AIA Honors Awards | The Unfound Door

AIA Colorado Honor Awards: Submission Instructions


*Submission Instructions Subject to Change. Please check back March 20, 2024, when the Call for Submissions opens to ensure that your submission is in accordance with the latest instructions.

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.

Submission Deadline: May 17, 2024

Honor Awards: Individual Awards

Architect of the Year

Recognizes an individual architect who made significant impact on the profession of architecture in Colorado in one or more of the following:

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Young Architect of the Year

Recognizes the individual achievements of a young architect licensed to practice architecture fewer than 10 years by the submission deadline. This individual will have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their career in one or more of the following:

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Associate AIA Member of the Year

Recognizes the individual achievements of an Associate AIA member, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their career but has not yet become licensed, in one or more of the following:

Award Evaluation Criteria:

President’s Award

Recognizes a community member in Colorado who has significantly contributed to the advancement of architecture from a vantage point outside of a firm or a traditional practice career. Honorees are selected by the AIA Colorado Board President. Do you know someone worthy of consideration? Please email recommendations to Jon Bell, AIA Colorado Communications Director at jon@aiacolorado.org with their name and what makes them exceptional.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Legislator of the Year Award

Recognizes a Colorado state legislator who has positively impacted the architecture profession in Colorado. Honorees are selected by AIA Colorado staff in consultation with the Government Affairs Committee. All Colorado legislators who served during this year’s legislative session are eligible.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Outstanding New Legislator Award

Recognizes a Colorado state legislator serving in their first term, who has positively impacted the architecture profession in Colorado. Honorees are selected by AIA Colorado staff in consultation with the Government Affairs Committee. All Colorado legislators in their first term who served during this year’s legislative session are eligible.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Twenty-Five Year Award

This award showcases buildings that set a precedent and stand the test of time. Recognizing a built structure that has catalyzed, reimagined, and advanced communities in Colorado, enhancing the public’s appreciation and beneficial use of architecture. These honorees continue to set standards of design excellence and architectural significance. Eligible nominations must be: located in Colorado, built at least 25 years prior to the date of submittal, and still in active use.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Honor Awards: Team Awards

Firm of the Year

Recognizes the outstanding achievement of a firm that has produced notable architecture for at least a decade. Award-winning firms have set an example both in design and leadership in the state.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Young Firm of the Year

Recognizes the outstanding achievement of a Colorado architecture firm that has been in business for 10 years or less.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Impact Award

Recognizes a group or organization in Colorado that has made a positive impact on Colorado communities and significantly contributed to the advancement of architecture and/or enhanced the role of practitioners. Honorees are selected by the AIA Colorado Board of Directors. Do you know an organization worthy of consideration? Please email recommendations to Jon Bell, AIA Colorado Communications Director at jon@aiacolorado.org with the name of the group and what makes them exceptional.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Who is Eligible?

The AIA Colorado Honor Awards are intended to honor architects who contribute to positive change in our community, either through the built environment in the form of excellent and responsible design, by educating or training future architects, or by providing services as owner representatives or similar allied roles in public or private sectors.

For individual awards, nominees must be licensed architects in Colorado and members of AIA Colorado. Nominees do not have to be licensed architects to apply for or receive the Associate Architect of the Year Award, but they must be AIA Colorado members. Nominees for the President’s Award do not need to be AIA Colorado members or licensed architects.

For team awards, eligible firms must have an office located in the state of Colorado and a principal, or principals, must be members of AIA Colorado. Nominees for the Impact Award do not need to be AIA Colorado members or licensed architects.

To be eligible, firms or individuals must abide by the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. AIA Colorado also encourages everyone in the profession to be familiar with the Guides for Equitable Practice. See required disclaimers at the end of these submission instructions.

Nominations may be completed on behalf of an individual or firm that meet these requirements. Nominations for the President Award, Impact Award, or Legislator Awards may not be completed by the potential honoree themselves.

Honor Awards Jury

The Honor Awards Jury will be comprised of AIA Colorado Leaders and past award winners.

PLEASE NOTE: Awards and Honors given to recipients on behalf of AIA Colorado are based upon the nominations and supporting material provided by the nominee or their professional peers.

AIA Colorado members are dedicated to high ethical and professional standards. Accordingly, recipients are expected to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner befitting their recognition as the best among us. AIA Colorado reserves the absolute right to elevate or disqualify any submission and may at any time rescind an award previously bestowed.

Submission Instructions

Click here to begin your submission – you will be required to create an account before you can access the submission form. Then you will be asked to submit nominator and/or nominee information, followed by uploading the nomination packet. Each nomination packet should be uploaded as one PDF file. Files must be named as follows, “LastName_FirstName_AwardName,” “FirmName_AwardName,” or “ProjectName_AwardName.”

