Tag: aia-gold-medal | ArchDaily

Women in Architecture: Progress, Gaps, and the Work Still Ahead

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Each year, International Women's Day brings renewed attention to questions of gender within many professional fields, architecture among them. Public conversations often center on celebrating prominent figures or highlighting notable projects, moments that briefly illuminate the contributions of women within the discipline. Yet the visibility produced by these occasions sits within a longer and more complex trajectory. Over the past several decades, the architectural profession has undergone gradual shifts that have expanded opportunities and broadened participation, even as longstanding structures continue to shape how careers develop and how architectural work becomes visible.

Shigeru Ban Named Recipient of the 2026 AIA Gold Medal

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 05:30:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced on Thursday, December 4, 2025, that architect Shigeru Ban is the recipient of the 2026 AIA Gold Medal. The award is the AIA's highest individual honor, recognizing individuals whose work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. On this occasion, the Japanese architect's work was highlighted for its inventive use of renewable materials such as paper and timber, his innovation in timber architecture, his commitment to social service through design, and his 30 years as an educator at universities including Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia. Previous honorees include Deborah Berke, the first female dean of the Yale School of Architecture, in 2025; David Lake and Ted Flato of the San Antonio–based practice Lake|Flato in 2024; and civic design leader Carol Ross Barney in 2023.

Architect and Educator Deborah Berke Receives the 2025 AIA Gold Medal

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Influential figure Deborah Berke, FAIA, LEED AP, has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 AIA Gold Medal, in recognition of her four-decade career integrating design prowess, and academic leadership demonstrating social and environmental responsibility. Her work, encompassing residential, institutional, and adaptive reuse projects, demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and community engagement. Founding Deborah Berke Partners (now TenBerke) in 1982 and serving as the first female dean of the Yale School of Architecture, she has held various leadership positions within the architectural profession and contributed to discussions on design ethics, sustainability, and education.

Pritzker Prize Laureate Fumihiko Maki Passes Away at 95

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Esteemed Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize laureate Fumihiko Maki passed away at his Tokyo home last Thursday at the age of 95. Celebrated for his modernist approach, Maki was responsible for significant works, including the 4 World Trade Center, a skyscraper at the site of the former World Trade Center in New York. Maki was recognized in the architecture industry various times, including receiving the Pritzker Prize and becoming the 67th AIA Gold Medalist. His influence in inventing a unique modernist style of Japanese origin cannot be underscored.

American Architect and Educator Antoine Predock Passes Away at 87

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Internationally recognized architect, writer, and professor Antoine Predock passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 2, 2024, at the age of 87. Throughout his career, Predock developed a unique style, working outside of urban centers and seeking to find a connection between the landscapes and the human experience of space. In addition to serving as a long-term faculty member at the University of New Mexico, he is also the architect behind some well-known projects, including the Nelson Fine Arts Center, the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

AIA Awards 2024 Gold Medal to Sustainability Advocates David Lake and Ted Flato of Lake|Flato Architects

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects has announced David Lake and Ted Flato, the founders of Texas-based firm Lake|Flato Architects, as the winners of the 2024 AIA Gold Medal. The pair was selected by the jury for their ability to make "sustainability exciting in a way few other architects have accomplished." Founded in San Antonia in 1984, their office set out to make environmentally conscientious design both accessible and exciting, by finding ways to strengthen he bond between humans and nature.

“An Unrivaled Architect for the People”, Carol Ross Barney Receives the 2023 AIA Gold Medal

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 06:30:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has named Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, as the recipient of the 2023 AIA Gold Medal, the institution’s highest annual honor. The award recognizes and applauds Carol Ross Barney’s focus on design excellence, social responsibility, and generosity. Through her transformative projects, she has endeavored to make the world a better place and, according to the jury, made “an indelible mark on the profession.”

AIA Awards 2022 Gold Medal to Brooks + Scarpa and 2022 Architecture Firm Award to MASS Design Group

Christele Harrouk — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 06:30:00 +0000

The Board of Directors and the Strategic Council of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have awarded the 2022 Gold Medal to Angela Brooks, FAIA, and Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA, for their lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. The jurors have also selected MASS Design Group to win the 2022 AIA Architecture Firm Award, the highest honor the AIA bestows on an architecture practice.

