Small Project Award
Raises public awareness of the value and design excellence that architects provide regardless of the limits of size and budget.
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.
Building awareness of the value of small projects
A small project can make a big impact and a single design element can set the tone for large projects. The Small Project Award program raises public awareness of the value and design excellence that architects provide regardless of the limits of size and budget.
Questions? Email AIA Awards
- Open to all architects, designers, and projects that meet our category criteria below. Additionally, the U.S. licensed architect must be a major contributor to the project.
- Built projects must have been completed after January 1, 2019.
- There is no requirement for professional photography.
- Any size firm may submit a project.
- Maximum of four (4) entries per firm. (A single project may be entered into two (2) different categories with applicable fees for each entry.)
2026
Submissions open September 12, 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: Single project submissions are $450 each. Submitting the same project to additional award categories costs an extra $100 per category.
Categories:
- Category one: Small project construction, object, work of environmental art, or architectural design element up to $250,000 in construction cost.
- Category two: Small project construction up to $2.5 million in construction cost.
- Category three: Small project construction, object, work of environmental art, or architectural design under 5,000 square feet.
- Category four: Unbuilt project award: Any unbuilt design that meets any of the category requirements above. This award is for projects that will not be built in the future (speculative work, conceptual work, competition work, student work, etc.).
The jury evaluates entries based on how successfully projects meet their individual requirements. Entries are judged individually—not in competition with each other.
All projects must demonstrate design achievement, including how the project fits into its environment and how the project connects to the Framework for Design Excellence.
For information on 2025 recipients of this award program visit our awards management portal.
Recipients of this award from 2024 and 2023 can be found at AIA award winners. For previous recipients please contact AIA Archives.
AIA Small Project Award 2025 celebrates excellence in design across projects of all sizes. These winning works prove that impactful architecture isn’t limited by scale, showcasing innovation, quality
