2025 Design Awards
AIA Northeast Illinois is now accepting submissions for the 2025 Design Awards! This is your opportunity to showcase groundbreaking work and be recognized for design excellence in architecture. A distinguished jury will evaluate projects through the lens of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, honoring those that push boundaries in sustainability, innovation, and community impact. Celebrate the best of architecture in the western suburbs — submit your work and let it shine!
2025 Award Categories
- Commercial - Retail and Restaurants
- Healthcare
- Institutional
- Educational - K-12, Higher Education
- Civic, Municipal
- Interior Architecture
- Preservation/Renovation
- Religious
- Residential
- Single Family
- Multi-Family
- Student Work
- Unbuilt
Each category will feature both an Honor Award and a Merit Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in design. From the winning projects, the jury will also select one standout as the prestigious Project of the Year—and AIA NEI members will have their say by voting for the coveted Member's Choice Award!
Entry Fees
- Firms with 10 or less employees - $180
- Firms with 11 or more employees -$225
- No fee for student entries
To submit your application for the Design Awards:
- Register your entry(ies) by clicking -->
- Download and complete the Design Award application. Email the completed form to [email protected].
- Download the ppt template to create your project presentation.
- Email [email protected] to receive a link to upload your presentation.
The deadline for submissions is July 25, 2025.
Awards will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 15th at the Morton Arboretum. Registration and sponsorship for this event will be available in the coming weeks.
Please email Becky Gilbert at [email protected] or call 630-599-7105 with any questions.
Design Awards Jury
The following AIA members have volunteered to review, judge and select the winners on behalf of the AIA NEI 2025 Design Awards.
 |
Martha L. Ball, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
Principal, Sector Leader
HED Architecture
|
 |
Ali Kopyt, AIA, NCARB
KORB Architecture
|
 |
Todd Mayne, AIA, LEED, AP BD+C
Principal
Weber Thompson
|
 |
Michelle Penn, AIA
Vice President, Health Principal, Project Manager, Architect
HDR, Inc.
|
 |
Erik Peterson, AIA
Architect / Associate
Integrus
|
2023 Design Award Winners
Category
|
Award
|
Firm
|
Project
|
Photo
|
Institutional - Educational
K-12, Higher Education
and Project of the Year
|
Honor
|
Wight & Company
|
Adlai Stevenson High School
Lincolnshire IL
|
 |
Institutional - Educational
K-12, Higher Education
|
Merit
|
Wight & Company
|
Downers Grove North
High School
Downers Grove IL
|
 |
Institutional - Educational
K-12, Higher Education
|
Merit
|
Wight & Company
|
Downers Grove South
High School
Downers Grove IL
|
 |
Institutional - Civic, Municipal
|
Honor
|
FGM Architects
|
Streamwood Fire Station 31 HQ
Streamwood IL
|
 |
Institutional - Civic, Municipal
|
Merit
|
Kluber Architects
& Engineers
|
Warren Township Life Center
Gurnee IL
|
 |
Residential - Single Family
|
Merit
|
Yu & Associates
|
The Catalyst
Maywood IL
|
 |
Preservation/Renovation
|
Honor
|
Kluber Architects
& Engineers
|
Bloomhaven
Aurora IL
|
 |
Preservation/Renovation
|
Merit
|
FGM Architects
|
River Trails Learning Center
Mt. Prospect IL
|
 |
Interior and
Devine Detail Award
|
Honor
|
Suzuki + Kidd
Architects
|
Yamato Transport USA
Wood Dale IL
|
 |
Unbuilt
|
Honor
|
Suzuki + Kidd
Architects
|
Mt. Pisgah
Evanston IL
|
 |
Unbuilt
|
Merit
|
Michael Abraham
Architecture
|
Scottwood
Private
|
 |
| Student |
Merit |
College of DuPage |
Student - Irvin Amezola |
 |
|