Honor Awards: DESIGN
The AIA Illinois Honor Awards program is the only awards competition in the nation to focus on projects and people that closely adhere to the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence.
THE CAPITOL AWARD The highest state honor given for a transformational project - one designed for the human experience that works towards cultural transformation
GREATEST IMPACT Project Construction Value Below $5 Million
Architect of Record: Krueck Sexton Partners
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The Mahalia Jackson Pop! Court is born out of the sheer determination of community, government, and the private sector, to do something significant together. The concept for a park that celebrates the rich history of the neighborhood came from The Greater Chatham Initiative. They wanted to flip the script on the status quo, believing that people should live in beautiful environments created by local artists and craftspeople. The goal was to immerse the young people of Chatham in an environment that connects them to their rich cultural history.
What was recently an asphalt lot, has contributed to a 208% increase in foot traffic and a 30% reduction in local crime, all while creating an amenity that celebrates Chatham’s unique history and its deep cultural foundation.
GREATEST IMPACT Project Construction Value $5 Million and Above
Architect of Record: SMNG A Ltd.
Associate Architect: Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design
Through intentional design and multi-organizational collaboration, The Academy for Global Citizenship provides a home where students feel empowered to positively impact their communities and grow as stewards of their environment.
The Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) opened to Chicago Public School students in September 2023, establishing itself as the anchor for Cultivate Collective’s six-acre campus on the Southwest side. AGC is a non-profit public charter school housing a PreK-8 elementary school, a community-based health center, a Head Start center, teaching kitchens, and a three-acre urban farm with fresh food market as Phase 1 of a two-phase development.
FOR EXCELLENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION Project Construction Value $5 Million and Above
2024: Lawson House
Architect of Record: Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design
Although lovingly cared for by an on-site building engineer for 45 years, the building was severely out of date and could not offer dignified living conditions for its hundreds of formerly homeless residents. A 28-month rehabilitation tackled decades of deferred maintenance, upgraded building systems, and restored historic spaces and details top to bottom. The rehabilitated Lawson House opened for full occupancy in April 2024 with 409 low-income single-room occupancy (SRO) units, representing ~1/3 of the City’s new online units in 2024.
The Historic Chicago YMCA, Lawson House, occupies the northeast corner of Chicago and Dearborn in one of the city’s richest neighborhoods. Built in 1931, the original architect Perkins, Chatten & Hammond designed the then tallest structure in Chicago to be a “city in a block,” complete with 583 sleeping rooms, two gymnasiums, an indoor pool, cafeteria, barber shop, and a suite of “period” offices spaces. Above the first floor, most of the historic Art Deco detailing is extant.
FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS Projects 5,000 SF and Over
Architect of Record: SMNG A Ltd.
Associate Architect: Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design
Through intentional design and multi-organizational collaboration, The Academy for Global Citizenship provides a home where students feel empowered to positively impact their communities and grow as stewards of their environment.
The Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) opened to Chicago Public School students in September 2023, establishing itself as the anchor for Cultivate Collective’s six-acre campus on the Southwest side. AGC is a non-profit public charter school housing a PreK-8 elementary school, a community-based health center, a Head Start center, teaching kitchens, and a three-acre urban farm with fresh food market as Phase 1 of a two-phase development.
FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS Projects Under 5,000 SF
Architect of Record: Nathan Kipnis
This project serves as an exemplary model for its truly remarkable integration of sustainable design principles combined with aesthetic considerations, as well as its commitment to a challenging historical context.
This modern home, located in an historic district, is on track to be Evanston’s first certified Passive House. The project began in January 2022 and the owner moved in on Earth Day, April 22, 2024.
The project successfully navigated the key challenge of fitting a modern home into a historic district by carefully considering the design elements, proportions, and materials to complement the neighboring Victorian homes. Approval from the preservation commission underscores the success of this approach.
EXCELLENCE IN MASTER PLANNING AWARD
Architect of Record: Gensler
The Englewood Agro-Eco District Land Use Plan is a community-led vision to revitalize disinvested industrial land and infrastructure with new uses involving food production, employment, and recreation. With a new trail as its centerpiece, the district will also address issues involving racial equity and repair, public health, climate resiliency, and other local needs.
