Tallahassee – AIA Florida, the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects, is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Design and Honor Awards, its prestigious annual awards program. The 2026 Design Awards were reviewed by an international jury based in Salvador, Brazil, a city known for its rich cultural heritage and architectural character. The jury included practitioners and academics continuing AIA Florida’s tradition of bringing members’ work before juries from architecturally significant cities around the world, including Athens, Seoul, and Barcelona. This year’s program drew the highest number of registrations in its history, reflecting the depth and diversity of design excellence from members in Florida and Puerto Rico, with recipients recognized across 11 award categories.
“Bringing the work of our members to an international jury is one of the great honors and unique distinctions of the AIA Florida Design Awards process,” said AIA Florida Immediate Past President and 2026 Design Awards Chair, Elizabeth Camargo, AIA. “The jurors used the AIA Framework for Design Excellence to help guide their evaluation and spent hours carefully reviewing submissions, discussing the intent and impact of each project. Their conversations truly reflected care and appreciation for our members’ work, as well as for the unique and universal character of architectural language.”
In addition to recognizing exceptional design work, AIA Florida’s annual awards program honors members and partners whose work and contributions reflect a sustained commitment to design excellence, public service, mentorship and the broader impact of the profession.
“The Honor Award recipients represent the very best of AIA Florida’s commitment to service, leadership and the advancement of the profession,” said AIA Florida 2026 President Adam Gayle, AIA. “Their contributions extend beyond individual achievement, demonstrating the relevance of architects in society. We are especially proud to recognize this year’s Gold Medal recipient, Debra Lupton, FAIA, with the highest honor AIA Florida bestows, celebrating a legacy of impact, service and collaboration.”
Recipients will be honored during AIA Florida’s 2026 Design and Honors Awards presentation on Saturday, July 18. This special occasion is regarded as the culminating event of AIA Florida’s 2026 Annual Convention and Trade Show being held this year at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee.
The 2026 Design Award Recipients are:
Award of Excellence New Work
- Honor Award: Morningside Residence, Miami, FL, Brillhart Architecture
- Honor Award: Dr. Janet S. Pullen S.T.E.A.M. Center, Bradenton, FL, Hall Darling Design Studio
- Honor Award: VGXI Headquarters + Biomanufacturing Facility, Conroe, TX, Hanbury
- Merit Award: Cocoanut Bayou House, Sarasota, FL, Damien Blumetti Architect
- Merit Award: Florida International University Innovation Center, Miami, FL, Perkins&Will
- Citation Award: Business Creation and Recovery Center (BCRC), Caguas, PR, Manuel Bermudez Arquitecto csp
- Citation Award: Orange County Fire Rescue Training Center, Orlando, FL, KMF Architects, C4 Architecture – Drill Tower Architect
- Citation Award: sPARK AXIS, Morrisville, NC, Hanbury
- Citation Award: Allapattah Duplex, Miami, FL, Glenda Puente Architect
- Citation Award: 3604 Day Avenue, Miami, FL, Steven Fett Architecture – Architect of Record, University of Miami School of Architecture Center for Urban and Community Design (C.U.C.D) – Design Consultants
- Citation Award: Kiaora Residence, Coconut Grove, FL, STRANG
- Citation Award: Artist/Workforce Housing, Miami Beach, FL, Shulman + Associates – Design Architect, PGAL – Architect of Record
Award of Excellence Renovations and Additions
- Honor Award: OCIO, Viejo San Juan, PR, IN.FORMATION STUDIO
- Honor Award: Waller Park Capitol Complex, Tallahassee, FL, Architects Lewis + Whitlock
- Merit Award: Loquat Residence, Coconut Grove, FL, Brillhart Architecture
- Citation Award: Kiker Residence, Pensacola, FL, Dalrymple | Sallis Architecture
- Citation Award: Sarasota International Airport – Terminal Expansion, Sarasota International Airport, FL, Gresham Smith, MLM-Martin
- Citation Award: Revitalization of El Portal Visitors’ Center at El Yunque National Forest, Rio Grande, PR, Marvel Architects, Landscape Architects, LLP
- Citation Award: Cornerstone Sanctuary, Lakewood Ranch, FL, Hall Darling Design Studio
Award of Excellence Interiors
- Honor Award: Cocoanut Bayou House, Sarasota, FL, Damien Blumetti Architect
