2026 Celebration of Architecture!

We are thrilled to unveil the Annual AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley Chapter Design Awards Program! This prestigious event spotlights the incredible talent of architects and celebrates the innovative designs that shape our built environment. Join us in honoring the exceptional creativity and excellence in architectural design that defines our community. We eagerly anticipate your submissions and look forward to celebrating the remarkable achievements of Werstchester + Hudson Valley's architectural visionaries. Get ready to showcase your best work and be part of this exciting celebration of architectural brilliance!

ELIGIBILITY:
Completed or unbuilt work by a licensed Architect, Associate AIA member, or firm working in an
office located within the chapter area or completed work within the chapter area by an architect/
firm located outside the chapter area. The work must have been completed between January 2020
and August 2026. There is no limit to the number of projects submitted and applicants are
encouraged to submit as many projects as desired.

CATEGORIES

1. Community Impact - Projects that strengthen the social fabric and civic life of the community they are in. Examples include sensitive infill housing, streetscape-enhancing home restorations, or ADU developments addressing regional housing needs, civic plazas, public libraries, or non-profit centers.

2. Innovation in Sustainability - Projects that demonstrate outstanding achievements in decarbonization, resiliency, and green design. Examples include Certified Passive House single-family homes or all-electric residential retrofits, mass-timber commercial offices, geothermal municipal facilities, or net-zero educational buildings. 

3. Excellence in Adaptive Reuse - Honoring creative preservation and the brilliant transformation of existing historic structures. Examples include adaptive transformations of historic barns, carriage houses, or additions to historic residences, mill conversions into boutique commercial/retail spaces or industrial warehouse activations.

4. Best Use of Materials - Celebrating craft, tactile beauty, and innovative material or tectonic expression. Examples include bespoke residential millwork, custom joinery, or inventive uses of local fieldstone, exposed timber framing in commercial lobbies or innovative curtain-wall detailing.

5. Design for Wellness - Projects that prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional health of their occupants. Examples include non-toxic, highly ventilated single-family homes or aging-in-place transformations, daylit healthcare facilities, biophilic educational spaces, or acoustically optimized workplaces.

6. Visionary Design - Unbuilt, theoretical, or conceptual work pushing the boundaries of Architecture. Examples include speculative rural housing prototypes, student thesis work, or unbuilt residential concepts, masterplan proposals, unbuilt competition entries, or academic research.

7. Small Project, Big Impact - Designed for smaller-scale interventions, proving that design excellence isn't dependent on a massive budget. Examples include backyard studios, entry vestibules, or targeted interior room reconfigurations, Main Street storefront revamps, civic parklets, or micro-retail spaces; .

8. Emerging Professional Honor - Recognizing a standout project led by an AIA Associate or a firm owner in their first 10 years of practice. Examples include a sole practitioner’s first built single-family commission or residential addition in or a young firm’s inaugural commercial interior or boutique office fit-out.

9. The 90th Anniversary Legacy Award (Firm of the Year) - Honoring a firm that has consistently contributed to the architectural excellence and community of our chapter over its history. Open to practices of all scales and focuses—from specialized single-family residential ateliers to multi-disciplinary commercial and civic practices—demonstrating long-term design rigor and chapter engagement.
   
   2026 FEES (PER ENTRY) - early bird rate before 9/18/2026
   The entry fee includes the cost of two (2) people attending the Design Awards Gala. Additional tickets and sponsoring opportunities may be purchased for an additional fee

$30 early bird rate - $50 after 9/18/2026 for Student Submissions
$100 early bird rate - $200 after 9/18/2026 for AIA WHV Chapter Members (Small firm - 6 or fewer staff) or Associate Chapter Members
$200 early bird rate - $300 after 9/18/2026 for AIA WHV Chapter Members (greater than 6 staff)
$300 early bird rate - $400 after 9/18/2026 for AIA Firms outside of the AIA WHV Chapter / Non members

2026 PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Early-Bird Registration by: 9/18/2026
Registration by: 10/2/2026
Submissions due by: 10/16/2026
Jury Review: Late October
Award Notification: 10/30/2026
Sponsorship Final Requests: 11/6/2026
Attendee Early-Bird Tickets: 11/6/2026
AWARD PRESENTATION - November 20, 2026

2024 Professional affiliate recognition
Illuminator - Karen Goldstick, Goldstick Studio
Unsung Hero - Erika Krieger, AIA, New York State
Community Beacon - Tiffany Zezula, Land Use Law Center
2024 Professional Achievement
Rising Star - Nick Binder, AIA, KG&D
Visionary Award - Juhee Lee-Hartford, AIA, River Architects
Legacy Award - John D. Fry, AIA, Nexus Creative Design
Thank you to the 2024 Design Awards Jury
Ben Deuell, Assoc AIA, CPL
Dustin Welch, AIA, Passero Associates
Pete Wehner, AIA, Passero Associates
Michelle Murnane, AIA, AIA Rochester
Michael Short, AIA, Popli Design Group

Design Award Winners Click Here
Link to Event Pictures Click Here

The AIAWHV Design Awards Program will honor projects exhibiting excellence in design. Program goals are to recognize local architects who have made a positive aesthetic and social contribution to the built environment, and as a result, have increased public awareness of quality architectural design.

Design Awards 2020 canceled - COVID

DESIGN AWARDS 2019 WINNERS