A jury of esteemed architecture colleagues from throughout the county, including experts in high performance buildings and appointed by the AIA Illinois President, will review nominations in the Design Award category.

Nominations in the Service Award category will be selected by the AIA Illinois Board of Directors.

The AIA Illinois President serves as an ex-officio member of both juries.

Decisions of the juries are final. AIA Illinois reserves the right to not choose an award recipient in ANY category, should they and the jury make that determination.

• Design Awards: Nominees must reside in ILLINOIS, but their project may be located anywhere in the world. Projects must have been completed within the last five (5) years, except for those competing for the Excellence in Planning Award.

• Service Awards: Nominees must reside in ILLINOIS.
• • Award winners will be licensed architects or architectural interns, except recipients of Non-Architect Achievement Award and the President’s Award.
  • Nominations may be submitted without the knowledge of the nominee.
  • You may nominate yourself or your project(s).
  • You may submit for multiple award categories, but a separate entry is required for each nomination.
  • An entry fee is required for each Design Award submission with a discount for additional submissions. (AIA Member: $155 / Non-AIA Member: $225)

Entries for the 2026 AIA Illinois Honor Awards will only be accepted online through this submission website. No submissions will be accepted after Friday, May 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm CT.

The jury relies entirely on the representation made in the nomination. Submitters are asked to objectively state the nominee’s achievements in a clear and succinct manner.

From a letter of support:

I am very pleased to nominate Holly Gerberding, FAIA for the 2024 AIA Illinois Gold Medal in recognition of her remarkable career in service to our profession. I have known and admired Holly for 30 years. Many of us are proud of our service to the profession, service that usually occurs at the periphery of our practice, in our spare time. For Holly, this service is the whole idea, both in her professional practice and in her significant accomplishments with the AIA. I have never known anyone with the tenacity, patience, and dogged determination that Holly possesses; all focused on addressing the incredibly tedious challenges of codes and regulations….often the toughest parts of the infrastructure of all of our practices. Her list of achievements is hard to fathom and has resulted in a safer world and an easier world for Architects and their clients to navigate. And to make sure it was easy to navigate, she wrote the first Building Code Permit Applicant’s Handbook.

Grant Ullrich, Assoc. AIA

From a letter of support:

Grant Ullrich, Assoc. AIA, serves as the Managing Deputy Commissioner in the City of Chicago Department of Buildings. He brings unique talents to our profession as a licensed attorney holding professional degrees in both law and architecture.

Prior to his current position, he served as the Deputy Building Commissioner, City of Chicago, Department of Law, Assistant Corporate Counsel, and as a lecturer and instructor in Architecture at the School of the Art Institute.

Grant should be recognized for his professional work, publications, major legislative projects and professional involvement and collaborations and who they have positively impacted the profession. Most recently Grant, as part of the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) spearheaded SB2989/HB5242 which amends the Environmental Barriers Act, updating ICC A117.1, technical standards for Type A residential units, providing an election to use the alternative compliance method for multi-multi-story non-public buildings, providing affordable housing options. And SB2989, Clean and affordable buildings (decarbonization) ordinance, O2024-7305 which establishes statewide minimum requirements for structural design by reference to recent I-Code editions.

Licensed in 2016, Matt has concentrated his service efforts within a handful of areas to leverage a depth of impact uncommon at his early career stage. Through the ACE Mentor program, co-founding an internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and curating a globally recognized social media presence, in addition to his architectural practice, Matt’s impact ignites positive change that radiates through the industry.

Beyond inspiring future architects, Matt’s commitment to advancing the profession includes work within the firm. He co-founded Valerio Dewalt Train’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, recognizing the crucial nature of this work for the firm and industry. Through this committee, he helped firm leaders re-design the performance review process to include mid-year reviews and to include review of a wider range of workplace contributions, such as committee involvement.

Through a focused commitment to mentorship, tireless coordination and problem-solving, and creative celebration of Chicago’s architectural legacy, Matt Gilbert has established an impactful and promising contribution to the architectural community of Illinois.

Mark Pearson is a Professor of Architecture at the College of DuPage. He is a Licensed Architect in the State of Illinois and a LEED-accredited professional. At the College of DuPage, he is responsible for teaching the second-year design studio curriculum in the pre-architecture program; which includes architectural design, presentation, portfolio, and visualization courses. He initiated the design + build summer studio, a grant-funded experiential learning opportunity for community college architecture students. Early in his career, he co-created the sustainable design initiatives course at COD, which received an Excellence in Green Building Education Honor Award from the USGBC.

Mark has been a full-time faculty member at the College of DuPage for the past 20 years, and in that time the pre-architecture program has successfully transferred over 325 students into university architecture programs. Many of these transfer students have gone on to complete their professional degrees in architecture and are now licensed architects working in firms across the country. Several own their own firms.

Pearson’s educational philosophy grows naturally from the architectural design courses he teaches, emphasizing design process, idea exploration, and critical thinking. He hopes to educate design thinkers who view architecture as a means to engage in broader societal and cultural discourse. His work as an architectural educator at a community college architecture program helps to promote inclusive, equitable, welcoming, and accessible learning environments while expanding access to the profession.

