2025 Design Awards Submission

Schedule

Early Bird Registration deadline: July 22, 2025
Final Registration: August 12, 2025
Submission Deadline: September 2, 2025 Entries shall be uploaded/delivered no later than 9.00 PM, PDT

Jury Convenes: October, 2025
Design Awards Ceremony: December 4, 2025

Eligibility

Licensed architects or firms in good standing membership of AIA Santa Barbara are eligible to submit projects. Projects may be located within Santa Barbara County or worldwide. Licensed architects or firms in good standing membership of other AIA chapters or licensed architects and firms that are not AIA members may submit projects that are located in Santa Barbara County. Projects previously awarded by the AIA Santa Barbara Design Awards program are not eligible. Members of the 2025 Design Awards Committee who intend to submit a project for consideration are not eligible to participate in juror selection or deliberations.

Submissions must be projects designed or completed within the previous 10 years (2013-2024.)
Phased projects shall be entered onetime only and at the completion of their final phase.

All submitted projects that meet these guidelines are eligible for an award, however, a project submitted in multiple categories will only receive one award, as determined by the Jury. The Jury may recommend multiple awards in a single category or no award in any category; at their discretion.

Entry Fees

AIA Santa Barbara Members:
Early Bird Registration $185 ($160 each additional entry,) $110 for entries previously submitted, but not awarded.
After July 22, 2025: $235 ($210 each additional entry,) $160 for entries previously submitted, but not awarded.

Non-Members:
$280 ($260 each additional entry,) $210 for entries previously submitted, but not awarded.

Entry fees are non-refundable 

Judging Criteria

AIA Santa Barbara’s Design Awards reflect the values and aspirations of our region’s design community while focusing on larger, even global issues. We recognize that our members work on a variety of challenges and scales. Submissions should reflect a strong sense of place, history or purpose. We value artfully resolved design, but also celebrate the fact that architecture is much more than just beautiful buildings.

The jury will use the following criteria as a guide in the selection of recognized projects:

Inspiration: Does the project tell a story about innovative architectural design that is relevant and inspiring? Is the design well-resolved, given the stated project program? Do the materials presented articulate the ambitions of the design?

Creative Problem-Solving: What unique problems was the project asked to address regarding: site, budget, program, materials, collaboration or context? Did it address these requirements successfully? Is the relevance and value of design thinking evident in the submission? Do the presentation materials clearly depict the program, context and organizing principles influencing the design?

Environmental Sensitivity: Does the project exhibit serious intent to minimize negative environmental impacts and enhance the natural environment? Are metrics, narratives, diagrams, sketches or other clear evidence provided of both modeled and actual performance?

Social Transformation/Response: How does the project respond to its social, historical and physical context? Is it sensitive to its physical, social and historical context? Does the project improve the community in which it is situated? Does it exemplify a commitment to enhancing livable communities?

Process: The jury shall use an initial scoring sheet during their deliberations. The jury may not move a project from the category of which that project was submitted. The jury has the discretion to award one or more Honor Awards in any category or not to award any category. The jury will review project submissions prior to their face-to-face deliberation session.

Categories

Honor, Merit, and Honorable Mentions may be recognized in the following categories:

Commercial Buildings: Excellence of design in projects of commercial, institutional or industrial uses. This category includes new buildings, substantial remodels and additions. Commercial Interiors shall be submitted under Category 7 below.

Single Family Residential: Excellence of design and construction in single family homes. This category includes new buildings and extensive remodels and, or additions (greater than 60% of the original building.) Residential Interiors shall be submitted under Category 6 below. This category may also include an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) project, if the primary residence is part of the scope of work.

Mixed Use and Multi-Family Residential: Excellence of design and construction in structures containing two or more dwellings units. This category includes Mixed-Use buildings containing both residential and non-residential uses. Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) project shall be submitted under Category 6 below.

Conservation: Historic Preservation, Restoration, Rehabilitation or Reconstruction: This category is open to all projects that use the Department of Interior (DOI) Standards for the care of Historic Properties; this includes: Preservation, Restoration, Rehabilitation or Reconstruction. Projects should be eligible for listing as structures of merit, landmarks and existing structures that are a minimum of fifty years old. This category may include new buildings that are part of a project that includes an historic structure as long as that historic structure is incorporated into the scope of work. Submission must demonstrate how the DOI Standards were met in the design solution.

Santa Barbara Heritage (Residential and Commercial Projects): Projects of Santa Barbara’s time-honored Spanish-Colonial Revival Architecture are eligible to submit in this category. Projects should clearly demonstrate this unique and established architectural heritage. Projects may include new, remodels, renovations or additions, and must demonstrate how the original was either enhanced or converted to Spanish Colonial Revival.

Small Projects: Single Family Residential Additions, Remodels or Accessary Dwelling Units (ADU’s): The Small Projects awards category strives to elevate public awareness of the value of design that architects provide to small scale or scoped projects. Projects may include residential additions, interiors, remodels (area of work less than 60% of original building) and Accessory Dwelling Units. Small Projects up to 1,200 SF with a construction cost not to exceed $750,000.

Commercial Interiors: Excellence of design and construction in commercial interior architecture and design. This category only includes interiors that have minor exterior scope of work; i.e. exterior window alterations or treatments to enhance the interior displays.

Proposed/Unbuilt Projects:There are many projects that get left in the drawer and are not constructed for various reasons. These projects often can be compelling and innovative. Projects submitted in this category can be of any type, scale, or location, hypothetical, or a competition entry, as long as the lead design firm is located in Santa Barbara County and the project has not been constructed and there is no schedule for construction. No “In Progress” projects will be accepted.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]