AIA Cleveland Eblast_1210 2025 Design Awards Winners!

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Greetings from AIA Cleveland,

Each year, AIA Cleveland recognizes excellence in design by inviting Cleveland-based architecture firms to submit their best work to be reviewed by nationally renowned juries from all over the country.

The 2025 Design Awards jury chair was Brian MacKay Lyons, FAIA. Brian is a Canadian architect and founder of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects in Nova Scotia. Renowned for his minimalist, site-responsive designs, he draws inspiration from local materials, vernacular building traditions, and the coastal landscape of Atlantic Canada. Over his four-decade career, his firm has earned over 170 design awards. Through both his practice and the influential Ghost Lab design-build workshops, he has shaped a generation of architects to value authenticity and context in architecture.

AIA Cleveland was pleased to hold the annual Design Awards celebration, with over 350 people in attendance on Friday, November 7th at the Hotel Cleveland.

There were 6 Categories in this year’s Design Awards program:

Student Projects – 40 total project entries

Recognizes the work of students from Kent State University

Makers – 6 total project entries

Recognizes an instance in which the expression of architecture and the craft of making come together

Unbuilt Projects – 6 total project entries

Recognizes unbuilt projects for their excellence or research on design practice or theory, design competitions, and projects that are not expected to be constructed

Small Projects – 3 total project entries

Recognizes excellence in small project design in buildings less than 5,000 square feet

Interior Architecture – 17 total project entries

Recognizes the most innovative and spectacular interior spaces

Architecture – 24 total project entries

Recognizes the best contemporary architecture regardless of budget, size, style, or type

16 professional projects and 9 student projects were honored with awards, as follows:

STUDENT CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Village at Scale

KSU Student: Virginia Mellinger

Professor: Steven Kordalski

STUDENT CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: B372

KSU Student: Anete Osi

Professor: Sung Ho Kim & Zuzana Kubisova

STUDENT CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Kinetic Skin

KSU Student: Garrett Scott

Professor: Jean Jaminet

STUDENT CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Vertical Street

KSU Student: Nathan Carpenter & Marzieh Jafari Doost Khaledi

Professor: Greg Stroh

STUDENT CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: CAED Shaded

KSU Student: Carleigh Culver

Professor: Ivan Bernal

STUDENT CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Pine Cone

KSU Student: Nolan Finkbeiner & Josh Welsh

Professor: Adam Yaracs

STUDENT CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Residential Rhythm

KSU Student: Emma Hoffman

Professor: Filippo Caprioglio

STUDENT CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Our House

KSU Student: Nancy Rhoades & Sydney Strang

Professor: Nick Safely

STUDENT CATEGORY

Honor Award

Project: Linear Shift

KSU Student: Michael Conrad

Professor: Jean Jaminet

MAKERS CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Cuyahoga County Public Library Brooklyn Branch

Firm: Bialosky

Photo: Christian Phillips

MAKERS CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Huntington Convention Center Benches

Firm: Bowen+

Photo: Eric Hanson

MAKERS CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: RiverRock House

Firm: Quadriga Studio

Photo: Robert Shearer

UNBUILT PROJECTS CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Guardian Yards

Firm: Bowen+

UNBUILT PROJECTS CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Vega

Firm: AODK

UNBUILT PROJECTS CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Forest Hall

Firm: DLR Group

SMALL PROJECTS CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: The Roundstone Pavilion at Ohio City Farm

Firm: Young Design Studio

Photographer: Billy Delfs

SMALL PROJECTS CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Proof

Firm: AODK

Photographer: Christopher Seaman

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Greer Cabaret Theater

Firm: DLR Group

Photographer: Kevin Reeves

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Form Factory 1

Firm: Stantec Architecture

Photographer: Ed Massery

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Honor Award

Project: Peg’s Home & Gallery

Firm: +Detail with Peninsula Architects

Photographer: Dave Berlekamp & Shane Wynn

ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Honorable Mention

Project: Form Factory 1

Firm: Stantec Architecture

Photographer: Ed Massery

ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Cleveland Museum of Natural History Transformation

Firm: DLR Group

Photographer: Kevin Reeves

ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Merit Award

Project: Foundation for the Carolinas - Carolina Theatre

Firm: DLR Group

Photographer: Kevin Reeves

ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Honor Award

Project: Cleveland Public Library Glenville Branch

Firm: Bialosky

Photographer: Christian Phillips

ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

Honor Award

Project: Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex

Firm: DLR Group

Photographer: Kevin Reeves

EMERGING PROFESSIONAL AWARD

Amber Price, AIA

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION

Gwendolyn Frank, AIA

Michael Christoff, AIA

DVA Architecture

Jodi Van Der Wiel, FAIA

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Proof, by AODK

RiverRock House, by Quadriga Studio

Below are links to photos of the category submissions, photography submissions, and event photos:

Design Awards Submissions

Design Awards Photography Submissions

John Biliboaca Event Photography

Corbin Hilty Event Photography

Click to view the digital program book:

Information for Design Awards 2026 will be published in July, and we look forward to seeing everyone next year! If you want to sponsor the event early, please review our forthcoming sponsor benefits package to sign-up at the start of the new year.

Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you for your continued support of our annual design celebration!