AIA Chicago Lerch Bates People’s Choice Awards 2025 architects news, America buildings prize, USA design office

AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards 2025

September 20, 2025

Winners were announced and Lifetime Achievement Award conferred at Designight 2025, AIA Chicago‘s signature award program, held at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park on September 18th.

(September 19, 2025) CHICAGO – AIA Chicago, the second largest local chapter of The American Institute of Architects and the collective voice of over 4,000 licensed architects, emerging professionals, architecture students, and allied professionals, today announced the winners of the 2025 Design Excellence Awards, Unbuilt Award, Decarbonization Award, Roberta Feldman Architect for Social Justice Award and the Lerch Bates People’s Choice Awards. The winners were announced at Designight 2025, an event which honors Chicago architects’ global design achievements, which was held at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

“This year’s winning projects are a testament to how visionary design can transform our cities and our world,” said AIA Chicago’s Executive Director Jen Masengarb. “The projects demonstrate that architecture creates meaningful places and spaces with clear purpose, exceptional detail, and a deep sense of community that enriches the lives of its users.”

AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards 2025 Winners News

DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS HONORS AND CITATIONS OF MERIT BY CATEGORY

The Design Excellence Awards (DEA) recognize projects of all scales, from Architecture Extra Small to Extra Large, and Interior Architecture Small to Large.

ARCHITECTURE WINNERS

Arch XL
HONOR AWARD WINNER

COFCO Qianhai Innovation Center, Goettsch Partners; Grandjoy Holdings Group Co., Ltd. (client), Shenzhen, China
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENT:
320 South Canal, Goettsch Partners; Riverside Investment & Development, Convexity Properties (client), Chicago, IL

Arch L
HONOR AWARD WINNER:

Conrad Shenzhen, Goettsch Partners; Horoy Group (client), Shenzhen, China
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENTS:
Embry, Lamar Johnson Collaborative; Sulo Development (client), Chicago, IL
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory – Building 201, CannonDesign, Johns Hopkins University (client), Laurel, MD
Verdana, Optima, Inc.; Optima, Inc. (client), Wilmette, IL

Arch M
HONOR AWARD WINNER – ADAPTIVE REUSE/SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

1516 W Carroll, Converge Architecture; Tracy Boychuk (client), Chicago, IL
HONOR AWARD WINNER – NEW CONSTRUCTION:

California College of the Arts Campus Expansion, Studio Gang: California College of the Arts (client), San Francisco, CA
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENTS:
Bronzeville ETOD: 43 Green Phase 1 & 2, LBBA Architects and Moody Nolan; The Habitat Company and P3 Markets (clients); Chicago, IL
Element Labs, University Research Park, Perkins&Will; University Research Park – UW Madison (client), Madison, WI
Helen Edwards Engineering Research Center, Perkins&Will: Fermilab (client), Batavia, IL
Western Michigan University – Student Center and Dining Facility, CannonDesign; Western Michigan University (client), Kalamazoo, MI

Arch S
HONOR AWARD WINNER:

Damen Green Line Station, Perkins&Will; Chicago Department of Transportation (client), Chicago, IL
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENTS:
147th Street / Sibley Boulevard Metra Station, GFT; Metra Commuter Rail (client), Harvey, IL
Nothing Design Co. Headquarters, Range Design & Architecture; Nothing Design Co. (client), Chicago, IL

Arch XS
HONOR AWARD WINNER:

Sawyer Retreat, Wheeler Kearns Architects; confidential client; Sawyer, MI
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENTS:
Barlow Residence, von Weise Associates, Dan and Annie Barlow (clients), Chicago, IL
Boyne Gatlinburg SkyLift Lower Building, SmithGroup; Gatlinburg SkyPark, Boyne Resorts (client), Gatlinburg, TN
Dutchmoor Valley Guesthouse, SEEK Design + Architecture; John Haas and Mary Frances Budig (clients), LaPorte, IN
Heart of the City | Discovery Walk, Latent; Destination Medical Center (clients), Rochester, MN
Rice University MD Anderson Hall Renovation, Kwong Von Glinow; Rice University (client), Houston, TX

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE WINNERS

Interior Arch L
HONOR AWARD WINNER:

The Square at International Square, Krueck Sexton Partners; Tishman Speyer (client), Washington, D.C.
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENTS:
Confidential Law Firm, Perkins&Will; confidential client; Salt Lake City, UT
Heitman, Perkins&Will; Heitman (client), Chicago, IL

Interior Arch M
HONOR AWARD WINNER:

Lookingglass Theatre Lobby, Wheeler Kearns Architects; Lookingglass Theatre Company (client), Chicago, IL
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENTS:
Architecture and Design Gallery, Norman Kelley with Spencer McNeil; Art Institute of Chicago (client), Chicago, IL
Northwestern Medicine, Faculty Office Center, CannonDesign; Northwestern Medicine (client), Chicago, IL

Interior Arch S
HONOR AWARD WINNER:

Buck Mason Oakbrook, Norman Kelley with Spencer McNeil; Buck Mason (client), Oakbrook, IL
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENTS:
162 N State Street Residential Lobby Renovation, Kwong Von Glinow; School of the Art Institute of Chicago (client), Chicago, IL
Change in Plot, ParkFowler Plus with Students from IIT College of Architecture (Jen Park, AIA, Exhibit Curator); IIT College of Architecture (client), Chicago, IL

UNBUILT WINNERS

The Unbuilt Award honors unbuilt projects that thoughtfully address social, cultural, environmental, and technological opportunities and challenges.