Edward Mazria Receives the 2021 AIA Gold Medal

Eric Baldwin — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 05:30:00 +0000

Architect and activist Edward Mazria, FAIA has been honored with the 2021 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects. The Gold Medal honors an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. As the jury notes, Mazria is being recognized for his work to combat the climate crisis and motivate the profession to take action.

Marlon Blackwell Receives the 2020 AIA Gold Medal

Christele Harrouk — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 05:30:00 +0000

The Board of Directors and the Strategic Council of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have awarded renowned architect Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, with the 2020 Gold Medal. This prize credits an individual that had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.

Julia Morgan: The Trailblazing Female Architect Overlooked No More by The New York Times

Niall Patrick Walsh — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 11:00:00 +0000

Since its founding in 1851, The New York Times has published thousands of obituaries listing the lives and legacies of some of the world’s most influential people. However, by their own admission, the listings have historically been dominated by white men. In order to address this, The Times launched its “Overlooked” series in 2018, telling the stories of women such as Sylvia Plath and Emma Gatewood.

Richard Rogers Wins the 2019 AIA Gold Medal

Niall Patrick Walsh — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Richard Rogers has been awarded the 2019 AIA Gold Medal by the American Institute of Architects. The world-renowned architect and founding principal of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has been recognized “for his influence on the built environment [that] has redefined an architect’s responsibilities to society.”

James Stewart Polshek Wins 2018 AIA Gold Medal

Patrick Lynch — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:20:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has named James Stewart Polshek, FAIA, as the recipient of the 2018 AIA Gold Medal. Lauded by the AIA for his “unparalleled vision and leadership,” Polshek has enjoyed fruitful professional and academic careers as a founding partner of James Stewart Polshek Architect (later Polshek Partnership and currently Ennead Architects) and a former dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

Black and Gold: How Paul Revere Williams Became the First African-American to Win the AIA's Highest Honor

Rory Stott — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 09:30:00 +0000

Yesterday, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced that they had awarded the 2017 Gold Medal to Paul Revere Williams. Despite the manic production rate of his five-decade-long career, those not familiar with the architecture of Hollywood’s early years might be forgiven for not recognizing Williams’ name. But he is notable for having designed around 3,000 buildings, for being “the architect to the stars” including, among many others, Frank Sinatra... and for being the first black member of the AIA.

Paul Revere Williams Wins 2017 AIA Gold Medal

Patrick Lynch — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 16:45:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced Paul Revere Williams, FAIA as the posthumous winner of the 2017 AIA Gold Medal. With a portfolio of nearly 3,000 buildings over five decades, Williams’ career was notable for breaking boundaries within the profession as the first black member of the AIA.

Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi Win 2016 AIA Gold Medal

Rory Stott — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:25:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced Denise Scott Brown, hon. FAIA and Robert Venturi, FAIA, as joint winners of the 2016 AIA Gold Medal. The AIA cited the duo for their "built projects as well as literature that set the stage for Postmodernism and nearly every other formal evolution in architecture." Scott Brown and Venturi are the first ever pair to receive the Gold Medal, after the AIA approved a change to its bylaws in 2013 that allowed the award to be presented to up to two individuals working together.

Moshe Safdie Wins 2015 AIA Gold Medal

Karissa Rosenfield — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has just announced that Moshe Safdie, FAIA, will be the 2015 AIA Gold Medal recipient. Honoring him for his “comprehensive and humane approach to designing public and cultural spaces across the world has touched millions of people and influenced generations of younger architects,” the AIA believes that Safdie's work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.

Why We Can Thank Gehry, Graves, and Scott Brown for Julia Morgan's AIA Gold Medal Win

Jennifer Whelan — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Considering Julia Morgan was overlooked for over 100 years and has been dead for over 50, naysayers may consider her recent accolade as the first woman to receive the AIA Gold Medal something of an empty gesture. However, the prestigious group of supporters who compiled her nomination package - among them Michael Graves, Frank Gehry, and Denise Scott Brown - would beg to differ. To find out how and why the trio championed Morgan's case, check out this article on SFGate.