2026 AIA UK Design Awards - Call for Entries
Overview
The American Institute of Architects UK Chapter is delighted to officially launch the 2026 AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards. For more than 30 years, the programme has celebrated outstanding work across architecture, urban design, and research, offering an internationally respected platform for designers to share projects that shape the built environment. You don’t even need AIA membership to enter!
This year, the award categories have been refined. The updates build on last year’s changes and are designed to help you present your work with confidence and clarity. The structure makes it easier to communicate your project’s intent, design quality, and impact.
We are also pleased to celebrate the Noel Hill Student Research Award as part of the Design Awards. Its inclusion highlights the importance of research, experimentation, and emerging voices in advancing the discipline. Students and recent graduates are strongly encouraged to submit work that demonstrates critical thinking and bold ideas. For more details, see the Noel Hill Student Research Award page here.
Sustainability continues to be a core focus. The jury encourages every entrant to fully complete the sustainability section and to provide meaningful metrics and clear narratives. Whether you are submitting a building, masterplan, landscape, infrastructure project, material innovation, or research study, show how your work delivers measurable environmental performance, social value, and long term resilience.
The 2026 AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards celebrate projects that make a real difference. We look forward to seeing how your work is contributing to a more thoughtful, responsible, and forward-looking built environment.
Programme
Submissions Open: February 23, 2026
Submissions Close: Saturday April 18, 2026 at 05:00 PM GMT
Shortlist Notified: Early May 2026
Design Awards Gala - Awards Announced: Thursday May 28, 2026.
The AIA UK will celebrate winners in person at the Royal College of Physicians.
Award Categories
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This award category celebrates outstanding architecture and design realised in the United Kingdom that demonstrates design leadership, contextual sensitivity, and meaningful contribution to communities across the country.
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This award category celebrates architecture and design by UK practices on the world stage, advancing innovation, sustainability, and placing specific responses across diverse regions.
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This award category celebrates interior environments and architectural innovations that elevate spatial experience through craft, material intelligence, and forward thinking design.
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This award category celebrates ambitious masterplans and place based strategies that shape resilient, inclusive, and environmentally responsible urban futures.
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This award category celebrates original and impactful Part 2 research that advances architectural knowledge and reflects the enduring spirit of Noel Hill. See the Noel Hill Student Research Award page.
All awards are conferred at the discretion of the jury. Not every category will necessarily result in an award, as recognition is reserved for projects that genuinely reflect the standard of excellence set by the programme. Applicants are encouraged to position their submissions clearly within the chosen category and to support them with a strong narrative, clear evidence, and relevant metrics that demonstrate impact and significance.
At the jury’s discretion, they may confer in each category an Excellence Award as the highest distinction, a Merit Award for distinguished achievement, and Exemplary Citations acknowledging a particular aspect of a project that stands out.
Jury
The 2026 Design Awards Jury is to be announced.
Projects will be evaluated on achievement, measurable impact, and storytelling, highlighting the people and processes behind thoughtful design. The jury will also consider each project’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices as part of the evaluation.
Eligibility
We welcome designers from across the built environment. Architecture, urban design, planning, landscape, interiors, technology, research, visualisation, and beyond. If your work demonstrates clear design thinking and delivers meaningful impact, we want to see it. And don’t worry — AIA membership is not required!
Eligibility criteria is as follows:
Membership in the AIA is not a pre-requisite.
Your project must align with the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
Your project must represent an original design.
Projects may be designed by firms based anywhere in the world. Except for the Excellence in Global Design category, which requires the leading firm to be a registered UK Practice.
Projects may be located anywhere in the world, Except for the Excellence in UK Design category, which requires the project to be located in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Completed projects must have been finished after 1 January 2023.
Please see the Noel Hill Student Research Award page for its particular eligibility criteria.
If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please email us at: vicepresident@aiauk.org.
Deadline
All submissions must be received no later than Saturday April 18, 2026 at 05:00 PM GMT.
Entry Fees
Eligible architects, designers or groups thereof may submit an unlimited number of entries; each entry must be submitted separately with a non-refundable fee per the submission requirements above.
Professional Firm: £199
Emerging Practice *: £79
Payment should be submitted to AIA UK online via Paypal using the link below. Confirmation receipt of payment will be provided by our Chapter Executive. Entry fees can only be accepted in Pounds Sterling.
Valid submissions and entry fees must be received by the deadline above. No late or incomplete entries will be accepted.
* Emerging Practice refers to new, smaller, or innovative firms that have been in existence for a maximum of 10 years. AIA UK reserves the right to confirm if entries submitted as an Emerging Practice submission qualifies as such.
As a not-for-profit organization, submission fees go directly towards supporting AIA UK community initiatives. These include activities such as funding Continuing Education programs and supporting UK students through the Noel Hill Student Research Award fund. Thank you for your continued support.
How To Apply
Applications must be completed through an online submission form.
To ensure a smooth process, please plan ahead to prepare your submission so that all form entries are within the response limits. Submission Guidance documents are provided below to help in this process.
Please note that no changes can be made following submission.
Please report any issues with the submission form to vicepresident@aiauk.org.
Click below to begin your submission.
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