This Master Plan deserves recognition for its holistic and innovative approach to urban redevelopment. It addresses environmental and public health challenges while promoting social equity and economic empowerment. Reflecting the principles of the Framework for Design Excellence, it sets a new benchmark for sustainable urban design and community engagement. This transformative project serves as a model for other urban areas, showcasing the power of community-driven planning and sustainable development.
FOR EXCELLENCE IN INTERIORS Projects 5,000 SF and Above
2024: CME Center
Architect of Record: Krueck Sexton Partners
The CME Center, project is a transformative repositioning of an existing commercial lobby that had been in continuous use for the last 40 years.
Completed in 1987, CME Center has been the home of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The 40-story twin towers are joined by a massive trading floor podium that encompasses an entire city block. Several thousands of people use the building complex daily. However, by the inception of the project in 2016, the 2.5 million square feet property was struggling to compete in the Class A Chicago office building market.
At minimum the customary lobby typology required a drastic repositioning to attract the next generation of users. With over 6,000 inhabitants and tens of thousands of commuter foot traffic, the project created a new urban communal realm in response to the market’s need for livable urban spaces to attract young talents, who seek authenticity and places of comfort for their work and social interactions.
FOR EXCELLENCE IN INTERIORS Projects Under 5,000 SF
Architect of Record: Krueck Sexton Partners
Mindworks is a new, public-facing education and outreach hub for The University of Chicago Booth School of Business Roman Family Center for Decision Research (RF-CDR). The new space, both an exhibition venue and a behavioral science lab, resides in a former retail space on Michigan Avenue. The storefront offers a distinct advantage - the high accessibility to a diverse group of research subjects that walk along the avenue daily. Located in the landmarked Railway Exchange Building, the storefront faces Michigan Avenue and a shared historic, internal atrium allowing for visibility on both sides.
A limited material palette of wood panels and polished concrete floors supports the program’s need for simplicity and durability. The architectural space-planning and infrastructure is designed to allow re-configuration of the exhibits as needed to continually engage with the public. Designed with longevity in mind, a custom peg-board inspired underlayment is used at the cubes to enable future reconfiguration of modular exhibits. The perforated pattern of the panels presents a branding opportunity and serves to create visual cohesion among the distinct exhibition elements distributed throughout the storefront space.
PREVIOUS AIA ILLINOIS DESIGN AWARD RECIPIENTS
THE CAPITOL AWARD
2023 Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 5 East Extension
2022 UIUC Campus Instructional Facility
2021 Tierra Linda
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FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS
For Projects 5,000 SF & Over
2022 UIUC Campus Instructional Facility
2021 Rolling Knolls
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FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS
For Projects Under 5,000 SF
2022 Yannell PHIUS+ Residence
2021 Carroll Center Renovation Addition
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GREATEST IMPACT AWARD
Project Construction Value $5 Million and Above
2023 Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center
2022 Navy Pier Flyover
2021 CTA Garfield Gateway Station
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GREATEST IMPACT AWARD
Project Construction Value Below $5 Million
2023 Farm on Ogden
2022 North Lawndale Employment Network
2021 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Branch Library
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EXCELLENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD
Project Construction Value Below $5 Million
2023 Midtown Faust
2021 Fire Restoration of 1890's Orland P. Bassett House
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EXCELLENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD
Project Construction Value $5 Million and Above
2023 Tribune Tower Conversion
2022 Chicago Cultural Center Grand Army of the Republic Rooms Restoration
2022 CTA Quincy Station Restoration + Renovation
2021 Cook County Hospital
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EXCELLENCE IN MASTER PLANNING AWARD
2023 Clark Street Crossroads Corridor Study
2022 Illinois Capitol 2050 Master Plan
2021 Twin Embraces: An Integrated and Community-Focused
Approach for the Obama Presidential Center
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EXCELLENCE IN INTERIORS AWARD
For Projects 5,000 SF and Above
2023 Elgin Math + Science Academy Campus
2022 Steppenwolf Theatre Campus Expansion
2021 The Night Ministry
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EXCELLENCE IN INTERIORS AWARD
For Projects Under 5,000 SF
2023 State Street Apartment
2021 Ardmore House
LOUIS SULLIVAN PRIZE
2020 University of Chicago Keller Center
2019 Unity Temple Restoration
2017 Chicago Public Library Chinatown Branch
2016 Harper Court by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture
2015 Northerly Island Framework Plan by SmithGroupJJR
2014 Great Lakes Vision Plan by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
2013 Randolph Tower by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture
2012 Lambert - St. Louis International Airport Main Terminal Vault Renovation &
Restoration by exp.
