Winners of the 2023 AIA Education Facility Design Award revealed

A total of thirteen projects have been announced as winners of the 2023 Education Facility Design Award by the American Institute of Architects' Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE).

Four Awards of Excellence and seven Awards of Merit were granted by the AIA’s select jury, which this year comprised five members: Lori Cappucio, Omar Bailey, Vince Gonzales, Kandis Larsen, and Sindu Meier.

The AIA shares: "In order to be eligible for AIA’s Awards of Excellence, the architect must demonstrate exemplary practice. Additionally, the design must meet a host of criteria, including enhancing learning in classrooms; balancing function with aesthetics; establishing a connection with the environment; being respectful of the surrounding community; demonstrating high-level planning in the design process; and integrating sustainability in a holistic fashion."

Here is the full list of winners for this year’s award.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Powell Elementary School (Washington, DC)
ISTUDIO Architects

Jury comment: "This is proof that watering the 'seed' of a local community’s development can bear fruit well beyond its borders."

Siebel Center for Design (Champaign, IL)
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Jury comment: "It was a bold move to locate this project and the very end of the university’s campus, but its ability for students and visitors to be slowly immersed into the building and encouraged is particularly evident."

Harvey Mudd College, Scott A. McGregor Computer Science Center (Claremont, CA)
Steinberg Hart

Jury comment: "Simple things like the envelope truly have a significant impact and provide a different overall view. From an innovation standpoint, I really appreciate the work they put into it. They also really did a good job maintaining net-zero parameters."

Thaden Bike Barn (Bentonville, AR)
Marlon Blackwell Architects

Jury comment: "The program, while simple, is well executed and paired perfectly with the architecture. It's a node for the community, which is invited to take advantage of the network of bike trails."

AWARDS OF MERIT

American School Foundation of Guadalajara High School (Guadalajara, Mexico)
Flansburgh Architects, GVA Arquitectos  

Boston Arts Academy (Boston, MA)
Perkins Eastman, Wilson Butler Architects

Columbia Business School (New York, NY)
Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in  collaboration with FXCollaborative      

Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School (Cranberry Township, PA)
CannonDesign

Founders Hall, Foster School of Business (Seattle, WA)
LMN Architects

Health Sciences Innovation Building (Tucson, AZ) 
CO Architects, Swaim Associates

Kent State University, Design Innovation Hub (Kent, OH)
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Domokur Architects

Southeast Community College Academic Excellence Center (Beatrice, NE)
Multistudio, Design + BVH Architecture

University of Illinois at Chicago, Academic and Residential Complex (Chicago, IL)
Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB)