The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced four architects and one architecture firm receiving 2026 AIA Awards. An AIA award is the ultimate acknowledgment of impactful, exemplary work in architecture and design. The architects and firm below were recognized for setting new standards of excellence and inspiring others to innovate.
See all AIA award recipients and winning projects across nearly 30 categories here.
Architecture Firm Award 2026
Duvall Decker
In a celebration of purpose-driven design, Duvall Decker has been honored with the 2026 AIA Architecture Firm Award. This recognition highlights the Mississippi-based firm’s unwavering commitment to architecture as a vehicle for social change, community advocacy, and design excellence. Founded in 1998 by Anne Marie Duvall Decker, FAIA, and Roy Decker, FAIA, the practice has established a powerful model for how architects can serve communities, particularly those with limited resources, by creating spaces that foster dignity, equity, and public good.
The Architecture Firm Award is the highest honor AIA bestows on an architecture practice. The award recognizes a firm that has consistently produced distinguished architecture for at least 10 years.
Learn more about Duvall Decker’s selection as the 2026 Architecture Firm Award recipient.
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Jury, Architecture Firm Award 2026
The AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council select the winners for this program. The finalists were selected by the following advisory jurors:
- (Chair) Angela Brooks, FAIA, Brooks + Scarpa Architects, Inc.
- Clark S. Brockman, AIA, Brockman Climate Strategies LLC
- Graciela Carrillo, FAIA, Nassau BOCES Facilities Services
- Kathy D. Dixon, FAIA, K. Dixon Architecture, PLLC
- Heather G. Holdridge, Assoc. AIA, Lake | Flato Architects
- Beresford Pratt, AIA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Cory T. Rouillard, AIA, Henson Architecture
- Vikram Sami, AIA, Olson Kundig
Gold Medal Award 2026
Shigeru Ban, Hon. FAIA
Shigeru Ban revolutionized architecture with renewable materials like paper and timber, creating resilient, sustainable designs like disaster shelters and the Cardboard Cathedral. As an educator for over 30 years, he empowers students through hands-on projects, showcasing architecture’s potential for sustainability and service.
The Gold Medal is AIA’s highest annual honor, recognizing individuals whose work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.
Learn more about Ban’s selection as the 2026 Gold Medal Award recipient.
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Jury, Gold Medal 2026
The AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council select the winners for this program. The finalists were selected by the following advisory jurors:
- (Chair) Angela Brooks, FAIA, Brooks + Scarpa Architects, Inc.
- Clark S. Brockman, AIA, Brockman Climate Strategies LLC
- Graciela Carrillo, FAIA, Nassau BOCES Facilities Services
- Kathy D. Dixon, FAIA, K. Dixon Architecture, PLLC
- Heather G. Holdridge, Assoc. AIA, Lake | Flato Architects
- Beresford Pratt, AIA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Cory T. Rouillard, AIA, Henson Architecture
- Vikram Sami, AIA, Olson Kundig
Edward C. Kemper Award 2026
Vivian Lee, FAIA
AIA has bestowed its highest service honor, the Edward C. Kemper Award, upon Vivian Lee, FAIA, a design principal at Gensler. This award recognizes an architect who has made significant, impactful contributions to the profession through dedicated service to AIA. Lee’s profound influence as a mentor and her tireless advocacy for equity, diversity, and inclusion have reshaped the architectural landscape for the better.
Learn more about Lee’s selection as the 2026 Edward C. Kemper Award recipient.
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Jury, Edward C. Kemper Award 2026
The AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council select the winners for this program. The finalists were selected by the following advisory jurors:
- (Chair) Winston L. Thorne, AIA, Winston Thorne Architect
- Bolkar Acikkol, PhD(c), AIA, LEED AP, Energy Architecture Inc.
- Cyrus P. Dahmubed, Assoc. AIA, Utile
- Kara B. Gee, AIA, Smith Gee Studio
- Carolina Montano-Owen, PhD, World Green Building Council
AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education 2026
Sarah Whiting, Assoc. AIA
Sarah M. Whiting, Assoc. AIA, a transformative leader in architectural education, has been awarded the 2026 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. This prestigious honor, presented jointly by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to architectural education for at least a decade.
Learn more about Whiting’s selection as the 2026 Topaz Medallion recipient.
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Jury, Topaz Medallion 2026
- (Chair) Latoya N. Kamdang, AIA, Ennead Architects/Pratt Institute
- Lee Anderson, AIAS, NOMAS, Northeastern University
- Jason J. DeMarco, AIA , Polyline/University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Dr. Robert Gonzalez, AIA, University of New Mexico
- Dean Marilys R. Nepomechie, FAIA, DPACSA, Florida International University
Whitney M. Young Jr. Award 2026
Michael Ford, FAIA, NOMA
AIA has named Michael Ford, FAIA, NOMA, as the recipient of the 2026 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award. This prestigious honor celebrates an architect who exemplifies the profession’s social responsibility by actively addressing critical issues like inclusiveness and equity. Ford, known widely as “The Hip Hop Architect,” has earned this distinction through his visionary work merging hip hop culture with architecture to inspire underrepresented youth and create pathways into the design profession.
Learn more about Ford’s selection as the 2026 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award recipient.
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Jury, Whitney M. Young Jr. Award 2026
The AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council select the winners for this program. The finalists were selected by the following advisory jurors:
- (Chair) Winston L. Thorne, AIA, Winston Thorne Architect
- Bolkar Acikkol, PhD(c), AIA, LEED AP, Energy Architecture Inc.
- Cyrus P. Dahmubed, Assoc. AIA, Utile
- Kara B. Gee, AIA, Smith Gee Studio
- Carolina Montano-Owen, PhD, World Green Building Council