Associates Award
Recognizes exceptional Associate AIA member leaders who have made significant contributions to their community, organization, and/or industry.
Questions about program policies, application requirements, or how to submit online? Please see the AIA Awards FAQ for more information on the awards submission process.
Recognizing exceptional Associate AIA leaders
The AIA Associates Award recognizes exceptional leaders within the Associate AIA membership designation who have made significant contributions to their chapter, community, professional organizations, and/or in the design and construction industries.
Questions? Email AIA Awards
AIA Associate members who at the submission deadline are not licensed to practice architecture and have not passed the Architect Registration Examination are eligible for this award.
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 Associates Award.
Nominator Duties
All nominators 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.
Fee: There is a non-refundable fee of $100 for 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 how their contributions have exemplified leadership and demonstrated commitment to their component, community, professional organizations, and/or the design and construction industries.
- 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. Ripple effect could be demonstrated by speaking, publications, mentoring, service to the profession, geographic impact, or legacy through others. - AIA Values
Throughout the submission, you 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, you are strongly encouraged to consider your submission materials in this context. For additional information visit the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
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 Honors & Awards event celebrations, commonly held during the annual AIA Conference.
Oswaldo Rivera-Ortiz, Assoc. AIA, is a visionary educator and advocate whose transformative work in K–12 outreach is making architecture more accessible, inclusive, and empowering for the next