From a letter of support:

Joy Meek has served as a principal and firm leader at Wheeler Kearns Architects since 2006. In addition to her roles as Principal and Project Architect, Joy leads the firm’s inclusive hiring process—reviewing, interviewing, hiring, supporting, and retaining a diverse staff—now boasting 50% women. She is an invaluable colleague, working diligently to protect the firm’s culture, values, and best practices.

Joy openly shares her work and experiences—which embody thoughtfulness, quality, and respect for both people and place—and advances the profession through lectures, academic and professional juries, and teaching. Not just a role model, she has been an active mentor and guide of women both in the firm and in the wider professional community.

Joy’s body of work is deep and expansive. Her architectural work demonstrates that well-designed, thoughtful environments can impart dignity to their inhabitants, help programs grow, improve opportunities, and that uplifting, dignified, and delightful places belong to everyone. As importantly, her ethical commitment to supporting diverse voices, both in and out of the office, is well known. Her steady tenacity to equality and justice in all her actions, within the firm and in the community is exemplary.

Architects in Schools (AIS) | Community Engagement Affinity Group – AIA Chicago

Architects in Schools (AIS) focuses on bringing architecture professionals into middle school classrooms to introduce students to the profession. Volunteers engage the students in critically analyzing their neighborhoods for opportunities to create positive change while utilizing architecture as a means for implementing solutions.

Sheri Andrews, AIA

Sheri Andrews, AIA is a remarkable female architect with over 20 years of experience who embodies the values of environmental conservation and community engagement. Her unwavering commitment to maintaining rigorous design standards and her dedication to serving the Chicago community, along with empowering our internal firm community have made her a true leader.

Transforming Communities through Inclusive Design

Guided by her keen interest in how humans move through space, Sheri is spearheading the building renovation and expansion efforts for the Centennial Commitment project at the John G. Shedd Aquarium. She began the process with a research-based approach conducting stakeholder interviews with the Shedd and numerous community outreach meetings. She recently spoke at the museum regarding the relationship between the Centennial Commitment renovations to the existing Beaux-Arts style and how the new design will create a welcoming, inclusive environment, for a diverse set of guests while honoring the historic building. By reimagining the way visitors enter the Shedd, the design will enable new interior circulation pathways that will significantly improve accessibility by reducing the number of transitions between various levels and exhibits of the aquarium. This design not only provides more options for visitors but makes navigation easier for guests with strollers, wheelchairs, and other mobility needs. Her design approach combines functionality, resiliency, and inclusivity to address the unique need of Chicago’s diverse populations.

Inspiring Future Leaders

As a committed mentor, Sheri leads the Culture Committee at the firm with the mission of bringing people together and listening to all voices. She encourages aspiring architects, especially women, to pursue their passions and make sure everyone has a seat at the table. She has organized many internal clean-up initiatives around Chicago that have allowed members of the firm to bond while making a positive impact on their local community. She uses her voice in the Culture Committee to organize various food bank donations along with monetary donations during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a member of CREW Chicago, Sheri led the CREW Careers program for several years. The program introduces teenage girls to the many career opportunities available to them in the commercial real estate industry. Partnering with Off the Street Club, activities included site visits and design charrettes to highlight the diversity in the industry.

Sustainable Humanitarian Endeavors

Sheri consistently goes above and beyond to engage in humanitarian endeavors, one of which was an effort to build a bike shed at the Ford Calumet Environmental Center, located on the southwest side of Chicago. She initiated an adaptive reuse technique utilizing the existing storage containers onsite to hold the bikes. This solution was not only budget friendly, but a sustainable solution that aligns with the nature center’s sustainability values.

Whether rehabilitating historical landmarks, mentoring high school students, or implementing community engagement efforts, Sheri has been a catalyst for positive change within the Architecture industry and the city of Chicago.

Karen Shoup, AIA

Karen Shoup’s career in Public Service encompasses multiple communities, agencies, programs and initiatives spanning over 34 years.

As a Subject Matter Expert, Karen is currently working with the United States Virgin Islands Department of Public Works/ Witt O’Brien’s hurricane recovery team to rebuild the four islands of the Territory. As Bureau Chief of Urban Program Planning for the Illinois Department of Transportation, Karen led the development of the Illinois Long Range Transportation Plan, Transforming Transportation for Tomorrow. Focusing on State Capital Planning, Karen served as Associate Director for the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. This required development of the annual Capital Budget for the State of Illinois. Karen was responsible for building the legislation and implementation of Governor Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now and Jump Start capital programs. School Construction and planning has been a focus for Karen. As Supervisor at the Illinois State Board of Education and Administrator of School Construction at CDB, Karen led the development of a 6 billion dollar school construction, school energy efficiency, maintenance grant programs and the development of guidelines for communities. She also served on the Springfield RUDAT, Habitat for Humanity Board, AIA Illinois and Prairie Chapter Boards.

Jury Comments:

Karen has served our profession well, not just in her roles at the Capital Development Board and Illinois Department of Transportation, but also in her service to the AIA. She has served on committees, both state and chapter boards and is the current AIA Prairie President, guiding the chapter (even through a pandemic) with strength and vision. Karen is a deserving recipient of this award.