associate Director. Her experience in this role reminded her of how diverse the Associate membership is within the AIA, consisting of experience levels ranging from recent graduates to seasoned design professionals. Through this lens, she has tailored her passion for emerging professional advocacy to include a wider network of AEC professionals and, in 2021, co-founded Emerge AEC, a virtual networking platform with a mission to improve communication between emerging professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction by building community, supporting career growth, and elevating AEC as a whole.
Since co-founding Emerge AEC as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Caitlin has forged strong relationships with professionals across the country despite global conditions that risked setting her back in her professional development. Caitlin continues to pursue roles where she can work with and advocate for emerging professionals who find themselves at risk of deviating from architecture career paths – Her passion for strengthening the pipeline of successful future architects and designers continue to fuel her drive for a more accessible and diverse industry.
For her service to the profession through AIA and CSI, service to the community, advancing education initiatives, and fostering industry discourse and collaboration, Caitlin Morgan will be honored with the Associates Award at the Visions for Architecture event on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, at the Richmond Downtown Marriott.
