AIA Colorado Announces Award Winners

AIA Colorado Announces Winners of the 2025 Design Awards and Honor Awards, recognizing the best of Colorado architecture

September 18, 2025, Denver – AIA Colorado, the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects, representing over 2,500 licensed architects, emerging professionals, architecture students, and allied professionals, announces the winners of the 2025 Design Awards, Architect of the Year, Young Architect of the Year, Firm of the Year, President’s Award, Impact Award, 25-Year Award, and the inaugural recipients of the Citizen Architect Award and Educator of the Year Award.

Winners were announced at the historic Tivoli Turnalle on the Auraria campus in downtown Denver.

2025 Design Award Jury

“This year’s awards process was incredibly rewarding and amazing to see the diversity of projects that are being developed by Colorado architects.“

— Adrianne Steichen, FAIA, PYATOK

“The quality of the work was exceptionally high and so it was hard to make choices… There were a lot of projects that rose to the top that were looking at questions of adaptive reuse, conservation, and repurposing structures in really inventive ways for contemporary purpose.“

— Benjamin Gilmartin, AIA, Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R)

“The range of work that came out of the AIA Colorado projects was really inspiring. The work showed not only real aesthetic value, but I appreciated all the social and sustainable attributes.”

— Ron Stelmarski, FAIA, Perkins&Will

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Aiken Audubon Research Outpost | Jesse Kuroiwa

39.69226228725455, -104.98827386425414

LAWS whiskey house | Parrish Ruiz de Velasco

2025

Design Awards

Design Award of Excellence

Museum of Nebraska (MONA) by BVH Architecture
Location: Kearney, NE

LAWS whiskey house by BOSS.architecture
Location: Denver, CO

Aiken Audubon Research Outpost by ColoradoBuildingWorkshop at the University of Colorado Denver
Location: Chico Basin Ranch, CO

38.83999435259717, -105.04189382798796

Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center | Nic Lenoux

39.90335664927342, -75.35319681016006

Swarthmore College Dining and Community Commons | Brad Nicol

Design Award of Merit

Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center by RTA Architects and GWWO Architects *Sustainability Recognition*
Location: Cascade, CO

Swarthmore College Dining and Community Commons by DLR Group *Sustainability Recognition*
Location: Swarthmore, PA

the LARKSPUR by BOSS.architecture
Location: Denver, CO

LAKE TAHOE | CABIN(S) by RO | ROCKETT DESIGN
Location: Incline Village, NV

The Sudler by Gensler
Location: Denver, CO

nurture by BOSS.architecture
Location: Denver, CO

Inter-Duo by F & M Architects
Location: Aspen, CO

The Ponti by BOSS.architecture

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Explorative Pathways for Innovative Careers (EPIC) Campus | Dylan Chandler

34.02190241602268, -118.29005803181911

Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall | Alan Karchmer Photography

Design Award of Merit

Explorative Pathways for Innovative Careers (EPIC) Campus by Cuningham *Sustainability Recognition*
Location: Littleton, CO

Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall by HOK *Sustainability Recognition*
Location: Los Angeles, CA

The Mothership by Shopworks Architecture
Location: Denver, CO

Northglenn City Hall by Anderson Mason Dale Architects
Location: Northglenn, CO

LoHi Studio Loft by Tomecek Studio Architecture
Location: Denver, CO

Betasso Overlook by Renée del Gaudio Architecture
Location: Boulder, CO

Adorn Objects by Gensler
Location: Denver, CO

2025

Honor Awards

2025 Architect of the Year | Amp Media

2025 Young Architect of the Year | Amp Media

Architect of the Year • Kevin Nguyen, AIA
Firm: Regular Architecture

Young Architect of the Year • Kaylyn Kirby, AIA
Firm: Semple Brown

Firm of the Year • Barker Rinker Seacat

President’s Award • Colorado Gov. Jared Polis

Citizen Architect Award • Sean Jursnick, AIA
Firm: SAR+

Educator of the Year • Erik Sommerfeld, AIA
School: University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning

Impact Award • Modern In Denver

25-Year Award • The Architect’s Studio by Tryba Architects

AIA Colorado Media Contact:
Mike Waldinger, Hon. AIA
CEO, AIA Colorado
303.228.3915
mike@aiacolorado.org

About AIA Colorado:

AIA Colorado—the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects—is the voice of the architecture profession in Colorado. Through advocacy, leadership development, education and resources for architects, the organization supports architecture professionals in designing a better world where we all can live, work and play. Our statewide network of more than 2,500 members includes architects, those working toward licensure, and allied industry professionals.