In recognition of Paul Welch Jr.’s distinguished and lengthy career of service to architects and the architectural profession, this scholarship program was created to celebrate Paul’s experiences with the California Architects Board (CAB), as well as, with AIA California and his unwavering belief in the power of the architectural license. The scholarship recognizes the significant contributions of California interns at early stages in their careers and encourages them to complete the licensure process by covering all associated costs.
DEADLINES
Applications are due by March 6, 2025 by 11:59pm Pacific Time
ELIGIBILITY
- California resident
- AIAS or Associate AIA Member in good standing
- NCARB and CAB record holder in good standing or IPAL student
- AEP Council of Advisors are eligible
- Applicants may have passed one or more divisions of the ARE, but cannot have passed all divisions
*Applicants will be asked to include a copy of their NCARB Authorization to Test or a letter verifying their IPAL status to show proof of scholarship eligibility.
Please review the full submission guidelines to assist you with putting together the application package. Have questions? Visit our website to learn more.
Established in 2017 by Chet Widom, FAIA and wife Diana Widom, the Chester and Diana Widom Architectural Education Scholarship, in honor of Paul W. Welch, provides scholarship opportunities to community college students from California to pursue their architectural education.
DEADLINE
Applications are due by March 6, 2025, 11:59pm Pacific Time
ELIGIBILITY
- California Resident
- Community student accepted to an accredited school of architecture - confirmation of acceptance does not need to be included at the time of submission, but will need to be submitted before the scholarship funds are sent.
Please review the full submission guidelines to assist you with putting together the application package. Have questions? Visit our website to learn more.
The California Awards recognize and celebrate those individuals and groups who make a difference and have a lasting impact on the profession.
DEADLINES:
Call for Nominations Open: September 3, 2024
Nomination Package Deadline: December 12, 2025
Selections Made at Virtual Board of Directors Meeting: TBA - March*
*Firm Award finalists will have the opportunity to present to the Board of Directors prior to final award selection.
FEES:
There is a non-refundable $395 nomination fee for the Firm Award. This fee must be paid online at the time of submission. There are NO FEES for any other award. Late, disqualified, or incomplete packages will not be refunded and credits for next year will not granted.
FULL GUIDELINES
Read full guidelines with eligibility for each category below here.
CATEGORIES:
Firm Award
Distinguished Practice
Lifetime Achievement
Norma Sklarek Humanitarian Award
Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare Facility Design
Honorary Membership
Firm Award
The Firm Award is the highest honor the AIA CA can bestow on an architectural firm. It is intended for firms that have consistently produced distinguished architecture for a period of at least 10 years. Equally important, the award recognizes mentoring, continued collaboration among individuals and significant contributions made by the firm to the profession in areas of design, research, planning, technology, practice and innovation.
Distinguished Practice Award
The Distinguished Practice Award is presented to an individual with significant contributions and accomplishments toward a specific building type or practice area. This award recognizes an individual architect’s work, their responses to the challenges of an individual building type, innovations within the design and construction process, design excellence, and a collaborate spirit.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual (or group) in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the improvement of the built environment and to the profession of architecture in California.
Norma Sklarek Humanitarian Award
The Norma Sklarek Humanitarian Award recognizes an architect or architecturally oriented organization for their social responsibility. The type of social issues is purposefully flexible to remain constantly relevant.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Healthcare Facility Design
This award is given in recognition of a career of dedicated commitment to the build environment and in recognition of significant contributions and accomplishments toward the design and development of healthcare facilities in California.
Honorary Membership
Bestowed on a person who is not eligible for membership in AIA California, but who has rendered distinguished service to the profession of architecture or to the arts and sciences allied therewith.
NOMINATION PACKAGE GUIDELINES
Each completed nomination package must follow these guidelines:
- 8 ½ x 11 paper size
- Not to exceed 8MB and/or 12 pages
- Font 12 point or larger
- Portrait layout
- Page 1: Nomination Letter
- Page 2: Statement of Contributions
- Page 3: Biography of firm or resume (if an individual)
- Pages 4 – 5: Two letters of recommendation that are explicit in their recommendation
- Pages 6 – 12: Supporting materials and documentation which can include a portfolio, articles, or photographs that support the nomination. Supporting materials are unique to the award category and should be thoroughly reviewed.
Please visit our website if you would like to learn more about each of these awards.
AIA California's Academy for Emerging Professionals Awards Program strives to advance local and regional excellence which recognizes and celebrates those who contribute to assisting Emerging Professionals and their colleagues in pursing their personal and professional goals.
DEADLINES:
Call for Nominations Open: Tuesday September 3, 2024
Nomination Package Deadline: Thursday, December 12, 2025
AWARD CATEGORIES:
- Firm Mentorship Award
- Chapter Award
- Associates Award
- Student Leader Award
- Educator Award
- Young Architects Award
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Submitted in a single PDF format
- 8 ½ x 11 paper size; landscape layout
- Not to exceed 8MB and/or 12 pages
- Font 12 point or larger
- Page 1: Statement of Contributions
- Page 2-3: Biography and/or Resume
- Page 4-5: Two letters of support that are explicit in their recommendation
- Pages 6-12: Supporting materials and documentation which can include* summaries of mentorship materials, program involvement, additional letters of support, materials that exhibit character of the nominee or chapter, copies of marketing materials or newspaper clippings.
