Gold Medal

The Gold Medal is open to a single individual or two individuals, (living or deceased), who through their collaborative efforts over time have created a singular body of distinguished architectural work.  

Living Gold Medal recipients are automatically elevated to Fellowship, Honorary Membership, or Honorary Fellowship in the Institute, as eligible.

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. 

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 and assist the candidate by acting as a point of contact for reference writers, providing application guidance as needed, etc. 

Finalist rollover

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

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

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.
• 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 Gold Medal 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.

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 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
• Elevation to AIA Fellowship, Honorary Membership, or Honorary Fellowship in the Institute, as eligible
• Sessions and/or keynote speaking engagements (during the AIA Annual Meeting or otherwise) recognizing the Gold Medal honor.

2025: Deborah Berke, FAIA

2024: David Lake, FAIA & Ted Flato, FAIA

2023:Carol Ross Barney, FAIA

For previous recipients please contact AIA Archives.