Young Architect Award

Eligibility

To be eligible as a candidate for the Young Architects Award, members in good standing must be either:

• An architect whose date of initial licensure is less than ten (10) years from the submission deadline.
• An Associate  who has passed the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
• Or an International Associate who meets one of the qualifications listed above.

Nomination

Candidates are welcome to proactively secure an eligible nominator in order to self-apply. Nominators are welcome to identify and put forward candidates. Nominators putting forward a candidate(s) that otherwise would not self-apply should coordinate closely with that individual to ensure the candidate is fully willing and able to participate in all application proceedings within the required formats and timelines. 

Any AIA member in good standing may make nominations for the Young Architect Award.

Nominator responsibilities

All individuals acting as a candidate nominator must affirm that neither they nor their firm / organization employs unpaid intern architects, including working students. 

All nominators are required to submit a one-page letter of recommendation for the candidate. For more information on the requirements for this application component, please access the online submission portal once the program is accepting materials.

Restrictions & exceptions 

Chapter 11 of the publicly posted AIA Rules of the Board (12/2024 ed.) states 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."

NEW! Reduced fee: There is a non-refundable $100 fee to apply to this program.

  
2026 Deadline

Submissions are due by 5pm ET Thursday, August 28, 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 their contributions that demonstrate commitment to:

• The value of design, practice, or education.
• Giving back to the profession through work with AIA or other industry-related organizations, mentoring, etc.
• Giving back to the community (through active, unpaid service to the greater community).
• The ripple effect Candidates are asked to demonstrate the "ripple effect" they have had on the profession. This is shorthand for your impact beyond the day-to-day work of your practice or outside your community. The ripple effect could be demonstrated by speaking, publications, mentoring, service to the profession, geographic impact, or legacy through others.
• AIA values Throughout the submission, applicants are encouraged to highlight any aspects of the candidate’s 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, applicants are strongly encouraged to consider submission materials in this context. For additional information, visit the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.

Jury

AIA Young Architect Award 2026 Jury

Wendy Ornelas, FAIA, Condia Ornelas Architects (Chair)
Cary Bernstein, FAIA, LEED AP, Cary Bernstein Architect
Rhet Fiskness, AIA, Rhet Fiskness Architect
Deborah T. Lucking, FAIA, Fentress Architects
Benjamin Ward, AIA, Radium Architecture
Clamisha Wynn, Assoc. AIA, Corgan
Mengqi Xu, AIA, LEED AP, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
 

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.

