To salute excellence in architecture, AIA East Tennessee conducts an annual juried Design Awards Program. This program seeks to honor built and unbuilt works of distinction designed by AIA members in upper and middle East Tennessee, and to serve as a catalyst for local participation in the AIA Tennessee Awards Program. The program also brings public attention to outstanding examples of architecture. Winners of this year’s program will be announced and celebrated at the 2021 Design Awards Gala on September 25th at Lakeshore Park’s Marble Hall. This competition is open to all members of AIA East Tennessee.
Miguel Rivera, FAIA, LEED, will serve as the Jury Chair for the 2021 Awards Program. He is a Founding Principal of Miro Rivera in Austin, Texas.
Direct questions to Marleen Davis, FAIA, at 865-851-3911 or [email protected]
How to Enter
To register a submission:
- Submit the Registration Form and Entry Fee by Friday, July 30, 2021 at 5 PM. You may submit registrations at any time between now and the July 30, 2021 deadline.
- Once the Registration is received, you will receive the Electronic Submission Template for each entry and Submission Instructions via e-mail.
- All electronic submissions materials must be received by Friday, August 6, 2021 at 5 PM. Entries not following the submission guidelines outlined below will not be accepted.
Eligibility
Any architectural project completed since 2016 which has been produced by, or in collaboration with, a member of AIA East Tennessee Chapter is eligible for submission. Projects may have been executed anywhere in the United States. Firms are encouraged to submit previously submitted past non-winning projects as well as those that have won awards in other programs. The Design Awards Program is open to architectural projects of all types, including unbuilt work. An entry may consist of one building, a related group of buildings forming a single project, or an interior design project. The term “building” includes any new architectonic composition as well as the remodeling, rehabilitation, and/or preservation of existing structures. Unbuilt work prepared for academic purposes may not be submitted.
Awards
Awards will be designated by a jury of architects whose work and reputations have been nationally established. The 2021 Jury Chair Miguel Rivera, FAIA, LEED, Founding Principal of Miro Rivera in Austin, Texas. Each project will be judged according to its own merit and to how well it solves the problem(s) addressed. Projects should also demonstrate the AIA national commitment to sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity as detailed in the COTE Top Ten Toolkit. Projects will not be judged in competition with each other, but by measuring the architect’s performance against each project’s potential. Design Awards can be given in three degrees: Honor, Merit and Citation. Honor Awards, the top honor, will be granted to built projects for overall design excellence. Merit Awards will be granted to built projects worthy of recognition because of their design quality. Citation Awards will be granted at the discretion of the jury.
Classifications
For clarity, please designate the general classification of the submitted project from the following:
- New Construction
- Renovation/Restoration
- Residential
- Architectural Interior Design
- Emerging Professionals
- Unbuilt
When a project could be described by more than one classification, it is the entrant’s obligation to make the most appropriate choice. Jurors are not obligated to provide awards for each classification.
Emerging Professionals classification: To be eligible for the Emerging Professionals classification, entries must be submitted by AIA or Associate AIA members with less than ten years’ experience as registered architects. Entries in this category need not be built.
Unbuilt classification: Projects that are not yet or never to be constructed may be submitted under the Unbuilt classification.
This includes projects that are on the boards, conceptual/theoretical in nature, and competition entries. If later constructed, projects entered in this classification may be submitted for future consideration by the Design Awards Program even if they have previously won an award in the Unbuilt classification.
Unbuilt projects will only be eligible for Merit Awards.
Submission Guidelines
Project Presentation (PDF): The AIA East Tennessee Design Awards uses an electronic format. Upon receipt of your registration form and fee, you will be provided a presentation template with further instructions. The template has been designed so that you will be able to drop your text and images into a preset layout. To maintain consistency and fairness, no modifications to the layout of the template will be accepted. When your entry is complete, save the presentation as a PDF file for submission via e-mail, not larger than 10 MB.
Each presentation must include the following:
- Project Information: Include a 250 word program statement, a 25 word program summary, area and cost/square foot, construction cost, date of completion (if built). Each slide of the presentation must include the entry’s code number, which indicates classification.
- Plans and Drawings: Include site plan, floor plan(s), sections, details, and/or diagrams as needed to explain the project’s design merits.
- Photographs/Perspectival Representations: Include exterior views showing major elevations, interior views (one or more), other views or details describing special features, nighttime images, construction systems, “before-after” views, etc.
Participants should ensure that all images included in the entry submission contribute to supporting the project statement. Each should have a purpose as it relates to the larger idea. Photos should contain compelling pieces of information to make the statement readily understood. Label plans clearly, including a north arrow. On each slide, you can layer images and plans or place images side by side. The area beside the slide images is available for text to further illustrate your point. Keep in mind the impact the image will make once projected on a larger screen. These slides should not contain anything that would identify either an individual, firm or project.
Identification Information (PDF): In a separate PDF file, include the name and location of the project, owner/client, architect(s) of record by name and address, project team, landscape architect, relevant design consultants, general contractor, photographer and project code as assigned. This information will not be seen by the jury, but is used for promotional purposes.
Best Project Image (JPG): For marketing purposes, each submission must also include a single image that best captures the merits of the project. This should be submitted in JPG format, square aspect ratio, measuring 1,200 pixels x 1,200 pixels, and file size not larger than 5MB. The person holding copyright on this image must be credited when the work is submitted. Please do not add margins to this square. If the project wins, it will be on the AIA East Tennessee website, and the image must actually be square.
Popular Vote Awards Categories
There are two categories for popular vote awards. Neither is anonymous.
People’s Choice: Any project(s) submitted for a design award will be featured on a public page on the AIA East Tennessee website for online voting. The AIA East Tennessee chapter will promote the online People’s Choice Award through various marketing venues. Visitors to the site will be able to vote for their favorite project over a two-week period, with voting concluding on the day of the Design Awards Program.
Chapter’s Choice: Any project(s) submitted for a design award will also be considered for a People’s Choice Award decided by the AIA Membership and guests in attendance for the Design Awards Event. All submissions will be automatically be entered. NO BOARDS NEED TO BE PROVIDED. This will be done through the best image submitted.