2021 American Architecture Awards
Over 120 shortlisted buildings have won the prestigious 2020 American Architecture Awards® for the best new buildings designed and constructed by American architects in the U.S. and abroad and by international architects for buildings designed and built in the United States.
Closing date for application: February 1, 2021
The extended deadline for entries is February 15, 2021.
About
Since 1994, The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, together with The European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press, have organized The American Architecture Awards as away to honor the best, new significant buildings and landscape and planning projects designed and/or built in the United States and abroad by the most important american architects and planners practicing nationally and internationally.
The American Architecture Awards give an important overview of the current aesthetic direction of today’s commercial, corporate, institutional, and residential work in the United States to the real estate, banking, business, and corporate community, as well as to the press and general public. The program is one of the Museum’s most important public education outreach initiatives produced throughout the year―to both the Museum’s U.S. and international audience. The American Architecture Awards are dedicated to the recognition of excellence in architecture and urbanism in the United States.
The program awards pays tribute to new developments in design and underscores the directions and understanding of current cutting-edge processes consistent with today’s design thinking.
This year’s program honors new corporate, institutional, commercial, residential architecture, interiors, and urban planning, designed for both built and unbuilt projects alike since January 1, 2019.
Eligibility
All submissions must be the work of American architects, landscape architects, and urban planners working nationally or internationally for projects both in the U.S. and abroad.
International architecture firms headquartered outside the United States are eligible to enter projects built, or to be built, in the U.S. or in any location if the firm has an office doing business inside the United States.
Closing date
Closing date for application is February 1, 2021
Application
Submissions made online must be in .zip or .rar format. They can have up to eight ( 8 ) images ( 300dpi. 10 x 10cm minimum, in .jpeg pr .tiff up to 6mb per file ), a one page description in MS Word or .pdf, PLUS one .pdf file containing all plans sections and elevations. The maximum size of the .zip or .rar file is 20mb.
Mailed in submissions must include the following on one CD: Copy of the on-line application form; fee; and one-page description in MS Word; up to eight ( 8 ) images ( 300 dpi, 10x10cm minimum, jpg, jpeg or tiff format bmb maximum size ) PLUS one .pdf file containing all plans sections and elevations. Attach list of additional consultants. Application fee is $375 per project. Checks made payable to Metropolitan Arts Press. Call/email for information regarding electronic transfer. If you apply on-line there is no need to send a hard copy of the CD.
Please provide photographer credits. All information must be complete.
PROGRAM RESULTS
Selected and awarded recipients will be required to prepare either framed drawings or photographic panels and models for exhibition.
The Museum will exhibit the awarded projects in an exhibition format and publish the selected winners either on the Museum’s website or in a catalogue by Metropolitan Arts Press or both.
Previous exhibitions have taken place in Thessaloniki, Greece, Milan, Italy, Dublin, Ireland, Athens, Greece, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
Architects, associate architects, clients, developers, landscape architects, planners, contractors, and structural engineers are cited for their individual contributions.
Criteria
Criteria for submissions includes any commercial, corporate, institutional, or residential building type or urban planning project, built or unbuilt in the U.S.
Unbuilt projects are eligible only when a client is named.
Building types and categories are: corporate headquarters and office facilities, retail, hospitality, institutional, health care, government, transportation, religious, educational, and residential and interiors of any kind, monuments, bridges, including renovations and restorations, and urban planning and landscape projects, designed since January 1, 2019.
Previously awarded buildings by the Museum are not eligible.
For more information please contact Jennifer Nyholm: jennifer@chicagoathenaeum.org
Jury
A jury of recognized design practitioners, business professionals, educators, and critics review the submissions and select winning projects for awards. Previous juries have been held under the auspicious of the following professional associations: The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, The Union of Architects of Russia, The Finnish Association of Architects ( SAFA ), and The American Institute of Architects. Each Submission is Juried Anonymously.
