Design Awards

by the WBDG Aesthetics Subcommittee

Last updated: 08-23-2005

Overview

High quality architecture should stand the test of time, years after it is designed and constructed. It excels in function, fulfills its purpose, is enduring, and enriches the people who come in contact with it. Design award programs serve as the vehicle to honor the creative strengths of building design professionals and to publicize the enduring results of their efforts.

Today design award programs are also used to raise the standard and expand the definition of design excellence, which has moved beyond just aesthetics to include: awarding new and improved methods of construction, encouraging more socially and environmentally conscious solutions to design problems, and honoring collaboration and cooperation among the various disciplines involved in the design and construction of a building project. Design award programs have also been utilized as a way to gain public support for design, the arts, and other issues through a community-oriented process, while others seek to challenge design standards by a peer review process.

Photo of interior view of the GSA Office of the Chief ArchitectPhoto of interior view of the GSA Office of the Chief Architect

Light-filled, efficient spaces have transformed the GSA Office of the Chief Architect into a model for its mission to improve the quality of Federal design. Winner of 2002 GSA Design Award.
Credits: Lehman-Smith Mcleish, and National Capital Region and Office of the Chief Architect, Public Buildings Service, U.S. General Services Administration

Design award programs take many forms, from those sponsored by professional organizations such as The American Institute of Architects, to those sponsored by individual building trade organizations. There are many private sector award programs to which the architect, owner, or building contractor can submit a specific project to gain visibility and prestige.

Design competitions, which differ from design awards programs, are usually vehicles for seeking new ideas and/or design proposals. A competition may also be utilized specifically to select a firm based on numerous criteria including the design itself, services, and fee, among others. Firms that have been involved with design competitions usually have a better chance of receiving future work of the same caliber due to the high standards set within the competition and the publicity they receive from the competition. Using a design competition as a vehicle for firm and design selection is not new. It has been utilized since Ancient times as a way of selecting the best design, architect, and/or engineer for a building. For information on how to plan and execute a design competition, see WBDG Running a Design Competition.

Federal Design Competitions

The Federal Government recognizes design excellence through several agency specific design competitions that are outlined below.

Industry Award Programs

AssociationTelephoneAwardsSubmission DateWebsite address
American Consulting Council of Engineering Companies202-347-7474YesCheck with state Member Associations for state submission dateswww.acec.org
The American Institute of Architects202-626-758619 awardsVarieswww.aia.org
AIA Honors and Awards, including program information on Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture
American Institute of Steel Construction312-670-2400YesVarieswww.aisc.org
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers404-636-8400YesAwards Divided into two groups: submission dates are in May and Decemberwww.ashrae.org
American Society of Interior Design202-546-3240YesVarieswww.asid.org
American Society of Landscape Architects202-686-2752YesMaywww.asla.org
Associated Builders & Contractors703-812-2000YesNovemberwww.abc.org
Association for Facilities Engineering513-489-2473Facilities AmericaJulywww.afe.org
Building Owners and Managers Association International202-408-2662YesAugustwww.boma.org
Construction Management Association of America703-356-2622YesJunewww.cmaanet.org
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America212-248-5000YesJanuarywww.iesna.org
Institute of Industrial Engineers770-449-0461YesOctober - Decemberwww.iienet.org
International Association of Lighting Designers312-527-3677YesFebruarywww.iald.org
International Facility Management Association713-623-4362Program under major changesDecemberwww.ifma.org
International Risk Management Institute972-960-7693YesAugustwww.irmi.com
Roof Consultants Institute919-859-0742Document CompetitionBefore Marchwww.RCI-online.org
Society of Plastics Engineers203-775-0471People in Industry ProductsNovember - Decemberwww.4spe.org
Western Council of Construction Consumers800-966-WCCC
818-735-4733
YesOctoberwww.wccc.org
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