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photo of Caitlin Brady & Mika Naraynsingh, 2023 Emerging Architect Award Winners

Mika Naraynsingh, AIA, LEED BD+C and Caitlin Brady, AIA, LEED BD+C, recipients of the 2023 Emerging Architect Awards

Nominations for 2024 are due by 5:00 PM on May 5, 2024. Submit completed nominations via email to Mary Fitch at mfitch@aiadc.com.


Awards for Great People

The Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA|DC) and Washington Architectural Foundation (WAF) are proud to present Awards for Great People. Each year, our Fall Design Fête celebrates these individuals and their work in making Washington better through their contributions as architects, advocates, educators, clients and partners.

Centennial Medal
Glenn Brown Award
John 'Wieb' Wiebenson Award
Emerging Architects Award
Architectural Educator Award 
Public Service Award 
Partnership for the Planet Award 

Laureates are selected annually by the Awards for Great People Jury, comprised of at least two members of AIA|DC and two members of WAF who shall be appointed by the Presidents of both organizations. The jury may select more than one laureate, or no laureates, per award in a given year and may consider nominations from prior years and nominations of its own.

Eligibility, nomination and submission requirements for each award are further detailed below. There are no fees required for submission. Unless noted otherwise, posthumous awards may not be given.


Centennial Medal

The Centennial Medal is the highest honor AIA|DC can bestow upon a member. The laureate must be “an architect whose contributions span at least a decade of service to the Chapter, to the community, or to the profession”. The Centennial Medal is not intended to be an award for excellence in architectural design. 

Granting Organization: AIA Washington DC

Eligibility: AIA|DC architect member in good standing. Posthumous awards may be given.

Submission Requirements: Submissions should include a nomination letter, up to three letters of support and sufficient background documentation to show the jury the worthiness of the candidate

Centennial Medal Laureates

1989               Chloethiel Woodard Smith, FAIA
1990               Edwin Wiehe, AIA
1991               Leon Brown, FAIA
1992               David H. Condon, FAIA
1993               Charles H. Atherton, FAIA
1994               Arthur M. Keyes, Jr., FAIA
1995               Louis E. Fry, Sr., FAIA
1996               Hugh Newell Jacobsen, FAIA
1997               Joe Miller, FAIA
1998               Joe Reid, AIA
1999               Isham Baker, FAIA
2000               Colden Florance, FAIA
2001               Frank Schlesinger, FAIA
2002               Joe Passonneau, FAIA
2003               Harry Robinson, FAIA
2004               Don Myer, FAIA
2005               George Hartman, FAIA
2006               Warren Cox, FAIA
2007               Mary Oehrlein, FAIA
2009               David Cox, FAIA
2010               George Dove, FAIA
2011               Dave Metzger, FAIA
2012               David Daileda, FAIA
2013               Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA
2014               Suman Sorg, FAIA
2015               Shalom Baranes, FAIA
2016               Graham Davidson, FAIA
2017               Hal Davis, FAIA
2018               Mary Katherine Lanzillotta, FAIA
2019               Hany Hassan, FAIA
2020               Steven Spurlock, FAIA
2021               David Haresign, FAIA
2022               Stanley I. Hallet, FAIA
2023               Amy Weinstein, FAIA


Glenn Brown Award

The Glenn Brown Award honors an individual who has raised public awareness of architecture and its benefits to society and who has improved the quality of life in Washington, DC.

Glenn Brown was the founder of the Washington Chapter of the AIA and the quiet force behind the resurrection of the L’Enfant Plan and the development of the McMillan Plan in 1900. Author, scholar, presidential advisor and most of all, civic activist, Brown began a strong legacy of architectural involvement in city affairs.

Granting Organization: AIA Washington DC & Washington Architectural Foundation

Eligibility: Nominees are not required to be architects. Most laureates have not been architects.

Nomination Process: Nominators and references are requested to not contact potential nominees for information about their qualifications or for their permission to places their names in nomination.

Submission Requirements:    

        Nomination Letter: Summary of the nominee’s achievements. Three-page maximum.

