Design Awards submittal, all required documents, and registration fee(s) are due no later than Friday, July 11th at 5:00PM CST.
Registration Fees:
- AIA Member Entry: $195
- Non-Member Entry: $650
- Divine Detail Entry: $95
- Student Entry: $50
Please submit your registration fee via the AIA Design Awards registration page. If hyperlink does not work, copy and paste the following link into your preferred web browser: https://architecturehouston.org/event/2025-design-awards-registration/
The AIA Houston Design Awards program recognizes design excellence in architecture, residential architecture, interior architecture, restoration/renovation, divine detail, urban design, on the boards, and conceptual. Criteria to be used by the jury include quality of design, resolution of the program idea, sustainable responsibility, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique.
ELIGIBILITY
Projects located in the Houston metropolitan area designed by an architect registered in the US; or projects, regardless of location, designed by an architect registered in Texas practicing in the Houston metropolitan area.
Built projects must have been completed after August 1, 2020, except for special requirements in the Urban Design category. On projects where construction is phased, only completed phases are eligible. Where one firm is not the sole author, all participants in the design work must be credited on the Entry Form. AIA Houston reserves the right to disqualify any entry not submitted in accordance with the rules.
If there are architectural elements that were pre-existing on the project and designed by another architect, that architect should be identified on the entry form. For instance, an addition to an existing building should identify the architect of the existing building where practicable and should clearly delineate for the jurors the addition from what existed before the project.
COMMON APP QUESTIONNAIRE
To help us better understand how your project’s design addresses sustainability, resilience, and inclusiveness, and in support of AIA National’s Framework for Design Excellence, we ask that you fill out the Common App Questionnaire. This is an opportunity for you to showcase performance data and relevant information in this context. We do not expect projects to address all aspects of the Framework for Design Excellence.
NOTE: The Common App is NOT required for the Conceptual, On the Boards or Divie Detail categories. Fill out the Common App to the best of your ability. You will not be penalized if left incomplete.
Fields that are not relevant can be marked “N/A.”
The Common App is a document (in Excel) created by AIA to capture project performance metrics and simplify the awards submissions process across AIA components.
CATEGORIES
Built Projects
Built projects may be submitted for recognition in the following categories. The jury may move a project to a different category. LEED, AIA COTE guidelines, or other demonstrable environmental responses should be included with each entry and will be considered in judging.
- Architecture Greater Than 50,000 SF
- Architecture Less Than 50,000 SF
- Residential Architecture: Residential projects include single-family houses and multi-family projects up to 20 units. Large-scale apartment or condominium projects must be submitted under Architecture.
- Interior Architecture
- Renovation/Restoration: Restoration, renovation, or rehabilitation of existing buildings including adaptive reuse. A non-integrated addition to an existing building should be submitted under Architecture.
- Divine Detail: Recognizes architectural ingenuity in using a particular material, detail, or building technology.
Unbuilt Projects
- Urban Design: Urban Design projects must have an active client. Submittals may include urban design projects, planning programs, civic improvements, environmental programs, and redevelopment projects. Portions of the project must be under implementation; however, the whole project need not be completed. The Project Description must include the implementation schedule.
- On The Boards: This category is for unrealized or uncompleted work for an active client.
- Conceptual: This category is for conceptual work not for an active client.
NOTE: Student submissions are welcome, but must have a faculty sponsor.
REQUIREMENTS
All entries must be anonymous. Your name and/or firm name should not appear anywhere except where indicated on the entry form. For every entry, please prepare the following:
1. One Project Presentation PDF
- Pages should be 11 x 8.5 inches, and oriented horizontally (landscape).
- The first slide (title slide) must include: one photo of the project, the project title, project total square footage, and project location.
- Slide two of the presentation should include the project description with bullet points and/or a brief paragraph describing the project, all on a white back background.
- The narrative must describe the project in no more than 300 words. Include program requirements, design solutions, and information supporting objectives such as sustainability, energy-efficient performance, etc. This slide should include the project name; it may also include an image.
- A PDF file containing a maximum of 21 pages (20 pages + one sustainability page). Submittals may not contain transitions, sound, animation, video clips, panorama movies, hyperlinks, or links to other files. Images must be a minimum of 150 DPI.
- Pre-existing architectural elements not designed as part of the project, but visible in the images, should be clearly marked as pre-existing and the prior architect should be credited.
- All projects (except Interior Architecture) must include a site plan or aerial photography.
- All plans and elevations should be clearly marked with a north arrow or directional identification.
- For Renovation/Restoration projects, indicate pre-existing conditions with plans and/or photographs.
- For Interior Architecture projects, include floor plans and one exterior photograph of the building for reference.
- The presentation will be shown via Adobe Acrobat with enhanced thin-line OFF
- Do not identify architects, designers, or firms in the file name or on any image. File name should include award year, project name, and ProjectPresentation, e.g. 2025_ProjectName_ProjectPresentation.pdf.
2. One Project Image
- A 7"x5", 300 DPI image. The image will be used for the Design Awards Publication, in which all submittals will be published.
- Do not identify architects, designers, or firms in the file name or on any image. File name should include award year, project name, and ImageForPub, e.g. 2025_ProjectName_ImageForPub.jpeg.
3. One Common App Questionnaire: Download HERE.
- Do not identify architects, designers, or firms in the file name. File name should include award year, project name, and CommonApp, e.g. 2025_ProjectName_CommonApp.xlsx.