Architecture Firm Award

The Architecture Firm Award is open to any firm or successor firms, whether an individual or an organization of architects, consistently producing distinguished architecture for a period of at least ten (10) years.

• The primary office of the nominated firm must be based in the United States.
• Members of the AIA Board of Directors, Strategic Council, and members of their firms may not be nominated.

Nomination

Any AIA component, Knowledge Community, or AIA member may make nominations for the Architecture Firm Award. 

If the nominator is an individual, they must affirm that neither they nor their firm employs unpaid intern architects, including working students (as defined in Section 11.0 of the AIA Rules of the Board).

Nominators are required to write a letter of support for the candidate that introduces the submission. Nominators also assist the candidate by acting as a point of contact for the reference writers and providing guidance as needed.

 

Restrictions & exceptions 

Chapter 11 of the publicly posted AIA Rules of the Board (12/2024 ed.) state the following restrictions and exceptions to applicant, nominator, and letter of reference writer eligibility: 

• "National Officers, Officers-Elect, Directors, and Directors-Elect are not eligible to be nominated for any AIA Honors or Awards described in these Rules where they personally would be a recipient. ... Nothing in this section shall prevent AIA leadership from applying for Fellowship, Honorary Fellowship, or Honorary Membership."
• "AIA staff, National Officers, Officers-elect, and members of the Board, or Strategic Council are prohibited from campaigning on behalf of, nominating, sponsoring, or serving as a reference for candidates of any AIA Honors or Awards described in these Rules."
• "Jurors are prohibited from campaigning on behalf of, nominating, sponsoring, or serving as a reference for candidates of their respective programs until three (3) years after their end date of service."

Fee: There is no fee for this program.

2026 Deadline 

Submissions are due by 5pm ET Thursday August 7, 2025. All materials must be submitted via the online application portal (i.e., cannot be accepted via email, phone, shared online drive, fax, post, etc.) by the prescribed deadline(s): deadline extension or exception requests will not be granted. Applicants and interested parties are encouraged to seek award assistance well in advance of application deadlines to minimize the risk for ineligibility and/or application noncompliance rendering the entry removed from review.               

Formatting requirements

For information on templates for required uploaded forms (e.g., Image Release Form, Application Release Form, Copyright Information File), and information on format of portfolio document (e.g., page size / orientation standards), or addressing letters of recommendation, please visit the AIA Awards FAQs webpage. 

Applications that do not conform to the program's formatting requirements for uploaded materials (e.g., required forms, letters of reference, and portfolio documents) are subject to automatic disqualification. AIA does not accept release forms with altered terms. 

Application components
Extensive information on the materials required to submit an application is housed in the AIA online application portal. Please reference the information in this portal when the program is receiving materials for the 2026 season. 
 

Review criteria

Candidates are evaluated based on how their contributions have:

• Demonstrated great depth and breadth and had a cumulative effect on the profession of architecture.
• Addressed the future of architecture while honoring its tradition.
• Transcended or united specific areas of expertise.
• Become widely known—by architects, designers, educators, and the public—for the quality of their work.
• AIA values
  Throughout the submission, candidates are encouraged to highlight any aspects of work or life experience that may have reflected contributions or sensitivity concerning areas of special interest to AIA, its members, and the architecture profession, including but not limited to the Public Policies and Position Statements of the AIA. These might include such areas as diversity, sustainability, or the mentoring of emerging professionals, to the degree the candidate has had the opportunity to address them, or as these topics may enhance the presentation.
• AIA Framework for Design Excellence
  While submissions are not required to fit comprehensively within the framework principles, candidates are strongly encouraged to consider submission materials in this context. For additional information visit the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.

Jury

2026 Architecture Firm Award Advisory Jury

(Chair) Angela Brooks, FAIA, Brooks + Scarpa Architects, Inc.  
Clark S. Brockman, AIA, Brockman Climate Strategies LLC 
Graciela Carrillo, FAIA, Nassau BOCES Facilities Services 
Kathy D. Dixon, FAIA, K. Dixon Architecture, PLLC
Heather G. Holdridge, Assoc. AIA, Lake | Flato Architects 
Beresford Pratt, AIA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
Cory T. Rouillard, AIA, Henson Architecture 
Vikram Sami, AIA, Olson Kundig

Finalist guidelines

For candidates selected as a finalist by the Advisory Jury, the next stage of the awards process includes evaluation by the AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council at their joint meeting, typically in December. The application materials will be included in the meeting materials, and finalists are expected to also provide a video presentation fitting the criteria listed below at the date(s) determined by AIA awards staff. 

Video specifications

• .mp4 format
• Max ten (10) minutes
• PowerPoint/slide style, max forty (40) screens
• No effects including fade-in/out, animations, video within the video, or sound effects.

Video content

The presentation content should:

• Present an overview of the nominee and the ways they are qualified for the honor, specifically addressing how they have met the award criteria.
• Highlight any aspects of the nominee’s work or history related to AIA’s special interest areas including diversity, sustainability, and the mentoring of emerging professionals.
• Only include text and images from your submission. Distributing additional materials to the AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council is prohibited and may result in disqualification.

Video narrator information

Voiceover narration for the video should be from an individual member (any designation) in good standing, who is not the nominee, nor a principal or employee of the nominee’s firm.

• Promotional recognition in AIA communication channels.
• Invitation for the recipient or a recipient representative to attend selected Honors & Awards event celebrations, commonly held during the annual AIA Conference on Architecture
• Sessions and/or keynote speaking engagements (during the AIA Annual Meeting or otherwise) recognizing the Architecture Firm honor.

2026: Duvall Decker
2025: LPA Design Studios
2024:Quinn Evans
2023:Mithun
2022: MASS Design Group
2021: Moody Nolan
2020: Architecture Research Office
2019: Payette
2018: Snow Kreilich Architects
2017: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
2016: LMN Architects
2015: Ehrlich Architects
2014: Eskew+Dumez+Ripple
2013: Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
2012: VJAA
2011: BNIM
2010: Pugh + Scarpa
2009: Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects
2008: KieranTimberlake Associates LLP
2007: Leers Weinzapfel Associates 
2006: Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners
2005: Murphy/Jahn
2004: Lake | Flato Architects
2003: The Miller | Hull Partnership
2002: Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc.
2001: Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck Architecture
2000: Gensler
1999: Perkins & Will
1998: Centerbrook Architects and Planner
1997: R. M. Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects
1996: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
1995: Beyer Blinder Belle 
1994: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
1993: Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc. 
1992: James Stewart Polshek and Partners
1991: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership
1990: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
1989: Cesar Pelli & Associates
1988: Hartman-Cox Architects
1987: Benjamin Thompson & Associates, Inc.
1986: Esherick Homsey Dodge & Davis
1985: Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown
1984: Kallmann McKinnell & Wood Architects
1983: Holabird & Root, Architects, Engineers & Planners
1982: Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, Architects LLC
1981: Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates
1980: Edward Larrabee Barnes Associates
1979: Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham
1978: Harry Weese & Associates
1977: Sert Jackson and Associates
1976: Mitchell/Giurgola Architects
1975: Davis, Brody & Associates
1974: Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates
1973: Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott
1972: Caudill Rowlett Scott
1971: Albert Kahn Associates, Inc.
1970: Ernest J. Kump Associates
1969: Jones & Emmons
1968: I.M. Pei & Partners
1967: Hugh Stubbins and Associates
1965: Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons
1964: The Architects Collaborative
1962: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Interested in learning about these past recipients? We’d love to hear from you—contact us.