Explore eligibility, fees and submission criteria for the
AIA Florida Design Awards, Test of Time Award and Honor Awards.
2027 Awards Program
The AIA Florida Design & Honor Awards recognize outstanding
design, professional achievement, service and leadership throughout
Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Once the entry form and fee are received, submission requirements
and forms will be sent to the email address provided with the entry
within two business days.
Important Dates
2027 Awards Timeline
Jan. 8
Registration opens
Feb. 5
Early bird registration ends
March 5
Last day to register
March 15
Award submissions due
Project Recognition
Design Awards
Design Awards recognize excellence across built work,
unbuilt work, preservation, research, masonry and objects.
Design Awards Eligibility
For purposes of the Design Awards program, a licensed architect
is a person registered to practice architecture in Florida,
Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Except for Theoretical & Research and the Object Award,
entries must be architectural projects designed by licensed
architects at the time of design.
Projects must be submitted by the architect of record,
design architect or an architect in a contractual
relationship with the client for unbuilt design.
The submitting architect must be a member of AIA Florida,
AIA Puerto Rico or AIA Virgin Islands and have offices
within Florida, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
If more than one architect was involved, permission must be
obtained from both the architect of record and design
architect.
Projects may be located anywhere in the world.
Except for Unbuilt and Theoretical & Research entries,
projects must have been completed within the immediate past
five calendar years.
Entries should consider sustainable design practices,
energy conservation, community health and resilience.
No unpaid labor may have been used.
Award recipients are subject to verification.
AIA Framework for Design Excellence
The jury will be made aware of the AIA Framework for Design
Excellence. Submissions may address the framework measures
below.
The Unbuilt Award recognizes outstanding examples of
recently commissioned architectural designs that have
not yet been built or completed. The focus is on the
process of design and excellence in exploring the nature
and science of the profession.
Requirements
Projects must have been designed within the immediate
past five calendar years from the entry deadline.
Construction may not have commenced before the entry
deadline.
Entries must be commissioned for compensation on
behalf of a client or in direct response to a
compensated design competition.
Eligible projects include single buildings, groups
of buildings, urban designs, additions, renovations
and extended-use projects.
Masonry Award
$125 Early / $150 Regular
The Masonry Award recognizes architects for the technical
and creative use of masonry in meeting aesthetic and
functional design challenges.
At least 75% of the structure and exterior skin must
use a masonry wall system.
Eligible materials include block, brick, stucco on
block, architectural block, thin stone or brick on
block, glass block and natural or manufactured stone.
Concrete panels and thin brick in precast or tilt-up
concrete panels are not eligible.
Theoretical & Research Award
$45 Professional / Student No Fee
This award recognizes academic, competition and
theoretical or research work that advances architectural
thinking and the profession.
Student
Student entries must be academic projects completed
under the supervision of at least one professor of a
NAAB-accredited architectural program in Florida,
Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, or completed in
direct response to an organized design competition.
Professional
Professional theoretical or research projects must be
executed in the interest of advancing the profession and
may not be compensated.
Historic Preservation & Restoration Award
$125 Early / $150 Regular
This award recognizes excellence in preserving,
rehabilitating, restoring and reconstructing structures
that tell the story of our culture, craft, technology,
history and architectural heritage.
Eligible approaches
Preservation:
Sustaining historic form, integrity and materials.
Rehabilitation:
Creating a compatible use while preserving historically
significant features.
Restoration:
Accurately depicting a property's appearance during
a particular period.
Reconstruction:
Recreating a non-surviving historic property or feature.
Eligibility
Projects must have been completed within five years
of the submission deadline.
Previously submitted projects that did not receive
an award may be updated and resubmitted.
Projects must qualify for or be listed on an
applicable national, state or local historic
register, inventory or survey.
Award of Excellence
$125 Early / $150 Regular
The Award of Excellence recognizes design that elevates
the human experience while successfully addressing a
project's practical needs.
Design should respond meaningfully to its site.
Projects should consider sustainable design,
energy conservation, health and community resilience.
Eligible work includes buildings, groups of
buildings, parks, plazas, preservation projects,
additions, renovations, adaptive reuse and interiors.
Award of Excellence Categories
Interiors
New Work
Pro Bono
Renovations & Additions
Sustainability
Object Award
No Fee
The Object Award recognizes the design of an object that
demonstrates invention, creativity, craftsmanship and
excellence in design beyond traditional constraints of
space or cost.
Entrants must be members in good standing of
AIA Florida, AIA Puerto Rico, AIA Virgin Islands or
AIA Students.
There is no registration fee for this award.
Enduring Architecture
Test of Time Award
Test of Time Award
$125 Early / $150 Regular
The Test of Time Award recognizes distinguished works of
architecture after at least 25 years, allowing their
function, aesthetics and execution to be reassessed and
recognizing designs that have demonstrated lasting
influence.
Projects must have been completed 25 years ago or more.
Projects must have been designed by an architect and be
located in Florida, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
Entries must be submitted by a member or local AIA
component in Florida, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
The project must remain substantially complete, in good
condition and substantially fulfill its original
program.
