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CALL FOR ENTRIES:  2024 DESIGN AWARDS

Welcome to the AIA NJ Design Awards, where innovation, creativity, and excellence converge to celebrate the finest architectural achievements in the Garden State. Each year, this prestigious event showcases the remarkable talent and ingenuity of architects across New Jersey, recognizing their contributions to shaping our built environment. From visionary designs that push boundaries to projects that enrich communities, the AIA NJ Design Awards honor the diverse and inspiring work that defines the architectural landscape of our state.

A panel of three jurors from outside the state will assess the submissions and select the award winners.

Entries are due by 5pm EST on Friday, October 11, 2024.

There will be a Tri-States Design Awards Competition this year. There is a separate entry and cost associated with the Tri-States Design Awards. Please note: Only projects that have been submitted to NJ AIA Design Awards for years 2022, 2023, or 2024 are eligible to be entered into the 2024 Tri-States Design Awards Competition. Please use the same project name as originally submitted to AIA NJ so we can verify your entry in the 2024 Tristate Awards. 

AIA New Jersey is excited to announce that we will be using a new platform, OpenWater, to accept Design Award submissions. This advanced platform will streamline the submission process, making it easier and more efficient for participants to showcase their exceptional projects. This format is in line with the Tri-States Awards program making it seamless to prepare nominations for both programs.

Click Here for Copy of Call for Entries

Click Here for FAQs

CATEGORIES 

BUILT PROJECTS

Built Project categories recognize design excellence in various kinds of built architectural projects. Submissions may be a single building, a related group of buildings, interior architecture, additions, restorations, or adaptive use projects. Entries may be eligible in more than one category; however, a separate fee is required for each category submission made, per fee information listed above.

Open

Eligibility: Public and private projects: single buildings, a related group of buildings forming a single project, and additions/renovations including but not limited to commercial, institutional, mixed-use, multi-family, and educational projects.

Residential Design

Eligibility: Single residences and/or accessory buildings, new or remodeled, or any addition.

Preservation

Eligibility: Projects that address design issues related to adaptive use, rehabilitation, reconstruction, or pure restoration.

Interior Architecture

Eligibility: projects of any scope that may be new construction, renovation, preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, or reconstruction, that focus on interior space only.

Built Sustainability

Eligibility: Recognizes excellence in ecological stewardship, including reduced environmental impact and reduced energy consumption, as well as attention to quality-of-life issues, resiliency, and community engagement within the environment. Must demonstrate adherence to a sustainability standard LEED, Green Globes, Passive house or similar.  Ideal projects have also met the AIA Design 2030 Challenge Criteria.

Built installation Sculpture or Furniture Piece

Eligibility: Built specialty fabrications, art installations/event, furniture elements, sculptures; objects that are not necessarily buildings or spaces but are created by architects.

Small Projects

Eligibility: Projects $1,500,000 in construction costs or less or architectural design under 2,5000 square feet.

UNBUILT PROJECTS

Unbuilt architectural designs, for which there is no current intent to build, of any project type,including purely theoretical, visionary projects, with or without a client.

REGIONAL AND URBAN DESIGN

Eligibility: urban design projects, planning programs, civic improvements, campus plans, Master plans, environmental programs or redevelopment projects. Examples might be research, policy development and implementation, community initiatives or charrettes, and input and assessment tools.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible, submissions must comply with all items under Criteria 1 and at least one item from Criteria 2 below.

CRITERIA 1:

  1. The individual submitting is the lead architect on that project. ‘Lead Architect’ is defined as the main client contact.
  2. The project, or submitted work, must have been completed after June 30, 2019. “Completed” is defined as “substantial completion” in accordance with standard AIA documents.
  3. Projects that have previously received an AIA NJ Award in any category are not eligible.
  4. Credit must be given to:
  5. contributing architectural firms
  6. A list of contributing consultants can also be included.

CRITERIA 2:

  1. An AIA New Jersey member whose practice is in New Jersey may submit projects from any location.
  2. An AIA New Jersey member who practices outside of New Jersey may submit projects from any location.
  3. An AIA member from any state may submit projects located within New Jersey.
  4. Only AIA and Associate AIA New Jersey members are eligible for the Unbuilt category. “Unbuilt” is defined as competitions or projects that are not intended to be built.  If your project wins in this category and at some point, is built, it cannot be submitted for consideration in any other category in the future.

SUBMISSION FORMAT – NEW FOR 2024

AIA NJ is changing award format in order to be in line with the Tri-State Awards program, making it seamless to prepare nominations for both programs.

All materials must be submitted through an online submission form, one high resolution image and one 8.5 x 11 Project PDF (maximum of 11 pages) and should include the following information:

  • One page project information sheet stating project name, project address, and date of completion along with a 70-word project synopsis and 400-word project narrative.
  • Do not include the design firm’s name or logo. 
  • Include applicable photographs, plans or images such as
  • Site Plans and context. Include graphics scale and North Arrow.
  • Before/After Photos
  • Building Sections and/or details (where informative)
  • Photographs showing all exterior elevations which may reasonably be seen by a viewer circumnavigating the project.
  • Concept Sketches
  • Interior/Exterior Photographs

Pages can be composed with multiple images or individual images on page. Captions are helpful.

FEES

The fee to participate is $150 for the first design submission and $100 for each additional submission.  You may submit a project in multiple categories at a fee of $150 for the first submission and $100 for each additional category. HOWEVER, you can only win in ONE category with that particular project.  You may submit unlimited projects. Winners will be announced at the in-person Fall DesigNite on Tuesday, October 29th at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Winners will be recognized at the Annual Installation and Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 11th at the Stone House in Warren, NJ. More details on these event to follow.

SCHEDULE

  • Submission Deadline: October 11, 2024; 5pm EST
  • Announcement of Awards: Fall DesigNite on Tuesday, October 29th at the South Orange Performing Arts Center
  • Awards Ceremony:  Annual Installation and Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 11th at the Stone House in Warren, NJ.

Submit a Project

Questions? Contact Christina Goldstein | cgoldstein@njpsi.com