        Letters of Recommendation: Exactly three (3) one-page letters of support.

        Supporting Exhibits: Strongly encouraged, but not required.

Glenn Brown Award Laureates

2001               Sarah Booth Conroy
2002               Robert Lautman
2003               Robert Peck
2004               The Honorable Daniel Patrick Moynihan
2005               The Honorable Jim Graham
2006               Ben Forgey
2007               Richard and Sabine Yanul
2008               James Goode
2009               Martin Moeller, Assoc. AIA
2010               Doug Fruehling, Editor of Washington Business Journal
2011               David Maloney, DC SHPO
2012               Ginnie Cooper, DC Chief Librarian
2013               William B. Alsup, III
2013               Mayor Anthony Williams
2014               Allen Y. Lew
2015               Gerald R. Sigal
2016               Kojo Nnamdi
2017               Elinor Bacon
2018               Tommy Wells
2019               Robert P. Kogod
2020               Earl Alexander “Rusty” Powell, III
2021               Lonnie G. Bunch III 
2022               Scott Kratz


John ”Wieb” Wiebenson Award for Architecture in the Public Interest

The Wieb Award honors an architect who, throughout his or her career, has made a difference in the Washington community through work in the public interest.

Named in honor of the late John “Wieb” Wiebenson who passed away in 2003, the Wieb Award recognizes the profound impact of the pubic spirit of architecture and those practitioners who make careers out of projects taken on not for pay, but just for the sake of doing good. Wieb was widely recognized as a champion of great design and for his work for nonprofits throughout the city, from founding Don’t Tear it Down (now the DC Preservation League) to designing cheerful spaces for places like Bread for the City and Martha’s Table. He began his career in Boston working with Walter Gropius at the Architects Collaborative and later with Charles Moore, designer of California’s famous Sea Ranch, who taught him that architecture should be fun. Wieb’s portfolio includes private homes, schools, restaurants and nonprofits. When not designing buildings that have been described by the Washington Post as “at once creative and sensible,” Wieb drew Archihorse, a comic strip focused on urban design and architecture, which was published for many years by the Progressive Review. Wieb was also a prolific map maker.

The first Wieb award was given posthumously to John Wiebenson. We are reminded of the spirit, creativity, and great humor he brought to his work which has enriched the city for all people. 

Granting Organization: Washington Architectural Foundation

Eligibility: Practicing architect in the Washington community. Nominees need not be AIA members.

Submission Requirements:    

        Nomination Letter: One-page summary of the nominee’s achievements and contributions to the field.

        Candidate biography: 2‐page maximum

        Candidate photograph: jpeg; no larger than 300 dpi and 1MG.

        Additional letters of recommendation are not required but are strongly recommended.

Wieb Award Laureates

2004               John Wiebenson
2005               Robert Schwartz, FAIA
2006               Mary Kay Lanzillotta, FAIA
2007               Todd Ray, FAIA
2008               Dave Shove-Brown, AIA
2009               Darrel Rippeteau, AIA
2010               Steven Spurlock, FAIA
2011               Stephen Vanze, FAIA
2012               Barbara G. Laurie, AIA
2013                Roger K. Lewis, FAIA
2014                Susan Piedmont-Palladino
2015                Lam Vuong, AIA
2016                Janet Bloomberg, AIA
2017                Joanna Schmickel, AIA
2018                Greg Kearley, AIA
2019                Gina Volpicelli, AIA
2020                Ruben Quesada, Assoc. AIA
2021                Omar Hakeem, AIA 
2022                Rence Gill, AIA
2023                Anna McCorvey


Emerging Architect Award

The Emerging Architect Award recognizes individuals of all ages who have shown exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the profession in an early stage of their architectural career.

Granting Organization: AIA Washington DC

Eligibility: AIA|DC members in good standing within the first ten (10) years of professional experience. Nominees need not be licensed, but must have graduated from a NAAB-Accredited degree program within the last 10 years.

Nominations: In addition to regular nominations, self-nominations are encouraged but must include all required materials.

Submission Requirements:    

        Nomination Letter: One-page summary of the nominee’s achievements and contributions to the field.