2025: Olivia Mae M. Asuncion, AIA, Carlos Augusto Garcia, AIA, Gloria Kloter, AIA, Corey Squire, AIA, Matthew Szymanski, AIA
2024: Amanda Snelson, Matthew Teismann, Laura Wheaton, Danny Wicke, Jay Zapata
2023: Janica Ley Baker, AIA, Matthew Clapper, AIA, Jacob Davis, AIA, Allison Dvorak, AIA, Efrie Escott, AIA, Simona Fischer, AIA, Shannon F. Gathings, AIA, Brien Graham, AIA, Christopher M. Haedt, AIA, Ryan R Murphy, AIA, Beresford Pratt, AIA, Caroline Shannon, AIA, Jason Takeuchi, AIA, Kate Thuesen, AIA, Kimberly Tuttle, AIA, Stephanie Vito, AIA, David J. Wilson, AIA
2022: Paul J. Avazier, AIA, Matt Barnett, AIA, Graciela Carrillo, AIA, John J. Clark, AIA, Carolyn Day, AIA, Lori Ferriss, AIA, Nathan Griffith, AIA, Edwin J. Harris, AIA, Chana Haouzi, AIA, Ryan Jang, AIA, Parke MacDowell, AIA, Elizabeth McLean, AIA, Christopher Nielson, AIA, Jessica M. O'Donnell, AIA, Eric Pros, AIA, Nakita Reed, AIA, Jennifer Rittler, AIA, Emily Roush-Elliott, AIA, Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, Nicole Seekely, AIA, Melody Tang, AIA, Mario L. Walker, AIA, Allison M. Wilson, AIA
2021: Mark Bacon, AIA, Jack Becker, AIA, Katelyn A Chapin, AIA, Patricia Culley, AIA, Michael A. Davis, AIA, Jeffrey A Guggenheim, AIA, Adam M. Harding, AIA, Myer Harrell, AIA, Cody Henderson, AIA, Desmond L Johnson, AIA, Dagmara Larsen, AIA, Amanda Loper, AIA, Adrienne Cali Magners, AIA, Danielle McDonough, AIA, Jonathan D. Moody, AIA, Jennifer J. Park, AIA, Matthew Thornton, AIA, Danielle Tillman, AIA, Matt Toddy, AIA, Daniel Yudchitz, AIA
2020: Kenneth A. Andrews, AIA, Gabriela Baierle, AIA, Aaron Blake Bowman, AIA, Abigail R. Brown, AIA, Jeffry Burchard, AIA, Catherine Marian Callaway, AIA, Juliet Chun, AIA, Kimberly Nicole Dowdell, AIA, Meredith Hayes Gordon, AIA, Jennifer Hardy, AIA, Damaris Hollingsworth, AIA, Stacey Z. Keller, AIA, Brynnemarie T. Lanciotti, AIA, Nicholas William Lindsley, AIA, Christopher Leigh Ludwig, AIA, Christopher Gordon Lujan, AIA, Wayne Alan Mortensen, AIA, Amber Sausen, AIA, Oswaldo Tapia, AIA, Mattie Lou Ming Thompson, AIA, Jesse Turck, AIA, JoAnn Hindmarsh Wilcox, AIA
2019: Mike Anglin, AIA, Craig Clements, AIA, Cynthia Fishman, AIA, James Garrett, Jr., AIA, Julie Hiromoto, AIA, Nathaniel Hudson, AIA, Jason Jackson, AIA, Michael Kothke, AIA, Ashlie Latiolais, AIA, Erica LiBritz, AIA, Frank Mahan, AIA, Paul Mankins, AIA, Allison Méndez, AIA, Patricia W. Opitz, AIA, Oswaldo Ortega, AIA, Eric M Roberts, AIA, Barton Ross, AIA, Wesley Schwartz, AIA, Asheley Scott St. John, AIA, Jeff Wagner, AIA, Benjamin Ward, AIA, Adam Yaracs, AIA
2018: Michelle Acosta, AIA, Allison Albericci, AIA, Jamie Crawley, AIA, Matthew DeBoer, AIA, Lawrence Fabbroni, AIA, Tony Garcia, AIA, Kelly Haigh, AIA, Thomas Hurlbert, AIA, Erin Sterling Lewis, AIA, Nicole Martineau, AIA, Ryan McEnroe, AIA, Stephen Parker, AIA, Pascale Sablan, AIA, Malini Srivastava, AIA, Angela Wolf Scott, AIA, Satoshi Teshima, AIA, Anthony Viola, AIA, Korey White, AIA
2017: Kara Bouillette, AIA, Shannon Christensen, AIA, R. Corey Clayborne, AIA, Danielle C. Hermann, AIA, Jeffrey Erwin Huber, AIA, Benjamin Kasdan, AIA, Andrea Love, AIA, Kurt Neiswender, AIA, Jonathan Opitz, AIA, Jeffrey Pastva, AIA, Jessica Sheridan, AIA, Chris-Annmarie Spencer, AIA, Lora Teagarden, AIA, Luis Velez-Alvarez, AIA
2016: Seth E. Anderson, AIA, Mindy Aust, AIA, Erin Carraher, AIA, Bob Ganser, AIA, Amy L. Kalar, AIA, Yu-Ngok Lo, AIA, Karen Lu, AIA, Shelby Morris, AIA, Carey Nagle, AIA, Daniel J. Scheaffer, AIA, Carissa Shrock, AIA, Stephanie Silkwood, AIA