A change in use is permitted if it has not significantly
altered the original design intent.
Previously submitted projects that did not receive the
award may be resubmitted.
Professional Recognition
Honor Awards
Honor Awards recognize outstanding leadership, achievement,
service and contributions to architecture and AIA Florida.
Honor Awards Eligibility
Award recipients should maintain the highest ethical and
professional standards and comply with applicable laws and
regulations.
Recipients should demonstrate professionalism, integrity
and competence.
Each category may have additional eligibility and nomination
requirements.
Award recipients are subject to verification.
Gold Medal Award
No Fee
AIA Florida's highest honor recognizes an individual
architect whose career has had a profound and lasting
impact on the profession.
Minimum 10 years as an AIA Florida member in good standing.
Only one Gold Medal may be awarded in a year.
Nomination may be made by a local AIA Florida
component or five members at large.
Medal of Honor for Design Award
No Fee
Recognizes an architect whose body of work demonstrates
exceptional quality and originality and advances public
appreciation of good architecture.
Minimum 10 years as an AIA Florida member in good standing.
The body of work under consideration must span at
least 10 years.
Posthumous nominations are permitted.
Silver Medal – Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award
No Fee
Honors an architect whose leadership and community
service have directly benefited the profession or
community.
Nominee must be an AIA Florida member in good standing.
A local component or individual member may submit
the nomination.
At least one letter from an organization served
should be included.
Firm of the Year
$225
Honors outstanding achievement in design, community
service, education, service to the profession and
service to AIA by an architectural firm.
The firm must be an AIA Florida Firm member in good standing.
Submitted achievements and service must reflect at
least 10 years.
The firm must have been under substantially the
same principal leadership for at least 10 years.
Anthony “Tony” Pullara Individual AIA Service Award
No Fee
Honors an AIA Florida member for exceptional service to
AIA Florida beyond that normally expected of a member.
Nominee must be an AIA Florida member in good standing.
A local component or individual member may nominate.
Anthony “Tony” Pullara Chapter Award
No Fee
Honors AIA Florida components that exceed Core Member
Services and member expectations, particularly in public
awareness and outreach, political effectiveness and
membership development.
William G. McMinn, FAIA Award for Outstanding Architectural Education Contributions
No Fee
Honors an individual whose teaching, research,
innovation and leadership have made outstanding
contributions to architectural education.
Must be an AIA Florida member in good standing.
Must be a current or former faculty member of an
accredited Florida school of architecture.
Must have served as an educator for at least five years.
Associate Member of the Year
No Fee
Honors an associate member whose leadership, activities
and service to AIA Florida directly benefit the
profession.
Must be an AIA Florida member in good standing.
Must not be licensed at the time of nomination.
Bob Graham Architectural Awareness Award
No Fee
Honors a citizen or public official who is not an
architect and whose work has advanced good design,
planning or the public value of architecture.
Allied Member of the Year
No Fee
Honors an AIA Florida Allied Member whose participation,
service and support have contributed significantly to
AIA Florida and the architectural profession.
Charles W. Clary, FAIA Government Service Award
No Fee
Honors an architect whose government service has
advanced good design, planning and the value of the
architectural profession.
Honor Award for Social Advancement of the Profession
No Fee
Recognizes an individual or firm whose work has created
positive change through social responsibility and
efforts that promote a more equitable, diverse and
inclusive profession.
Individual nominees must have been AIA Florida
members for at least five years and be in good standing.
Firm nominees must be current AIA Florida Firm
members in good standing.
Photographer of the Year
No Fee
Recognizes high quality and originality in architectural
photography that advances outstanding architectural
photography in Florida.
The immediate past recipient is not eligible.
A local component or individual member may nominate.
Builder of the Year
No Fee
Recognizes a company or firm that demonstrates a sincere
commitment to outstanding craftsmanship, workmanship and
a substantial body of work.
Must be an AIA Florida member or Allied member in
good standing.
The company may be a general contractor,
subcontractor, manufacturer or similar organization
licensed in Florida.
The immediate past recipient is ineligible.
Three letters of support from AIA Florida member
architects who have worked with the builder are required.
James H. Anstis, FAIA Lifetime Achievement Award
No Fee
Honors a distinguished AIA Florida member who has
demonstrated extraordinary service to architecture over
an extended period.
Service must span at least 25 years.
The nominee must have held leadership roles within
AIA Florida or related professional organizations.
The nominee's work should have influenced multiple
facets of the profession or construction industry.
The recipient must be or have been an AIA member in
good standing for at least 25 years.
Vicki Long Lifetime Service to the Profession Award
No Fee
Recognizes the extraordinary service of a non-architect
whose long-term commitment to AIA Florida has advanced
the association's mission and championed architecture
throughout Florida.
Distinguished service must span more than 15 years.
Service may include leadership, employment or
contractual work with AIA Florida or related organizations.
Only a current member of the AIA Florida Board of
Directors may make a nomination.
The award requires approval by two-thirds of the
Board members present at a duly noticed meeting.