        Supporting Exhibits: Materials (clippings, drawings, articles, citations, etc.) not exceeding ten (10) pages that best demonstrate the nominee’s accomplishments. Proper credit for material presented and its accuracy is the responsibility of the nominator.

        Candidate Biography: Two-page maximum.

        Candidate Photograph: Jpeg, no larger than 300dpi and 1MB.

        Letters of Recommendation: No more than three (3) one-page letters of support.

Emerging Architect Award Laureates

2008               Griz Dwight
2009               Joseph Fuentes
2009               Jay Wilson
2010                Phil Wessell
2011                 Hiroshi Jacobs
2012                Melissa Daniel
2013                Marcy Giannunzio, AIA
2013                Diane Leeson, Assoc. AIA
2014                Ryan McEnroe, AIA, ASLA
2015                Ricardo Rodriguez, Assoc. AIA
2016                Abigail Brown, AIA
2016                Luis Velez-Alvarez, AIA
2017                Leah Ijjas, AIA
2018                Nakita Reed, AIA
2019                Douglas Crawford, AIA
2020                Alison Pavilonis, AIA
2021                Scott Archer, AIA
2021                Li Ren, AIA 
2022                Saakshi Terway, Assoc. AIA
2023                Caitlin Brady, AIA
2023                Mika Naraynsingh, AIA


Architectural Educator Award

The Architect Educator Award recognizes an organization or individual for excellence in the advancement of architectural education at all levels (K-12, University, and/or Post-Graduate) through teaching, design, scholarship, research, or service. 

Granting Organization: Washington Architectural Foundation

Eligibility: Organization or individual teacher, professor or administrator engaged in architectural education. Nominees need not be AIA members.

Submission Requirements:    

        Nomination Letter: One-page summary of the nominee’s achievements.

        Candidate Biography: Two-page maximum.

        Candidate Photograph: Jpeg, no larger than 300dpi and 1MB.

        Letters of Recommendation: One-page letters of support strongly encouraged, but not required.

2020               Lindsey May, AIA
2021               Individual: Milton Shinberg, AIA
2021               Institution: Washington Alexandria Architecture Center 
2022               Dahlia Nduom, AIA


Donald B. Myer, FAIA Public Service Award

 

The Public Service Award recognizes an elected or appointed organization or individual, public administrator, or institutional leader who establishes and contributes to the development of laws, regulations, policies, or initiatives that promote excellence in architecture and design in Washington, D.C. Myer is its inaugural laureate and it has been renamed in his honor.

Granting Organization: Washington Architectural Foundation

Eligibility: Organization or individual engaged in public service. Nominees need not be architects.

Submission Requirements:    

        Nomination Letter: One-page summary of the nominee’s achievements.

        Candidate Biography: Two-page maximum.

        Candidate Photograph: Jpeg, no larger than 300dpi and 1MB.

        Letters of Recommendation: One-page letters of support strongly encouraged, but not required.

2020               Donald B. Myer, FAIA
2021               Marcel Acosta
2022               Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA


Partnership for the Planet Award 

In concert with the AIA’s Climate Action priority, the Partnership for the Planet Award recognizes an individual, firm, or team which has championed sustainable and/or resilient development in the Washington, DC region. This award goes to individuals, firms, or teams who are doing cutting edge work, going well beyond current requirements, and leading the way to a more sustainable city and region.

Granting Organization: AIA|DC & Washington Architectural Foundation

Eligibility: Individual, firm, or team. Nominees need not be architects nor architectural firms.

Submission Requirements:    

        Nomination Letter: One-page summary of the nominees’ achievements.

        Candidate Biography: Two-page maximum.

        Candidate Photograph: Jpeg, no larger than 300dpi and 1MB.

        Letters of Recommendation: One-page letters of support strongly encouraged, but not required.

        Supporting Exhibits: Strongly encouraged, but not required.

2020               Hitt Contracting’s Co|Lab Project  
2021               Building Innovation Hub 
2022               Thinkbox
2023               Anica Landreneau, Assoc. AIA


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