The 2021 Forge Prize

The American Institute of Steel Construction is on the lookout for creative visions of the future from up-and-coming architects. The third annual Forge Prize competition is now open for entries! 

This competition, established by The American Institute of Steel Construction in 2018, recognizes visionary emerging architects for designs that embrace steel as a primary structural component and capitalize on steel’s ability to increase a project’s speed. 

The Forge Prize is a unique opportunity to experiment with a conceptual design without limits in scope or complexity--the sky really is the limit here. U.S.-based architects who are either currently seeking licensure or have been licensed for fewer than 10 years may enter online at forgeprize.com. 

The 2021 winner will take home a total of $15,000 and have the opportunity to present his/her idea both live on YouTube and to an audience of innovative designers at the Architecture in Steel conference. 

"The Forge Prize empowers emerging designers to create freely with no set site and or project type. AISC supports each finalist by providing guidance from real-world steel industry leaders," said 2020 Forge Prize judge Rebekah Gandy, AIA, LEED AP, CD of Gensler. "This collaborative approach pushes each design’s materialization and helps further our AEC industry." 

The first round of the competition will end on November 1. 

Three finalists emerge from the first stage. Each finalist will take home $5,000 and work with a leading steel fabricator to further refine his/her concept before the final round. 

A panel of industry-leading judges will choose a winner based on a final presentation, which will be broadcast live on YouTube in March. That winner will receive the $10,000 grand prize and be invited to present his/her concept at the Architecture in Steel conference, which is incorporated in NASCC: The Steel Conference, in Louisville, Ky., April 14-16, 2021. 

"The Forge Prize is a unique platform for emerging architects to develop innovative design concepts and collaborate with steel industry leaders to refine their ideas," said 2020 Forge Prize judge Matt Dumich, FAIA of SmithGroup. "The resulting proposals educate and inspire new applications using steel as a versatile construction material."