2015: José Alvarez, AIA, Zachary R. Benedict, AIA, Hafsa Burt, AIA, Justin Crane, AIA, Sarah W. Dirsa, AIA, Andrew Dunlap, AIA, James Henry, AIA, Chris Hong, AIA, James A. Meyer, AIA, Ann Sobiech Munson, AIA, Adrianne Steichen, AIA, Rebecca Talbert, AIA, Derek C. Webb, AIA, Elizabeth Whittaker, AIA
2014: Illya Azaroff, AIA, Thomas Bradley Benjamin, AIA, Joshua Flowers, AIA, Wyatt Frantom, AIA, Nathan Kalaher, AIA, Evelyn M. Lee, AIA, Timothy W. Maddox, AIA, Daniel Overbey, AIA, Mark Pasnik, AIA, Michael P. Pfeffer, AIA, Jason Dale Pierce, AIA, Mark A. Schwamel, AIA, Matt Slagle, AIA, Christian B. Sottile, AIA, Lorena Toffer, AIA, Brian Vitale, AIA, Karen E. Williams, AIA, Jeffrey M. Yrazabal, AIA
2013: Derwin Broughton, AIA, Andrew Caruso, AIA, Katherine Darnstadt, AIA, Susannah C. Drake, AIA, Matthew Dumich, AIA, John Dwyer, AIA, Eric Reid Hoffman, AIA, Thomas Hussey, AIA, Alissa D. Luepke Pier, AIA, Virginia Elaine Marquardt, AIA, Rachel Minnery, AIA, Deepika Padam, AIA, Brett Charles Taylor, AIA, Lucas Tryggestad, AIA, Jennifer A. Workman, AIA
2012: Timothy C. Bicknell, AIA, Brian Cavanaugh, AIA, James M. Evans, AIA, Shari G. Grant, AIA, Michael Halflants, AIA, Michael J. Hanrahan, AIA, Katie M. Harms, AIA, Thomas Jacobs, AIA, Hao Ko, AIA, Stuart Magruder, AIA, Adam Palmer, AIA, Jonathan Penndorf, AIA, Brad Tomecek, AIA
2011: Jack Baumann, AIA, Sara Beardsley, AIA, Gail Peter Borden, AIA, Steven Dwyer, AIA, Sanford E. Garner, AIA, Christopher Herr, AIA, Jennifer T. Knudsen, AIA, Kiel Moe, AIA, Amy Slattery, AIA, Sean Stadler, AIA, Thomas J. Trenolone, AIA
2010: David Burt, AIA, Kevin deFreitas, AIA, David L. Grissino, AIA, Christopher Kelley, AIA, Brian Malarkey, AIA, Gregory O. Minott, AIA, Anthony Piermarini, AIA, Kristine C. Royal, AIA, Tricia Stuth, AIA
2009: Angela Brooks, AIA, Matthew Bremer, AIA, Matthew James Kreilich, AIA, Camilo Parra, AIA, Haril A. Pandya, AIA, Jinhee Park, AIA, Tania S. Salgado, AIA, Michael W. Schellin, AIA
2008: Victoria Elizabeth Beach, AIA, David Edward Gamble, AIA, Emily A. Grandstaff-Rice, AIA, Kelly Hayes-McAlonie, AIA, Grace H. Kim, AIA, Samuel Lasky, AIA, Michael J. Meehan, AIA, David Montalba, AIA, Robert Pasersky, AIA, Tim Schroeder, AIA
2007: Roy Abernathy, AIA, Michael P. Eberele, AIA, Lonnie D. Hoogeboom, AIA, Phillip Koski, AIA, James Mary O’Connor, AIA, Suzanna J. Wight, AIA
2006: Michael Arad, AIA, James Gardiner Dayton, AIA, John Sangki Hong, AIA, Shannon Kraus, AIA, Soren Simonsen, AIA, Patrick J. Tighe, AIA
2005: F. Michael Ayles, AIA, Jeffrey DeGregorio, AIA, Miguel A. Rivera, AIA, Rick Harlan Schneider, AIA, Eric Strain, AIA
2004: John Burse, AIA, David Jameson, AIA, Donna Kacmar, AIA, Janis LaDouceur, AIA, Kevin G. Sneed, AIA
2003: Lisa M. Chronister, AIA, Paul Mankins, AIA, Paul Neuhaus, AIA, Ronald Todd Ray, AIA, Paul S. Woolford, AIA
2002: Randy G. Brown, AIA, Barbara A. Campagna, AIA, Mohammed Lawal, AIA, Joe Scott Sandlin, AIA
2001: J. Scott Busby, AIA, P. Thomas M. Harboe, AIA, Jeffry Lee Kagermeier, AIA, Elizabeth Chu Richter, AIA, George A. Takoudes, AIA
2000: Mary Katherine Lanzillotta, AIA, Andrew Travis Smith, AIA
1999: Terrence Curry, SJ, AIA, Victoria Tatnall Jacobson, AIA, Michael Thomas Maltzan, AIA, David T. Nagahiro, AIA, Peter Steinbrueck, AIA
1998: J. Windom Kimsey, AIA, Jose Luis Palacios, AIA, Karin M. Pitman, AIA, Charles Rose, AIA, Karl W. Stumpf, AIA, David Louis Swartz, AIA, Maryann Thompson, AIA, Randall C. Vaughn, AIA
1997: William J. Carpenter, AIA, Michael A. Fischer, AIA, Robert S. Rothman, AIA, Brad Simmons, AIA
1996: Christopher W. Coe, AIA, Keith Moskow, AIA, George Thrush, AIA
1995: William A. Blanski, AIA, Anne Tate, AIA
1993: Vicki L. Hooper, AIA, Thomas Somerville Howorth, AIA, Brett Keith Laurila, AIA, Joan M. Soranno, AIA

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