2010 Contemporaine by Perkins + Will
2009 Yannell Net Zero Energy Residence by Farr Associates
2008 Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies by Krueck & Sexton Architects
2007 Springfield Union Station Rehabilitation by White & Borgognoni Architects, P.C.
2006 Hardrock Hotel Chicago by White & Borgognoni Architects, P.C.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT AWARD For Connection to Environment
2020 Carter Woodson Regional Chicago Public Library Restoration
2019 Chicago Public Library, West Loop Branch
2017 Austin Gardens Environmental Education Center by TBDArchitects
2016 University of Chicago Saieh Hall by Ann Beha Architects
2015 Intrinsic School by Wheeler Kearns Architects
2014 City of Aurora, John C. Dunham Pavillion at RiverEdge Park by Muller & Muller, Ltd.
2013 Dallas City Performance Hall by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
2012 Hidden Oaks Nature Center by Wight & Company
2010 Hyde Park Bank Investment Real Estate Loan Processing Center by Florian Architects
2009 Champaign Public Library by Ross Barney Architects
2008 Grayslake North High School by FGM Architects
2007 Levy Senior Center by Ross Barney Architects
2006 Millenium Park Bicycle Station by Muller & Muller, Ltd.
MIES VAN DER ROHE AWARD For Innovation
2020 95th / Dan Ryan CTA Station
2019 Washington / Wabash CTA Station
2017 DeKalb's Haish Memorial Public Library
2016 CTA Cermak McCormick Place Station by Carol Ross Barney
2015 William Jones College Preparatory High School by Perkins+Will
2014 The Genevieve and Wayne Gratz Center at Fourth Presbyterian Church
by Gensler Chicago
2013 Chicago Law Firm by 4240 Architecture, Inc.
2012 North Central College, Wentz Concert Hall & Fine Arts Center
by Loebl Schlossman & Hackl
2010 College of DuPage Technology Education Center by DeStefano Partners
2009 SOS Children's Village Community Center by Studio Gang Architects
2008 Museum of Science and Industry Conservation and Relocation of the U-505
Submarine by Goettsch Partners
2007 Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center by Wight & Company
2006 Heart Hospital at Swedish American by PERKINS + WILL
CROMBIE TAYLOR AWARD For Preservation
2020 Chicago Union Station Hall Restoration
2019 The Newberry Library
2017 Dorchester Art + Housing Collaborative
2016 Chicago Athletic Association renovation by Hartshorne Plunkard Architects
2015 Grove Apartments by Weese Langley Weese
2014 Harvest Commons Apartments by Landon Bone Baker Architects
2013 Hairpin Lofts and The Arts Center - Logan Square, Avondale
by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture
2012 Sullivan Center by Harboe Architects
2010 The Palmer House Restoration by Loebl Schlossman & Hackl
2009 Chicago Cultural Center Preston Bradley Hall Restoration by Holabird & Root LLC
2008 Krause Music Store and Studio V by Wheeler Kearns Architects
2007 The Illinois State Capitol: Renovation of the House & Senate Chambers
by Vinci | Hamp Architects, Inc.
2006 Metropolitan Capital Bank by OWP/P
DANIEL BURNHAM AWARD For Master Planning
2020 Chicago Park District, South Lakefront Framework Plan
2019 Planned Agricultural District (PAD): A Vision for West Garfield
2017 Master Plan for Woodlawn Park
2016 Positioning Pullman by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
2015 Bloomingdale Trail Framework Plan by Ross Barney Architects
2014 Sustainable Chicago 2015 Action Agenda by Shaw Environmental Design
Solutions of Illinois, LLC
2013 Chicago Central Area DeCarbonization Plan by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
Architecture
2012 Navy Pier Centennial Plan by Gensler Chicago
2010 Lakeshore East by Loewenberg Architects / SOM
2009 Holy Family Ministries Center by FGM Architects
2008 Mexicantown Master Plan, Mercado, Plaza + Retail/Office Block
by Teng & Associates, Inc.
2007 Wabash Memorial Plaza by Ross Barney Architects
2006 The University Villiage at UIC by Wight & Company