California's best architecture honored at 2025 AIA California Design Awards

AIA California has unveiled the winners of its 2025 Design Awards. The annual program seeks to “promote, recognize, publicize, and celebrate the value exceptional design has on the fabric of society.” 

Twenty-one projects were recognized in the 2025 awards, from civil work to multi-family housing. The awards were given in three categories, from highest: Honor Awards, Merit Awards, and Citation.

“I am honored to lead an organization whose membership is so adept at elevating quality of life,” said 2025 AIA California President Carina Mills, AIA. “AIA California is committed to professional opportunities and advocacy that nurture and catalyze great work. To see this year’s 2025 Design Awards recipients is to see professionals harness new and exciting strategies to produce design excellence. Congratulations to all recipients.”

Below we have listed the winners of the 2025 edition. You can compare the latest winners to those of previous years by reviewing our ongoing coverage of the awards here.

HONOR RECIPIENTS

500 County Center, Redwood City, California by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

Jury comments: This project achieves excellence across the board, from its urban design and siting—creating a civic presence within an urban context—but also inviting and welcoming the public in. It elevates civic architecture to a very high level, while at the same time embracing innovative, resilient, sustainable technologies such as mass timber passive design. It really hangs together, both in terms of a piece of architecture, the interiors, and again, as a piece of civic architecture.

Big Sur House in Monterey County, California by Field Architecture

Jury comments: A truly exceptional project with an exemplary approach to site, massing, materiality, tectonic expression, and spatial choreography. The geometric organization in plan and section is well-crafted and the bifurcated pavilions beautifully allow for the passage of the coastal stream from the hillside to the ocean. The ambition to thoroughly bridge climate, ecology, and design result in a beautiful, architecturally significant home. The site is addressed beautifully.

California College of the Arts Campus Expansion in San Francisco, California by Studio Gang

Jury comments: This is an exemplary project across all criteria. Clear program and concept, beautiful and innovative tectonics, rich materials, wonderful spatial variety, and clearly organized plan. This project sets a very high bar for excellence in academic architecture and sets the stage for future growth and upgrades for this institution’s next 100 years. Innovative mass timber structure and passive systems continue the trajectory of CCA’s cutting edge sustainability program.

MERIT RECIPIENTS

843 N Spring Street in Los Angeles, California by LEVER Architecture

FHCSD El Cerrito in San Diego, California by LPA Design Studios

Gower Court Mausoleum in Los Angeles, California by Lehrer Architects and Roberto Sheinberg Arquitectura y Diseño (AyD)

Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California by AECOM

Isla Intersections Supportive Housing & Paseo in Los Angeles, California by Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA]

Mosaic at Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, California by Gensler

Sunnyvale City Hall in Sunnyvale, California by SmithGroup

CITATION RECIPIENTS

• 1450 Owens in San Francisco, California by IwamotoScott Architecture (Design Architect) / DGA (Executive Architect)
• 200 W Ocean in Long Beach, California by Studio One Eleven
• Cañada College Kinesiology and Wellness Center in Redwood City, California by ELS Architecture and Urban Design
• Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles, California by Gensler Los Angeles
• Edes Building in Morgan Hill, California by KTGY
• Granville1500 in Los Angeles, California by Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA]
• Lehi Park Bathrooms in Santa Cruz Mountains, California by Fuse Architects + Builders
• Mar Vista House No. 1 in Los Angeles, California by Hopson Rodstrom Design Co.
• Palm Springs Homeless Navigation Center in Palm Springs, California by John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects
• San Francisco State University, George and Judy Marcus Hall for the Creative Arts in San Francisco, California by Mark Cavagnero Associates
• Stanford Residence in Stanford, California by Jensen Architects