We just received an email from our local chapter announcing this year’s design awards. Sitting down with my business partner, we consider which of our recent projects we should submit. Like many architects, we believe our work has value and is worthy of recognition, but is the time and effort required to prepare the submission worth it? Small firms don’t always find it easy to commit resources to design award submissions, often because owners and principals are required to wear multiple hats every day. Approaching design award submissions from a reflective and storytelling perspective can help us look beyond the awards themselves to the broader benefits of the process. Choosing a Worthy Project Our efforts to prepare design award submissions begin with asking which projects are worthy of recognition. It is probably the most difficult question to ask, since we see the value of the work and know how our clients received it. Instead of choosing the project you like best, a simpler (and often more effective) approach is to first research which awards your projects may be eligible for. In the AIA, design awards are given at local, regional and national levels for specific building types, materials and construction methods. Review the requirements of the various awards you can submit for and consider which of your recent projects best exemplifies the qualities the jury will be looking for. Bart Shaw, FAIA, of Ibanez Shaw Architecture in Fort Worth, Texas, received a 2024 AIA Small Project Award and served as the 2026 AIA Small Project Award Jury Chair. In his view, the act of pulling together a cohesive narrative for a project you’re proud of has its own rewards. “If you find yourself wondering whether to enter, then I believe you should. The act of gathering drawings and words, of shaping the story of a project, is in itself a kind of mirror. It reveals what matters most in your work, and what you want others to see in it. Let the jurors be the ones to weigh merit. Your task is only to share with honesty and pride. If there is something in the project that stirs you, something you know carries a piece of your voice, then tell that story. Perhaps it will be honored. Perhaps it will simply teach you more about your own practice. Either way, the process is a worthy endeavor,” he said. Gathering Information Before You Need It It is easy to get overwhelmed by the process, and as trained procrastinators, we all tend to put things off until the deadline, and then we push to the finish line. One way to help alleviate this last-minute scramble is to make the information-gathering process for design award submittal part of your project close-out procedures. Collecting this information streamlines future award submissions and supports RFP responses and other marketing efforts. Save sketches, doodles, diagrams and any drawings completed early in the development that demonstrate the evolution of the design and show a clear design process. Hand drawings and massing models are often appreciated by jurors. David Corban, AIA, of David Corban Architect in Naples, Florida, recipient of a 2025 AIA National Award for Justice Facilities, suggests we should “consider it a way of marketing our services, looking to increase design opportunities.” As part of project close-out, document the problem the project was designed to solve, the concept or vision, key decisions, and how the final product benefited the client or community. What problems or challenges were presented to you, and how did your design solution overcome them? Describe the relevant social or contextual background of the project as you reflect; that information can help award juries understand the design’s impact. Crafting a Good Submission Start With Good Photography While some programs indicate that professional photography is not a submission requirement, it can significantly help you tell your story. Select a couple of projects each year to have professionally photographed. Those resources can be used for awards or other marketing efforts on social media, your website and other visual outlets. If cost is a concern, consider collaborating with owners or contractors; they can Design Award Submissions for Small Firms The Benefits Beyond the Accolades BY BRUCE T. FALLON, AIA SMALL PROJECT DESIGN ADVISORY GROUP, AIA NATIONAL 24 REFLEXION
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