A highly anticipated annual chapter event, AIA San Antonio’s People + Place Awards recognize outstanding architectural projects by AIA members that promote public awareness of the value of design.
New in 2025:
- Awards season is earlier in the year
- Streamlined Project Categories for clarity
- NEW Project Category: Local Partner Award
- Expanded Additional Consideration Award Categories
- Historic Award is now an Additional Consideration Award
- Community Impact Award returns as an Additional Consideration Award
Submissions are due on Monday, June 30, 2025.
Place Awards
Recognizes excellence in built projects. Entries are evaluated on the merit of the quality of design, resolution of the program, conceptual clarity, innovation, thoughtfulness, and execution.
Projects are juried by project category/subcategory. Subcategories may be merged into their single larger primary Project Category if one or more subcategories do not receive enough entries to remain viable on their own. At the jury’s discretion, award recognition in any category/subcategory may be given to as many or as few projects as are deemed worthy by the jury.
Built works should be submitted into the most appropriate project subcategory below. The jury may at their discretion move a project to a different category. Project Categories 1 through 4 encompass all built work including new construction, renovation, or adaptive reuse of existing structures.
1) Residential: all projects intended for habitation
1A) Single-Family under 3,000 SF—any single-family residential project (e.g., primary or secondary residence)
1B) Single-Family over 3,000 SF—any single-family residential project (e.g., primary or secondary residence)
1C) Multifamily—any project inhabited by multiple tenants on a single contiguous site
2) Small Scale: any architectural work under 1,500 SF—open to all project types (e.g., cabin, pool or guest house, pavilion, barn, garage, or installation including temporary)
3) Commercial: Any building for profit-generating activities (includes hospitality but excludes residential).
3A) Commercial under 7,500 SF (e.g., small office, restaurant, bar, café)
3B) Commercial over 7,500 SF (e.g., corporate headquarters, large office, retail, hospitality)
3C) Architectural Interiors: any Commercial Interior space (e.g., finish-out within a shell space)
4) Civic/Institutional/Educational: any publicly funded, nonprofit, or educational project
4A) Civic/Institutional—any publicly funded or nonprofit project used primarily for a civic or institutional purpose (e.g., Courthouse, Municipal Building, Hospital, Church, Museum, or Recreational Facility)
4B) Educational—any project intended for learning (e.g., K-12, Higher Education, Training Center)
5) Local Partner Award—recognizes excellence in collaboration in a supporting role demonstrating the importance of local advocacy in partnering with design teams from outside the chapter. This is a standalone category encompassing all project types. It is open to all built projects located within the chapter where the project team includes a local chapter member or firm in a supporting role or Architect of Record, and the design was led by a firm from outside the chapter. Entrants submitting projects for this consideration should acknowledge the design team. The written project description should state the local firm’s contribution to the overall design and documentation process and the impact their collaboration had on the complete project.
6) Unbuilt Work: recognizes design excellence in proposed or unrealized work
Additional Consideration Awards
Projects entered in Project Categories 1, 2, 3 or 4 above may also be submitted for any, or all the following Additional Consideration Awards, provided the entry meets the additional submission and eligibility requirements for each award.
The COTE Award—The Committee on the Environment (COTE) Award recognizes projects that embody a holistic vision of design excellence that supports human health, vibrant communities, and ecological resilience.
Historic Award—recognizes excellence in projects of any category that preserve, restore, or rehabilitate existing buildings with a historic designation (part of a historic district or an individual landmark). These projects celebrate historic structures of architectural or cultural value. Any modifications or additions should support the continued use of the building and enhance the historic features. The project should retain a high degree of the original character post-restoration/rehabilitation. Before and after photos highlighting the historic building are strongly encouraged for context.
Mayor's Choice Award—recognizes outstanding design in publicly funded local projects. Projects located within Bexar County and constructed with public funding from the City of San Antonio are eligible.
Community Impact Award—recognizes built projects that positively impact our community. Projects located within Bexar County are eligible. Entries in this category must include a 150-250 word Impact Statement explaining how the project addresses one or more of the following criteria:
- Economic Disparity—Projects that address economic disparity in the larger community or individuals served by the project.
- Educational Inequity—Projects that address educational inequities and promote the advancement of quality education for all.
- Community Engagement—Projects that promote and integrate a participatory design process and greater civic engagement.
- Design Excellence—Projects that integrate effective social outcomes within the highest level of design expectations.
- Health Outcomes—Projects that promote healthier outcomes for the larger community or individuals served by the project.
- Human Rights—Projects that contribute to the respect and observance of human equality and fundamental freedoms for all, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age, or disability.
Eligibility
1) All built projects submitted must have been completed after May 1, 2015, and prior to May 1, 2025.
2) Entrants are required to be a member of AIA San Antonio and licensed by the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners at the time of the project’s completion.
3) For Built or Unbuilt projects where several parties share responsibilities for a project, the Architect must be an AIA San Antonio member, and credit must be given to all who contributed substantially to the project. Primary portions of the design of the project submitted must have been performed by AIA San Antonio members and their firms located within the chapter region. Work performed outside the chapter region by subsidiary offices of locally established firms is ineligible.
4) An entrant may submit up to, but not more than, four (4) completed projects.