HONOR AWARD WINNER:

Silo Hotel, Epstein; confidential client, Chicago, IL
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENT:
National University Hospital Singapore, Gensler; confidential client, Singapore

DECARBONIZATION AWARD WINNERS

AIA Chicago’s Decarbonization Award recognizes projects that have gone above and beyond base level energy reduction goals and showcases those project vanguards that exemplify the profession’s abilities to pursue the goals of the 2030 commitment while also upholding the functional and aesthetic goals of the design.

HONOR AWARD WINNER:

Phius Zero Historic Retrofit, TBDA; confidential client, Oak Park. IL
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENT:
Academy For Global Citizenship, SMNG A Ltd. and Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design; Academy for Global Citizenship at Cultivate Collective Campus (client), Chicago, IL

The sheer number and quality of submissions this year is a powerful testament to the vitality and talent within our architectural community,” said AIA Chicago President Jason Golub, AIA, Regional Director, Ware Malcomb. “The high standards of this program are what make an AIA Chicago award so highly sought after, representing the pinnacle of peer recognition and design excellence.”

ROBERTA FELDMAN ARCHITECTURE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD WINNERS

The Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award, administered by the AIA Chicago Foundation, was established in 2020 to honor excellence in built projects and design programs guided by the conviction that access to high quality architecture is not a privilege, it is a human right. The award is named for Roberta Feldman, Ph.D., Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois Chicago, School of Architecture, an architectural activist and researcher committed to democratic design.

HONOR AWARD WINNER:

African Heritage Hut, Converge Architecture; NLHCS (client) Chicago, Illinois
CITATION OF MERIT RECIPIENT:
LYTE Lounge, DAAM; LYTE Collective (client), Chicago, IL

“The Feldman Award honors architects who embody the belief that design is a powerful tool for social justice and equity,” said AIA Chicago Foundation President Danielle Tillman, AIA, NOMA, Managing Principal, bKL. “Converge Architecture’s African Heritage Hut is a shining example of this. Their project exemplifies the way architects in our city are using their creativity and design expertise to serve communities that have been historically underserved, creating a space that is not only beautiful but deeply meaningful to the North Lawndale community.”

AIA CHICAGO 2025 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The AIA Chicago 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award was nominated by the AIA CChicago general membership, reviewed by a Committee of Fellows and previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners, and selected by the AIA Chicago Board of Directors.

2025 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT RECIPIENT: the AIA Chicago 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred upon Adrian Smith, FAIA, RIBA founding partner of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) and former partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).

In awarding the Lifetime Achievement Award, the AIA Chicago Board of Directors noted how Smith’s transformative projects have reinforced Chicago’s reputation as the preeminent global center of expertise for the design of tall buildings and mixed-use master plans.

Previous recipients include Linda Searl, FAIA (2024), Cynthia Weese, FAIA (2023), Ralph Johnson, FAIA, LEED AP (2022) Stuart Cohen, FAIA (2021); Phillip C. Johnson, FAIA (2020); John Syvertsen, FAIA (2019); Peter Landon, FAIA (2018); Carol Ross Barney, FAIA (2017) among many others.

AIA CHICAGO LERCH BATES PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS WINNERS

The The Lerch Bates People’s Choice Award finalists’ designs were chosen by the Chicago Architecture Center’s Docents in a round one jury review from more than 200 projects submitted for the AIA Chicago’s Design Excellence Awards. The winners were chosen by the public in open voting from September 3rd through September 12th.

COMMUNITY & CIVIC
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

City of Appleton Public Library, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Appleton, WI

photo : Dave Burk © SOM

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
Damen Green Line Station, Perkins&Will; Chicago, IL
Greater Chicago Food Depository, Partners by Design; Chicago, IL
Homewood Illinois Intermodal Station, GFT; Homewood, IL

CULTURAL
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

Continuing a Radical Craft: Design Interventions at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Michal Koszycki, AIA, and Titus Wonsey; Chicago, IL

Lookingglass Theatre Lobby, Wheeler Kearns Architects + Working Group 1; Chicago, IL

photo : Tom Harris

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
Architectural Head Games, Architecture for Public Benefit; Chicago, IL
Lookingglass Theatre Lobby, Wheeler Kearns Architects + Working Group 1; Chicago, IL
Pritzker Military Archives Center, Jahn/; Somers, WI

