Best New Homes Honored with AIA's 2020 Housing Awards

Award recognizes single family, production, multifamily and specialized housing projects.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is recognizing seven exceptional residential designs with its 2020 Housing Awards. Complete details for each of the awarded projects can be reviewed on AIA’s website.  

AIA’s Housing Awards program, now in its 20th year, was established to recognize the best in housing design for new construction, renovations and restorations. Each year projects are awarded based on four different categories: one- and two-family custom residences; one- and two-family production homes (no recipients selected this year); multifamily housing; and specialized housing.

This year’s recipients were selected by a five-member jury that evaluated projects for demonstrating design excellence. Additionally, the jury evaluates whether designs are sustainable, affordable, durable, innovative, socially impactful, meeting client needs as well as addressing the natural and built contexts. The 2020 Housing Award recipients are:

Category 1 - One- and Two-Family Custom Residence

• Broadway Housing, Sacramento, California |  Johnsen Schmaling Architects

• Courtyard House, Seattle | mwworks

• Sonoma Farmhaus, Graton, California | SkB Architects

• Whidbey Farm, Whidbey Island, Washington | mwworks

Category 3 - Multifamily Housing

• MLK Plaza, Bronx, New York | Magnusson Architecture and Planning

• XS House, Philadelphia | ISA

Category 4 - Specialized Housing

• PPR Residence Hall, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania | DIGSAU

Visit AIA’s website for more information on the housing awards program.

AIA Film Challenge 2020 - Voting is Open

The AIA Film Challenge 2020 prompt is to tell a story about architects partnering with communities and civic leaders to design a healthy, sustainable, just world that improves peoples’ lives. The entries are in, and voting has begun. Click the link below to vote in the People’s Choice for your favorite:

Important Dates:

August 31-October 4: Vote early and vote often and help your favorite film win the People’s Choice Award!

Late October: Winners will be announced via email, social media, and on the website in late October.

October TBD: Check back HERE for the date of the virtual film screening award ceremony for this year’s winners.

Daniel S. Hart elected 2021 First Vice President/2022 President-elect

Announced September 4, 2020

Bill Turner will become the AIA's new Secretary and Ryan Gann was elected At-large Director.

2021 First Vice President/2022 President-elect

Today, the AIA announced the results of the campaigns for its national offices, following elections held this week. Daniel S. Hart, FAIA, will be the 97th President of the American Institute of Architects beginning December 2021 for one year, succeeding 2020-21 President Peter Exley, FAIA, of Chicago.

Hart, a member of AIA Austin, is the executive vice president of architecture and serves on the board of Parkhill, a 380-person A/E firm, with offices throughout West Texas. He was an adjunct instructor of architectural engineering at Texas Tech University and is a trustee on the board of Schreiner University. Hart was president of the Texas Society of Architects in 2011. He served as 2016 moderator of the AIA Strategic Council and has chaired the AIA Board Knowledge Committee. He is a distinguished alumnus of the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University, where he also serves as the founding president of the Design Leadership Alliance.

Hart’s election comes at a critical time for the architecture profession, whose members are charged with ensuring health, safety, and wellness during a pandemic, amid calls for equity and racial justice, and at the vanguard of climate action. “We architects know—and our social contract stipulates—we are the stewards of the built environment related to health, safety, and wellbeing. As daunting as our nested crises seem, I have faith we will prevail. We are architects, we have each other, we have design, and we know how to bring it home.”

After cancelling its annual Conference on Architecture due to covid-19, the AIA conducted its elections remotely. Delegates submitted ballots beginning September 2, and results were announced on September 4.

2021-2022 Secretary

William R. Turner Jr., AIA, a member of AIA Colorado, will become the AIA’s secretary in 2021. Turner ran on a platform of providing leadership on climate change, a commitment to diversity, and revising AIA’s leadership structure. In a recent speech, Turner noted, “In the coming years, the institute has challenging work to do. We must make prioritized decisions in how the organization best serves the members while remaining focused on strengthening the value of architecture while working with a diminished budget.”

2021-2023 At-large Director

Ryan J. Gann, Assoc. AIA (AIA Chicago/AIA Illinois) was elected 2021-23 At-large Director, a position created in 2015 and first occupied in 2016 as part of the AIA Board of Directors’ restructuring. Gann joins 2019-21 At-large Directors Timothy C. Hawk, FAIA, and Jessica A. Sheridan, AIA, as well as 2020-22 At-large Directors Mark Levine, FAIA, and Britt Lindberg, AIA