2026 Associate of the Year • Margarita Gonzalez, Assoc. AIA

The Award

Recognizes the individual achievements of an AIA member in Colorado who has made a positive impact on Colorado communities and has significantly contributed to the public good through sustained volunteer efforts.

Presented by Rebekah Wagoner , AIA
Senior Associate at Gensler
2023 AIA Colorado Young Architect of the Year

Margarita Gonzalez Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Founder and Principal, Minidwell

Margarita Gonzalez brings an extraordinary global perspective to Colorado architecture and uses it to expand access, representation, and opportunity within the profession.

Her path has crossed Colombia, Spain, France, Saudi Arabia, and Colorado, encompassing architectural practice, urban studies, research, and more than two decades of teaching. In Denver, Margarita applies that experience through design practice and through her work with high school students earning concurrent college credit. By introducing young people to design thinking, technical skills, sustainability, and career pathways, she is helping students see a place for themselves in architecture before they enter college.

Margarita also contributes actively to AIA Colorado through its JEDI Committee, Regional and Urban Design Knowledge Community, and Practice and Design Conference. Her presentations and programs on equitable practice invite the profession to examine how design and workplace culture can better serve diverse communities.

The jury was inspired by the breadth of her experience, the clarity of her commitment to education, and the resilience required to build a new professional path in Colorado. For demonstrating the distinctive impact an Associate member can have through teaching, design, and service, the jury is pleased to recognize Margarita Gonzalez as the 2026 AIA Colorado Associate of the Year.

Congratulations!

Why the jury selected Margarita

• Brings a distinctive international background spanning practice, research, and education in Colombia, Spain, France, Saudi Arabia, and Colorado.
• Holds advanced education in architecture, architectural design, history, and urban studies, including a PhD.
• Has taught architecture for more than two decades across several countries and educational settings.
• Introduces Denver high school students to architecture while helping them earn concurrent college credit.
• Expands access to design thinking, sustainable design, technical skills, and architecture career pathways.
• Founded Minidwell to bring a diverse global perspective and small-scale design solutions to the Denver community.
• Contributed to the Notre Dame Parish and School Plaza, shaped through community engagement as a gathering and learning space.
• Has served AIA Colorado through the JEDI Committee, Regional and Urban Design Knowledge Community, and Practice and Design Conference Committee.
• Organizes and presents programs that advance equitable and inclusive professional practice.
• Distinguished herself through the cumulative impact of education, service, resilience, and a nontraditional path toward U.S. licensure.

The annual AIA Colorado Awards honor the outstanding work of members and their firms, reinforce the value of great architecture, and highlight member contributions to positive change.