Your PDF must be a maximum of 16 pages in length (the intern compensation form, photo release form and code of ethics form will not be included against the maximum number of pages but must be included in the file). There are no margin requirements (the pages may be full bleed), however they must be 8.5 x 11″ aspect ratio, “landscape orientation”, and the text must be minimum 12-point font throughout. Each submittal must adhere to all the requirements in their entirety, or the submittal will be disqualified.

Application packets will not be accepted/required for the President’s Award. Information may be submitted on behalf of individuals in a 250-500 word nomination. The award recipient will be selected by the AIA Colorado Board President, with final approval by the Honor Awards Jury.

*The submittal requirements for the Twenty-Five Year Award are different and found below the packet requirements.

PDF packets should include the following information, which will be presented to the jury:

  1. Nominee Information Form: The nominee information form is limited to one page and must answer the following questions:
    • Nominee Name
    • Name of Person Nominating (if different from nominee)
    • Nominee Firm
    • Nominee Address
    • Nominee Phone
    • Nominee Email
  2. Biographical Data and Statement of Contributions (2 pages max): The biographical data and statement of contribution pages are a written listing of background and biographical information on the nominee. In addition, these pages should provide information about the nominee’s accomplishments, including significant contributions and outstanding service to the profession of architecture in the State of Colorado.
  3. Letters of Recommendation: Nomination must include two brief letters of recommendation from individuals other than AIA Staff.
  4. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.): Describe how they incorporate J.E.D.I. in the practice, current and future plans.
    • Applicants for Team Awards and firm principals applying for Individual Awards: provide #1 and #2.
    • Applicants for Individual Awards, that are not firm principals provide #2.
      • 1. Provide summaries of policies implemented and if those policies have already had measurable effects in firm culture. For example, the approach to staff diversity, compensation and pay equity, work/life balance, parental leave, benefits, support for emerging professionals, mentorship, continuing education, and encouraging community service/volunteering.
      • 2. Provide examples of how the work impacts J.E.D.I. in the community. For example, pro-bono work for disadvantaged communities; active participation in community outreach or mentoring programs; inclusion of community stakeholders in the design process.
  5. A photo of the nominee (firm nominees should have a photo of its firm members)
  6. Photos of nominee’s work (with credit to the photographer where applicable)
  7. Intern Compensation Disclaimer Form (signed and included in PDF Packet)
  8. Code of Ethics, Professional Conduct and Equity Disclaimer (signed and included in PDF Packet)
  9. Photo Release Form (signed and included in PDF Packet)

Images should be high resolution.

Twenty-Five Year Award Submission Instructions

Click here to begin your submission – you will be required to create an account before you can access the submission form. Then you will be asked to submit nominator and/or nominee information, followed by uploading the nomination packet. Each nomination packet should be uploaded as one PDF file. Files must be named as follows, “BuildingName_FirmName” or “BuildingName_NominatorName.”

Your PDF must be a maximum of 16 pages in length (including the intern compensation form and photo release form, which should be the last two pages of the file). There are no margin requirements (the pages may be full bleed), however they must be 8.5 x 11″ aspect ratio, “landscape orientation”, and the text must be minimum 12-point font throughout. Each submittal must adhere to all the requirements in their entirety, or the submittal will be disqualified.

Eligibility: Only structures located in Colorado that were built at least twenty-five years prior to the date of their submittal and are in active use today are eligible for nomination in this category.

Release Waiver: By submitting an entry, entrants take full responsibility for the accuracy of all information submitted and warrant that all necessary permissions have been obtained from others who may have rights to the work. Entrants further acknowledge that no royalty or compensation is due to anyone, and hold AIA Colorado, its sponsors, staff, consultants, and members harmless from all liability and grant to AIA Colorado the non-exclusive right to publish, reproduce and distribute copies of the original entry.

Publicity: All photography submitted for publicity purposes must be free of restrictions.

Submittal to Include:

  1. Title Page: Name of building and photo of the building
  2. Nominee Information: Building name, address and contact information for nominee contact person (phone and email address).
  3. Statement regarding significance of the structure: Must include a verification of age, the location of the structure and a written description of why this structure is of significance to Colorado. Information should be filled out in detail as this is the primary material the jury will use in the evaluation of the submittal. Maximum two pages.
  4. Graphics: Photographs may be in color or in black & white. Drawings may be submitted as images. No more than 20 images may be submitted. You may place more than one image per page; however, only 20 images total will be allowed. Please identify the photo or drawing on the actual image. Submissions must include both new photos, taken within the last five years, as well as historic photos of the building.
  5. Other Information: Submit additional or alternate information as appropriate to convey the impact of this built work.
  6. Intern Compensation Disclaimer Form (signed and included in PDF packet)
  7. Photo Release Form (signed and included in PDF packet)

Questions? Contact Jon Bell, AIA Colorado Communications & Creative Director.

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