EDUCATION
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

Ironworkers Local 63 Training Facility, Gensler; Broadview, IL

photo © Tom Harris, Design by Gensler

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
McGrath Family Performing Arts Center, Krueck Sexton Partners;Wilmette, IL
Neal Math and Science Academy, JGMA; North Chicago, IL
Western Michigan University Student Center, CannonDesign; Kalamazoo, MI

HEALTHCARE & RESEARCH
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

Humboldt Park Wellness Center, JGMA; Chicago, IL

photo : JGMA

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
Cardiovascular Institute Expansion at Glenbrook Hospital, Eckenhoff Saunders; Glenview, IL
Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center Expansion, HOK; Fairbanks, AK
Northwestern Medicine – Old Irving Park, CannonDesign; Chicago, IL

HOSPITALITY & RETAIL
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNERS:

The Alston, Heidi Lightner Architects; Chicago, IL

photo : Anthony Tahlier

Journeyman Distillery at the American Factory, RATIO; Valparaiso, IN

photo : Brent Moss Photography

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
Jackson Lake Lodge Restoration, Nurture Architects; Moran, WY
Virgin Hotels New York, Stantec Architecture Inc.; New York, NY

MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

Embry, Lamar Johnson Collaborative; Chicago, IL

photo : Antoine Tissier

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
The Ash, Hanna Architects; Chicago, IL
Mass Timber Office + Residences, DLR Group; Austin, TX
Solverre, Valerio Dewalt Train; Chicago, IL

OFFICE
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

Boston Consulting Group, Lamar Johnson Collaborative; Chicago, IL

photo : Steve Hall

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
First Bank Headquarters, Lamar Johnson Collaborative; Saint Louis, MO
Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects, Fitzgerald Architecture Planning Design; Chicago, IL
Nothing Design Co. Headquarters, Range Design & Architecture; Chicago, IL

SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

Chatham Residence, Heidi Lightner Architects; Chicago, IL

photo : Thomas Loof

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
Galien River Retreat, Wheeler Kearns Architects; New Buffalo, MI
Montgomery Ward Loft, ERA / Eric Rothfeder Architect; Chicago, IL
Sawyer Retreat, Wheeler Kearns Architects; Sawyer, MI

TALL BUILDING
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

360 North Green, Gensler and Sterling Bay Design Studio; Chicago, IL

photo : Kendall McCaugherty (at) Hall + Merrick + McCaugherty Photographers

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
160 Front, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture; Toronto, ON
320 South Canal, Goettsch Partners; Chicago, IL
1000M, Jahn/; Chicago, IL

UNBUILT
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER:

Bronzeville Evolve, JGMA Chicago, IL

photo : JGMA

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
Bainbridge Island Concert Hall, Epstein; Bainbridge Island, WA
Silo Hotel, Epstein; Chicago, IL
Turku Museum of History and the Future, Stantec Architecture Inc.; Turku, Finland

“This truly is a people’s choice award, voted on by Chicagoans who live and work among some of the most celebrated architecture in the world as part of their daily lives. That more than 8.000 voters weighed in to choose this impressive set of winners for the Lerch Bates People’s Choice Awards is testament to Chicagoans’ passion for architecture,” said Eleanor Gorski, President and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center. “The collaboration between AIA Chicago and Chicago Architecture Center docents who donated their time and expertise to curate and short-list the projects illustrates the kind of partnerships that continue to make Chicago a global leader in architecture.”

Designight 2025
Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park
205 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
Thursday, September 18, 2025
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with After Party to follow

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AIA Chicago

The American Institute of Architects Chicago (AIA Chicago) serves nearly 4,000 architect members in Chicago and is the second largest local AIA chapter in the country. AIA Chicago’s mission builds on the city’s architectural legacy by advocating for the profession, sharing knowledge among members, and partnering with communities. It fosters a culture of design excellence for equitable, sustainable places and spaces.

AIA Chicago offers lectures and continuing education courses; specialized, issue-specific Knowledge Communities; advocacy for architects; and help for consumers looking for an architect.

AIA Chicago is the local Chicago chapter of The American Institute of Architects. Based in Washington, D.C., The AIA has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. Learn more by visiting www.aiachicago.org.

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Lerch Bates

Lerch Bates, headquartered in Denver, CO., is a global technical consulting services firm with locations around the globe. For 75 years Lerch Bates has advised architects, developers, building investors, owners and managers on the design, construction, management optimization, modernization and sustainability of a wide spectrum of building systems for any size or type of building. Their specialties include vertical transportation, enclosures & structures, building logistics, facade access, and forensics. For more information, visit www.lerchbates.com.

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Previously on e-architect:

September 7 + 6, 2025

AIA Chicago Announces Finalists for the 2025 Lerch Bates People’s Choice Awards as Public Voting Opens.

Winners selected by the public in open voting starting will be announced on September 18th at Designight 2025, AIA Chicago‘s signature award program, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park

AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards 2025 winners USA images / information receved Sep 2025.