AIA Chicago Lerch Bates People’s Choice Awards 2025 architects news, America buildings prize, USA design office

AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards 2025

September 20, 2025

Winners were announced and Lifetime Achievement Award conferred at Designight 2025, AIA Chicago‘s signature award program, held at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park on September 18th.

(September 19, 2025) CHICAGO – AIA Chicago, the second largest local chapter of The American Institute of Architects and the collective voice of over 4,000 licensed architects, emerging professionals, architecture students, and allied professionals, today announced the winners of the 2025 Design Excellence Awards, Unbuilt Award, Decarbonization Award, Roberta Feldman Architect for Social Justice Award and the Lerch Bates People’s Choice Awards. The winners were announced at Designight 2025, an event which honors Chicago architects’ global design achievements, which was held at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

“This year’s winning projects are a testament to how visionary design can transform our cities and our world,” said AIA Chicago’s Executive Director Jen Masengarb. “The projects demonstrate that architecture creates meaningful places and spaces with clear purpose, exceptional detail, and a deep sense of community that enriches the lives of its users.”

AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards 2025 Winners News

DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS HONORS AND CITATIONS OF MERIT BY CATEGORY

HOSPITALITY & RETAIL
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNERS:

The Alston, Heidi Lightner Architects; Chicago, I

Journeyman Distillery at the American Factory, RATIO; Valparaiso, IN

photo : Brent Moss Photography

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FINALISTS:
Jackson Lake Lodge Restoration, Nurture Architects; Moran, WY
Virgin Hotels New York, Stantec Architecture Inc.; New York, NY