- *Educator Award: also include titles of courses taught and/or programs administered with brief descriptions of each.
Please visit our website if you would like to learn more about each of these awards.
Architecture at Zero is a design competition for decarbonization, equity, and resilience, open to students and professionals worldwide. It serves to engage the fields of architecture, design, engineering, and planning in the pursuit of sustainable design.
Middle School Building in East Los Angeles, California
The 2024 competition challenge is to design a new building on a middle school campus in East Los Angeles (East LA), California. The new building will replace relocatable classrooms and includes science labs, art classroom, maker space, outdoor learning environments, and a teacher workroom. While the competition program location is Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School.
Please note that this is an ideas competition and is not a “real” project.
OVERVIEW OF SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Entrants will create an overall site plan to accommodate the competition program. Entrants are encouraged to highlight any energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy storage, carbon reduction, and resiliency strategies.
- Entrants will design the building in detail, while demonstrating how the design will result in lower carbon emissions and embodied carbon, and addressing the requirements of the California Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. In order to indicate how the building design will result in lower carbon emissions, entrants will provide required documentation and may also include supplementary documentation.
- Entrants are asked to describe how this project will build resilience. Entrants will be asked to complete a table outlining the inclusion of climate adaptation strategies and indicate these strategies on the site plan or section.
- Entrants are asked to consider how their design addresses equity for the community. Entrants will write a short essay and indicate on the site plan or section aspects of the design that support equity.
When you submit your entry, we will also ask how much time each team member spent learning decarbonization principles and preparing the submission. Specifically, we will ask how much time each team member spent on:
o Assessing available renewables and PV design
o HVAC / load analysis
o Daylighting
o Whole building energy modeling
o Project design
o Booklet design and graphics
o Technical write-up
Be sure to keep a record of this information as you work on your project.
SUBMISSIONS AT A GLANCE
1. Design Booklet containing all required elements and optional supplementary documentation, if providing. (PDF document).
2. High-res JPEG of Perspective Drawing
3. Design Team Information
4. Student ID (if applicable)
5. Hours Worked
1. Design Booklet File (PDF document)
All submissions must be in a PDF booklet containing the required elements detailed below. Format size should be (8 1/2 x 11 inches (A2) or 11 x 17 inches (A3) in either a landscape or portrait format.
If you are submitting more than one of a specific drawing please number the pages #A, #B etc. For example three perspective drawings pages would be 4A, 4B, 4C.
All required elements must be included or your entry will not be accepted.
File size must not exceed 40 MB. Please do not include names of the team or firm on any part of the entry.
Number and label all pages after the cover page.
· Cover Title page
· Page 1 - Project Narrative
· Page 2 - Site Plan
· Page 3 - Floor Plan
· Page 4 - Perspective Drawing
· Page 5 - Illustrated Sections
· Page 6 - Mechanical System Summary
· Page 7 - Annual End Use Summary
· Page 8 - Monthly End Use Energy Consumption Bar Chart
· Page 9 - Hourly Load Shapes for Energy and Emissions
· Page 10 - Details of Renewable Energy Systems
· Page 11 - Storage Systems
· Page 12 - Decarbonization Strategies
· Page 13 - Climate Adaptation Assessment Matrix
· Page 14 - Equity Essay
· OPTIONAL Pages 15-25. Supplemental Energy/Resilience/Decarbonization/Equity Information.
Total Submission should not exceed 25 pages.
Do not include information about the design team (team names or firm names) on the Design Booklet. Indication of the design team will result in disqualification. Do not post images of your submission to social media before winners are announced.
2. High Res JPEG of Perspective Drawing.
This will be used for promotional purposes if needed.
3. Design Team Information
Fill in the names and contact information for everyone on your project design team on the Design Team Form. Students, please list your advisor. Please note this will be used for all publicity materials. Do not list this information on the Design Booklet.
4. Student ID (if applicable)
Full-time student entrants must provide a copy of their student ID. Recent graduates must have been enrolled full-time during the 2023 calendar year and must provide official documentation of their full-time student status during those years (diploma, student ID showing date, etc.).
5. Hours Worked
Please list all team members and the hours they worked on the listed activities.
Please upload all components of your submission through the submit section by Dec 16, 2024 at 1:00 PM PST.
ENTRY FEES
Entry Fee for Professional Architects, Engineers and Designers: $325
Entry Fee for Students and Recent Grads: $0
All registration and submission materials must be received by December 16, 2024 at 1:00pm PST.
Entry fees are nonrefundable. All designs are to be submitted digitally.
SUBMISION POLICIES
All submissions are final.
There is no limit to the number of entries that an individual or firm may submit; however, each must be submitted separately with separate payments.
In addition to professional firms, entries from individuals or teams are allowed and encouraged.
We recommend that entrants who are employed by another company review and comply with their employer’s policies in this area prior to submitting an entry.
Any public announcements or references will be to the individual or design team and not to any individual’s professional affiliation.
Indication of the design team will result in disqualification. Decisions of the Jury are final.
Competition Partners