5) Projects completed in any geographic region or country are eligible.
6) Efforts by successor firms, individuals, or joint venture members should be coordinated prior to entering a project. Disqualifications resulting from multiple entries are not the responsibility of AIA San Antonio.
7) Projects are to be submitted into the most appropriate single Project Category. Submitting a project into more than one category is not allowed. The jury may move a project to a different category. Disqualifications resulting from multiple entries are not the responsibility of AIA San Antonio.
8) Separate entries of related projects are eligible (e.g., the interior completion of a lease space by one Architect within the shell building designed by another Architect).
9) Submission of a project represents permission from the entrant, the owner, and photographer to publish the project.
10) Projects that have won an AIA San Antonio Design Award in prior years are not eligible.
11) Projects that have previously been recognized with solely the Mayor’s Choice Award or Community Impact Award are eligible to resubmit.
12) Completed projects that have won an Unbuilt Award are eligible to submit as a Built Project.
Submission Requirements
All project entries will be reviewed by the jury online via the Submittable platform. All submissions must include the following:
1) Completed Submittable Entry Form—all required fields must be completed. All submissions are final and may not be edited or changed, no exceptions.
2) Common App Document—this form highlights project strategies that address the AIA Framework for Design Excellence in a concise, standardized format for juror consideration.
a) Design Award applicants are required to complete the introductory section and ONLY TWO of the ten measures listed in the Common App project data sheet that best represent their project.
b) COTE Award applicants should complete all ten measures of the Common App to the best of their ability. Fields that are not applicable, or where information is unavailable, enter N/A.
c) Note: the 2025 common app form has been updated. Do not reuse the 2024 form.
d) Please submit the Common App form as an Excel file to ensure legibility.
3) Jury PDF—submit a PDF that thoroughly presents the project to the Jury. It should be concise and of high graphic quality. Requirements include:
a) 20 pages maximum, landscape orientation preferred
b) File size not to exceed 20 MB
c) Filename: “Jury25ProjectName.pdf”
d) All submissions shall include a Title Page including ALL the following:
- A detailed Written Description up to 250 words including program requirements, sustainability goals, and design process
- Project Name
- Project Size (in square feet)
- Location
- Date of Completion
- The Title Page may include an image
e) For all projects categories, except Interiors, include a Site Plan with a Graphic Scale and North Arrow
f) Floor Plans and Elevations should be clearly marked with a Graphic Scale and North Arrow
g) For Renovation/Restoration projects, indicate preexisting conditions with plans and/or photographs.
h) Project Images—selected images that convey the qualitative aspects and design intentions of the project. Images may be full bleed. Supporting diagrams and text may also be included.
i) Submittals shall not contain transitions, sound, animation, video clips, QR codes, hyperlinks, or links to other files.
j) The entrant’s and/or firm’s identity shall not be present anywhere within the Jury PDF or the Common App
4) Publicity Images—submit four that best portray the project. These images will be used during the ceremony event and may be provided to the media.
a) JPEG format, landscape, 16:9 aspect ratio
b) 1920x1080 minimum resolution
c) 5MB maximum file size
d) Filenames: “ProjectName01.jpg”, “Project Name02.jpg”, etc.
5) Social Media Image—submit one single image for AIA San Antonio’s Social Media Place Awards Campaign.
a) JPEG format, landscape, 16:9 aspect ratio
b) 1920x1080 minimum resolution
c) Landscape format only. Vertical images will not be accepted.
d) Filename: “ProjectNameSM.png”
e) Please provide your social media handle (e.g., Facebook: @aiasa; Instagram: @aia_san_antonio)
f) Provide up to five desired Hashtags to be included with your post (e.g., #architecture, #design, etc.)
6) Exhibition Board—provide a mounted Project Board to be included in the gallery exhibition
a) Single full color image, full bleed, on gloss finish paper
b) Include the Project Name, Location and the Entrant’s or Firm’s Name
c) Dry-mounted on 24” x 24” x ¼” thick black gator board
d) Boards are due by 5pm Monday, August 18, 2025 at the Center for Architecture, 1344 South Flores, Suite 102
e) Boards may be submitted to Thomas Printworks for printing, mounting, and delivery at a preferred fixed rate. Please contact Thomas Printworks 210-829-7000 for more information.
Entry Fees & Deadline
Entry Fee: $250 per entry. Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. June 30, 2025. Submission fee includes one RSVP to attend the People + Place Awards Celebration on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, when award recipients are revealed. This is an exclusive invitation-only event for award entrants and sponsors.
Late Entry Fee: $100 additional fee for entries submitted after the June 30 deadline. Late entries will be accepted up until 11:59 p.m. July 7, 2025.
Events
PEOPLE + PLACE AWARDS CELEBRATION will be held in-person on the evening of Tuesday, August 19, 2025, from 6 to 8 p.m.
PEOPLE + PLACE AWARDS EXHIBITION: AIA San Antonio will exhibit all the 2025 People + Place Design Awards submittals in the Center for Architecture Gallery in November.
Contact
Please direct any questions regarding submissions or procedures to: belinda@aiasa.org
Belinda Sanchez, Managing Director, AIA San Antonio
210.226.4979 Office 210.544.0898 Cell (SMS texts only please)