SOME NEW CHANGES 

​​​

​​

The 2025 Design Awards cycle will be transitional: starting in 2026, judging criteria will be wholly based on how well the submitted projects’ exemplify the tenets outlined in the AIA Framework for design excellence.  Additionally, next year’s submissions will utilize the Design Excellence Common Application.  We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Common App this year to better prepare your firm for next year’s requirements.   

 

In this transitional year, each submitted project will be required to demonstrate alignment with a minimum of three categories outlined in the framework.  Please see Submission template for formatting guidance.  ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​​​

​

CATEGORIES 

 

Project types can be, but are not limited to, the following: 

 

Commercial/Industrial – Healthcare - Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse – Mixed Use - Entertainment/Hospitality - Government/Justice/Civic – Educational - Residential - Interior Architecture. 

 

Awards will be granted in THREE categories: 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​​​​​

​​

AWARDS + MENTION LEVELS

​​​

​

Best in Competition – At their discretion, the jury may choose one entry among Award of Excellence recipients to receive this unique recognition 

 

Award of Excellence – Bestowed to projects deemed to exemplify excellence of architectural design in all facets 

 

Award of Honor – Bestowed to projects which display a high level of architectural quality and design  

 

Award of Merit – Bestowed to projects the jury believes to be quality and substantial pieces of work   

 

People’s Choice – Awarded based on a public vote of all projects submitted 

​

​

​

​​

​

​​

​

​

​

​​

​

​​​​​​​

​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

ELIGIBILITY 

  

​

• Entries, other than Theoretical & Research, must be submitted by architecture firms with at least one AIA Orlando member with offices or practicing within the chapter’s regions (Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Flagler, and Volusia Counties). Projects may be located anywhere in the world. 

 

• Projects located within the AIA Orlando chapter’s region but designed by AIA member(s) based outside of the Orlando chapter’s region may also be submitted. 

 

• Students, Associate, and Allied AIA Orlando members may submit projects in the Theoretical & Research categories only. 

 

• Projects that have previously received an award from AIA Orlando are ineligible for the same category of award. Projects that have received an AIA Orlando Award for Built, Small Projects or Renovation/Adaptive Reuse in previous years are ineligible for another award. 

​​

 

CRITERIA FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

​​

​

​

POWER POINT PRESENTATION 

 

• Submittals must contain a minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 PowerPoint slides per project; slides may contain more than one image. 

• PowerPoint file may not exceed 30MB. 

• NO identifying information may be present in the PowerPoint presentations regarding the entry or the entrant’s firm. 

• Include graphic scales and directional north arrows to ensure complete understanding of each project. 

• Presentations shall not include sound, animation, video, panorama movies, hyperlinks, or links to other files. 

 

DATA SHEET CRITERIA + INDIVIDUAL IMAGES 

  

• Submit 10 High Resolution Images of the project to be used during the awards ceremony. 

• Submit a Project Data Sheet. 

• Project data sheet should be a one-sided, single page, letter-size PDF. 

• Data sheet shall contain a single project image and a written description of the project to be used during the awards ceremony. 

• Written descriptions shall not exceed 300 words. 

• Compress Project Data Sheet and 10 Images into a single file. 

​​​​​​​

PROJECT BOARDS ARE BACK!

 

Each project submission shall include a project board, meeting the following criteria:  

• 16”x16” 

• Mounted on 1/2” white gator board 

• Matte  

• Delivered to Little Architects 
  c/o Anne Briggs 

 

 

ONCE COMPLETE...

​​

​

SUBMIT THE TWO FILES (POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND COMPRESSED FILE) TO AIA ORLANDO VIA WETRANSFER.COM  

 

Click on the "+" Plus sign and Add your files 

Email to: ellie@aiaorlando.com  
Your email: Your email address  
Message: Enter your submittal number  

  

You will receive a confirmation that your file has been sent. 

If you have questions, call the AIA Orlando office at 407-898-7006 or email ellie@aiaorlando.com  ​

​​​