Gold Medal

The Gold Medal is open to a single individual, or two (2) individuals who have created one (1) body of distinguished architectural work.

Nominees may be living or dead at the time of submission.

Members of the AIA Board of Directors, Strategic Council, and members of their respective firms are ineligible to be nominated.

Members who have been found to have violated the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and upon whom the penalties of either Censure or Suspension were imposed are ineligible to be nominated for this award.

Individuals whose membership was terminated due to a violation of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct are ineligible to be nominated for this award.

Nomination

Any component, Knowledge Community, or AIA member may make nominations for the Gold Medal. 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.

Finalist rollover

Finalists who are not selected may rollover their application materials to the next cycle for consideration in the initial pool of applicants.

2026 

Submissions open June 20, 2025.

Specific information regarding program policies (i.e., applicant eligibility, nominator options, etc.), required application components (i.e., letters of reference, candidate/project information fields, etc.), and other elements relevant in the 2026 iteration of the program will be available in the online application portal once the award begins accepting materials. All materials must be submitted via the online 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.                  
 

Fee: There is no fee for this program. 

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

Nominees 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.

Finalist guidelines

If you are selected as a finalist by the Advisory Jury, the next stage of the awards process includes a video presentation shown to the AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council at their joint meeting, typically in early December. Your submission will also be included in the meeting materials. (Guidelines below are subject to change.)

Video specifications

• .mp4 format
• Max ten (10) minutes
• PowerPoint/slide style, max 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.

Presenter 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. 

Recognition

• Promotional recognition in AIA communication channels
• Recipient(s) are typically invited to participate in conference sessions and/or a keynote recognizing the Gold Medal.
• Living recipients are automatically elevated to Fellowship, Honorary Membership, or Honorary Fellowship, as eligible. 

Recipients of this award from 2025 to 2023 can be found at AIA award winners. For previous recipients please contact AIA Archives.