2026 Honor Awards
A Celebration of Illinois Architects & Design
The AIA Illinois Honor Awards recognize people and projects epitomizing the contributions of the architecture profession, the transformative power of design, and the dedication of individuals to service and excellence. These Illinois‑based award recipients have made a lasting impact on communities throughout Illinois, the nation, and the world by creating places where people are drawn to live, work, and thrive.
Design Awards
The Capitol Award
The highest state honor given for a transformational project—one designed for the human experience that works towards cultural transformation. It it is selected from all design submissions, chosen directly by the jury.
Credit: © Jason O’Rear
David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University
The Rubenstein Treehouse is the first mass timber building on Harvard’s campus, setting a model for holistically sustainable buildings in Boston and institutions worldwide. The 55,000-sf building provides dedicated event space and meeting amenities for Harvard affiliates, the community, academia, and industry and business leaders from around the globe.
Credit: Steve Hall, Hall & Merrick (photos 1 & 4); BRUSH Architects (photos 2 & 3)
For Excellence in Preservation
Project Construction Value Below $5 Million
A Chapel Reborn
For the meticulous restoration and historic conservation of St. Andrew’s Chapel located inside the historic St. James Cathedral at 69 E. Huron Street in Chicago, Illinois, including intricate faux-finish plaster restoration and partial, art glass conservation, and furniture restoration.
Credit: Angie McMonigal
For Excellence in Preservation
Project Construction Value Above $5 Million
National Public Housing Museum
The project transformed the last remaining 1938 building of the historic Jane Addams Homes into a cultural destination, including restoration of the existing masonry walls and concrete structure, as well as installation of a new roof, windows, MEP systems, and life safety systems to meet the museum’s operational demands.
Credit: Mark Herboth
For Excellence in Interiors
Project 5,000 SF and Over
UChicago Medicine Crown Point
One of the nation’s newest multispecialty care centers. This innovative, free-standing microhospital is filling a gap in a region where accessibility to high-quality medical care was previously limited, offering a new way of delivering a variety of health services to the community, with access to abundant natural light, color, graphics, and views of nature.
Credit: Sarah McLain (photos 1-3); Jeff Goldberg/Esto (photo 4)
For Excellence in Planning
LaGuardia Airport Terminal B
LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B symbolizes the top-to-bottom transformation of one of the nation’s highest-profile airports. The transparent, fluid design of the four-story, 850,000-sq.-ft. Arrivals and Departures Hall (headhouse) celebrates movement while conveying a strong civic presence in a city known for its remarkable architecture.
Credit: © Konrad Wazny (photo 1 & 4); © LATENT (photo 2 & 3)
For Greatest Impact
Project Construction Value Below $5 Million
Forty Acres Fresh Market
This adaptive reuse and community preservation project transforms a former Salvation Army 12,000-sf bowtruss structure through functional, utility, and façade retrofits, bringing produce access deep within a 30 year food desert.
Credit: © Bruce Damonte
For Greatest Impact
Project Construction Value $5 Million and Above
Computer Design, Research, and Learning Center, University of Illinois Chicago
The 135,000-square-foot facility provides a flexible, forward-looking environment that positions students at the forefront of the digital world. Designed to foster collaboration, the building integrates classrooms, labs, offices, and lounges around a five-story atrium filled with natural light.
Credit: Natalie Marotta (photos 1, 3, 4); Hedrich-Blessing/Better Homes and Gardens (photo 2)
For Design Excellence in High-Performance Buildings
Project Under 5,000 SF
Midcentury For the Next Century
This special project was an extensive renovation of Better Homes and Gardens “The House You Asked For of 1953” resulting in a durable, decarbonized house for the next century.
Credit: © Jason O’Rear
For Design Excellence in High-Performance Buildings
Project 5,000 SF and Over
David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University
The Rubenstein Treehouse is the first mass timber building on Harvard’s campus, setting a model for holistically sustainable buildings in Boston and institutions worldwide. The 55,000-sf building provides dedicated event space and meeting amenities for Harvard affiliates, the community, academia, and industry and business leaders from around the globe.
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