AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture

Below is high-level information about the program criteria to help you determine if you are a good fit for the Public Architecture Award program. For full criteria and guidelines, please refer to the submission guide in the Resources tab.

Eligibility

• Category One: U.S. licensed, private sector architects with a portfolio of public facilities
• Category Two: U.S. licensed, public service architects
• Category Three: Public officials or other individuals

Note: If a candidate’s experience is relevant to multiple categories, they should select the category that they feel will support the stronger case for selection.

Nomination

Any AIA Member in good standing, AIA Components, and AIA Knowledge Communities may make nominations for the Award for Excellence in Public Architecture.

Nominator responsibilities

If your 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.

Recognition

Recognition for this program typically includes the following elements but may be subject to change. Recipients will receive additional information about this cycle’s recognition benefits with their selection notification.

• Promotional recognition in AIA communication channels.
• Invitation for the recipient or a recipient representative to attend selected AIA Awards event celebrations, commonly held during the annual AIA Conference on Architecture.

Schedule 

For more information on opening and deadline dates, please see AIA Awards FAQ.

• Notification to recipient: Late November 2024
• Public announcement: Late January 2025

Fee: There is no fee for this program.

Jury

2024 Jury

Yanitza Brongers-Marrero, FAIA, Chair, Moody Nolan, Columbus, Ohio

Imani Day, AIA, RVSN Studios, Detroit

Christopher Elcock, AIA, GWWO Architects, Baltimore

Petrina Gooch, Assoc. AIA, HED, Los Angeles

Rusty Smith, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama

Contacting the jury

To protect the integrity of the awards process, active nominees are prohibited from contacting members of the Jury during the submission process. Communication with jurors, from the time of submittal to completion of the jury process, by the candidate or anyone acting on their behalf is cause for immediate disqualification.

Submission guide & forms 

The 2024 Award for Excellence in Public Architecture sample application contains criteria and guidelines for the program, as well as a preview of the fields you will be asked to complete on the submission site. 

Previous submission examples

Reviewing previous submissions can be helpful as you prepare your materials. To request a copy of a submission not listed here, you can email our archivist.

2024 
Paula Loomis, FAIA

2023 
David M. Powell, FAIA

2022 
Robert D. Eisenstat, FAIA

Paul D. Mankins, FAIA

2021 
Jennifer Sage, FAIA (Category One)

Katie Swenson, Assoc. AIA (Category Three)

2020 
Rona Rothenberg, FAIA (Category Two)

2019 
James McCullar, FAIA (Category One)

2018 
Stephen Ayers, FAIA (Category Two)

2017 
Alan Greenberger, FAIA (Category Three)

2016 
Hans Butzer, AIA (Category One)

2015
Thomas E. Lollini, FAIA (Category Two)

Thomas Luebke, FAIA (Category (Category Three)

2014
James Logan Abell, FAIA (Category One)

Carole J. Olshavsky, FAIA (Category Two)

Robert G. Shibley, FAIA (Category Three)

2013
Ginnie Cooper (Category Three)

Michael Pyatok, FAIA (Category One)

2012
Alexander Cooper, FAIA (Category One)

Daniel J. Feil, FAIA (Category Two)

Robert A. Peck, Hon. AIA (Category Three)

2011
James Binkley, FAIA (Category Two)

David Burney, FAIA (Category Three)

2010
Curtis Fentress, FAIA (Category One)

Les Shepherd, AIA (Category Two)

Ken Greenberg, Assoc. AIA (Category Three)

2009
Philip G. Freelon, FAIA, LEED AP (Category One)

J. Roger Boothe, AIA (Category Two)

Donald J. Stastny, FAIA (Category Three)

2007
David Dixon, FAIA (Category One)

Michael A. Fitts, FAIA (Category Two)

2005
Carol Ross Barney, FAIA (Category One)

Diane Georgopulous, FAIA (Category Two)

Charles Atherton, FAIA (Category Three)

2003
Edmund W. Ong, FAIA (Category Two)

Susan Williams (Category Three)

2001
Terrel M. Emmons, FAIA (Category Two)

Stroud Watson (Category Three)

2000
Charles Emil Peterson, FAIA (Category Two)

Jayanta Chatterjee, Assoc. AIA (Category Three)

1999
Lewis Davis, FAIA (Category One)

Robert Kroin, AIA (Category Two)

1998
Arthur Rosenblatt, FAIA (Category Two)

1997
John Tarantino, FAIA (Category Two)

Richard A. Kahan (Category Three)

Hunter Morrison (Category Three)

1996
Thomas R. Aidala, FAIA (Category Two)

The Honorable Douglas P. Woodlock (Category Three)

1995
Herbert S. Newman, FAIA (Category One)

Edward A. Feiner, FAIA (Category Two)

Henry G. Cisneros, Hon. AIA (Category Three)

1994
Richard Dattner, FAIA (Category One)

M.J. "Jay" Brodie, FAIA (Category Two )

The Honorable Joseph P. Riley Jr., Hon. AIA (Category Three)

1993
The Honorable Jack Brooks, Hon. AIA (Category Three)

1992
James Ingo Freed, FAIA (Category One)

George M. White, FAIA (Category Two)

The Honorable Patrick J. Moynihan, Hon. AIA (Category Three)

Contact us for information on prior years' winners.