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AIA New York’s annual Design Awards program recognizes outstanding architectural design in New York and around the world. Members, architectural professionals, and designers across the industry are encouraged to apply. 

The program awards projects that exemplify design excellence, demonstrating exceptional skill and creativity in the resolution of formal, functional, and technical requirements. Projects should consider the impacts of built design, addressing issues including ecological stewardship and social responsibility. 

In 2019, AIA adopted the Framework for Design Excellence as a set of guidelines and requirements to assess project performance and better address the interdependence between people, buildings, infrastructure, and the environment. All submissions will require the use of the AIA Framework’s Common App. Each applicant should highlight relevant narratives and metrics, that are applicable to their specific projects;  submissions do not need to address all the measures included and may be focused on only three. 

 

Schedule

November 21, 2025
Submission Deadline

January 12, 2026, 6:00 PM
Winners announced at Design Awards Jury Symposium

April 24, 2026, 11:30 AM
Honors and Awards Luncheon at Cipriani Wall Street and Design Awards Exhibition on View at the Center for Architecture

Spring 2026
2026 AIANY Design Awards Exhibition Opening at the Center for Architecture

 

 

Award Categories

Awards may be granted in four categories noted below. Each project is evaluated by the Jury based on the success of meeting its unique project objectives. Submissions should highlight the project’s typology to aid the jurors in their evaluation. 

Awards may be granted in four categories:

  • Architecture: Recognizes design excellence in completed buildings of any typology.
  • Interiors: Recognizes design excellence in building interiors and related architectural work, as well as new and improved approaches to building components and architectural products.
  • Projects: Recognizes temporary structures, conceptual work, pavilions, and research including practice management tools that improve design and construction processes. Work in this category does not need to be intended for construction. Projects undertaken for academic credit are not eligible. Competition entries will be considered.
  • Urban Design: Recognizes the most compelling work and ideas, both built and unbuilt, that confront and resolve environmental and urban challenges at a scale larger than that of an individual building.

Award levels for all categories:

  • Citation: Represents exemplary achievement in a specific aspect of a project.
  • Merit Award: Represents distinguished achievement.
  • Honor Award: Represents the highest level of achievement.
  • Best in Competition: Jurors may select one entry among Honor Award recipients across all categories to receive this unique recognition.

Judging Criteria

Projects should showcase exceptional skill and creativity in addressing formal, functional, and technical requirements. Submissions are also expected to reflect on the broader impacts of built design, including ecological stewardship and social responsibility. We encourage entries that embrace a broad and inclusive understanding of design excellence. Each submitter must complete the relevant sections of the AIA Common App, which provides an opportunity to highlight a project’s engagement with the principles of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. While the Common App informs the process, it does not determine the outcome. Each project is evaluated by the Jury on how successfully it meets its specific objectives.

Submissions may be exemplary in the following areas (including, but not limited to):

  • Best of Typology, demonstrating outstanding achievement in any building type (i.e. education, affordable housing, healthcare, community facility, historic preservation, corporate interiors, high-rise, commercial retail, etc.).
  • Technical Advancement, including engineering achievements (i.e. structural, mechanical, transportation, computational, etc.), as well as innovative use of materials and approach to urban systems.
  • Innovation and Research, including projects investigating design advocacy, cross-disciplinary research, and public service, as well as pilot projects and theoretical propositions.
  • Preservation/Restoration, including the demonstration of exemplary skill, sensitivity, and thoroughness in preservation, restoration, or adaptive reuse and/or the sensitive reinforcement of successful historical development patterns.
  • Sustainability, including the demonstration of excellence in ecological stewardship, such as reduced environmental impact and energy consumption, as well as attention to quality-of-life issues, resiliency, and community engagement in the urban environment.

Eligibility

AIA New York’s annual Design Awards program recognizes outstanding architectural design in New York and around the world. Small- to large-scale and low- to high-budget projects are welcome. Eligibility is determined by factors such as project start date, the submitter’s membership category, and professional status, as outlined below.

What projects are eligible?

  • Architecture and Interiors projects must have been completed after January 1, 2021. All completed New York State-based projects must credit the New York State licensed architect of record.
  • Urban Design and Projects submissions must have been initiated after January 1, 2021.
  • Prior winning projects in any category may not be resubmitted

Category Eligibility

  • Architecture: Registered architects only.
  • Interiors: Registered architects only.
  • Projects: Registered architects, Associate and International Associate AIA members, as well as AIANY Allied Professional and Corresponding members.
  • Urban Design: Registered architects, Associate and International Associate AIA members, as well as AIANY Allied Professional and Corresponding members.

Who is eligible?

  • AIA New York members who are registered architects are eligible regardless of project location or architect’s residence.
  • New York State registered architects practicing in New York City are eligible regardless of the project’s location.
  • Work located in New York City designed by any registered architect is eligible regardless of the architect’s residence, location of primary office or membership status. The registered architect should complete the submission.
  • AIA members who are affiliated with local chapters outside of New York City can become AIA New York members by joining as Corresponding members. Visit our membership page for more information.
  • Associate, International Associate, and Allied Professional AIA New York members may submit projects in the Urban Design and Projects categories only.

Registration and Submission

The Design Awards submissions process is completely digital. The uploaded 16-page PDF and Common App must remain anonymous. Any references to architects and designers (except for original architect in the case of preservation work) on any images, plans, narratives, file names, or supplemental materials will disqualify a submission.

Submission Requirements

  • The 16-page PDF is unique to each submission and typically takes the form of a project portfolio, combining visuals and text to highlight key elements. There is no set template or required structure for the content. However, the PDF must follow the formatting requirements outlined below.

    • Submission must be a single PDF file smaller than 25 MB. 

    • PDF should be formatted as 11x17, landscape, and no more than 16 pages. 

    • All project images for review by the jury should be included as part of the PDF submission. Images included in the PDF must be low-resolution and clearly labeled and/or captioned with descriptive text. 

  • All submissions must include the Framework for Design Excellence's Common App available for download here. If you are unable to access the Common App, please email eserrano@aiany.org for a copy. 

  • If the Common App contains questions that are not relevant to your project, you can leave those questions blank.  

  • Please check that the uploaded PDF opens and will be viewed as designed. 

  • Submission uploads (16-page PDF and Common App) must not include any references to architects and designers on any images, plans, narratives, file names, or supplemental materials. Entries that reveal such information will be automatically disqualified.  

  • At least three high-resolution, press-ready image with complete credit information (including photographer credits) must be uploaded separately.  

  • Upon jury selection, winners will be contacted to provide additional images and credits for the exhibition and the Oculus magazine Design Awards issue. Without these materials, projects will not receive proper recognition. Interiors winners will also be required to supply manufacturer and supplier credits.  

Entry Fees

AIA New York Members (Includes Registered Architect, Corporate, Corresponding, and Allied Professional Members)
$225

Associate AIA and International Associate AIA Members
$115

Other Registered Architects
$525

Project Credits
The architect or firm of record, associate architects, project team, consultants, client, and general contractor must be credited. Client names will be withheld from publication upon request.

For restoration, renovation, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, the original architect must be identified.

Submissions done as an employee or consultant must include a release from a principal of the firm acknowledging that the submitting architect had primary design responsibility and that the credits are correct.

To Start a Submission
If you do not have a username and password, click on the "Submit" item on the grey menu bar at the top of this page to create an account in the AIANY Competition and Awards Programs platform.