- Honor Award: 834 Orange – Schenkel Shultz Headquarters, Winter Park, FL, Schenkel Shultz
- Merit Award: X² CAPITAL, Guaynabo, PR, ALMATERIA
- Merit Award: Kuro Sushi, Lakewood Ranch, FL, TWO Architects
- Merit Award: W House, St. Petersburg, FL, STORYN Studio for Architecture
- Citation Award: Professional Services Company, Gensler
- Citation Award: St. Pete Athletic Club, St. Petersburg, FL, WJArchitects
- Citation Award: Urban Acupuncture: Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers New Private Showroom Addition, Whitefish Bay, WI, LA DALLMAN ARCHITECTS
Award of Excellence Sustainability
- Honor Award: Bayshore Park Master Planning & Design, Miami Beach, FL, Savino & Miller Design Studio
- Merit Award: OUC St. Cloud Operations & Maintenance Center, St. Cloud, FL, Jacobs
- Citation Award: Reuse + Repair: Door County Granary, Sturgeon Bay, WI, LA DALLMAN ARCHITECTS INC
- Citation Award: St. Petersburg Sanitation Department Building, St. Petersburg, FL, Sweet Sparkman Architects
Historic Preservation and Restoration
- Honor Award: Reuse + Repair: Door County Granary, Sturgeon Bay, WI, LA DALLMAN ARCHITECTS INC
- Honor Award: Chidsey Library Rehabilitation, Sarasota, FL, Sweet Sparkman Architects
- Honor Award: The Union Terminal Warehouse, Jacksonville, FL, Dasher Hurst Architects
- Honor Award: MDC Freedom Tower, Miami, FL, MC Harry & Associates and RJ Heisenbottle Architects, PA
- Merit Award: KAI: Casa de Arte y Tecnología, San Juan, PR, Marvel Architects, Landscape Architects, LLP
- Merit Award: Bay Haven School of Basics Plus Renovation, Sarasota, FL, Sweet Sparkman Architects
- Merit Award: Sarasota County Terrace Building Restoration, Sarasota, FL, Hall Darling Design Studio
- Citation Award: DeSoto County Historic Court House, Arcadia, FL, REG Architects, Inc.
- Citation Award: Stetson University Hulley Tower, Deland, FL, HuntonBrady Architects and RJHA Richard Heisenbottle Architects
Masonry
- Citation Award: Dr. Janet S. Pullen S.T.E.A.M. Center, Bradenton, FL, Hall Darling Design Studio
- Citation Award: Casa Bajura, Barrio Bajura, Isabela, PR, MAPA Arquitectos LLC
- Citation Award: Suncoast Humane Society, Englewood, FL, Schimberg Group
Test of Time
- Citation Award: Valle Escondido #30, Guaynabo, PR, Diaz Paunetto Arquitectos
Unbuilt
- Honor Award: Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment, St. Petersburg, FL, WJArchitects, LLC – Architect of Record and Zyscovich Studio of Stratus Team LLC. – Land Planner
- Honor Award: Koupela University, Koupela, Burkina Faso, SOW DESIGN STUDIO
- Honor Award: Batey: A New Learning Ritual, San Juan, PR, Marvel Architects, Landscape Architects
- Merit Award: Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital, Sunrise, FL, HKS
- Merit Award: La Perla Community: Pedestrian Access, Old San Juan, PR, RCMDO LLC
- Merit Award: Batakari House, Worldwide, STORYN Studio for Architecture
- Merit Award: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, KSA, Perkins&Will
- Citation Award: Joe’s Bayou, Destin, FL, DAG Architects, Inc.
- Citation Award: African American Arts & Cultural Center, Tampa, FL, Fleischman Garcia Maslowski Architecture
- Citation Award: Oak House, Coconut Grove, FL, KODA
- Citation Award: Old Oak Residence, Sarasota, FL, PS Design Workshop
- Citation Award: Whitaker Lofts, Sarasota, FL, Halflants + Pichette
- Citation Award: Holocaust Museum for Hope and Humanity, Orlando, FL, HuntonBrady Architects
- Citation Award: Nathan Benderson Park Indoor Sports Facility and Boathouse, Sarasota, FL, WJArchitects
Object
- Honor Award: Re\obliq bench, WJArchitects
- Citation Award: Baroque Glitch, Dustin White Design & Fabrication
- Citation Award: Staggered Gaps: Townhouse porch screens, Miami, FL, Chandler and Associates, Architecture, P.A.
Theoretical and Research Professional
- Honor Award: Special Communities Housing in Puerto Rico: participation, adaptability, and intersectionality, Puerto Rico, Omayra Rivera Crespo and Luz Marie Rodríguez López
- Honor Award: Documental El Monte, San Juan, PR, Abnel Jo. Hernández, Assoc. AIA + Victor G. Nieto, AIA + Santiago Gala-Aguilera, Assoc. AIA
- Citation Award: enGraft Chair, WJArchitects
- Citation Award: Space as Product, Boca Raton, FL, Joseph Choma, Ph.D., Assoc. AIA
Theoretical and Research Student
- Honor Award: Bi Modal Recreation Hub, Jacksonville, FL, Ruth Hunter Iglehart, Michael Nemery, Reagan Johnson, University of Florida
- Honor Award: Oil and City, Baku (Azerbaijan), Comodoro Rivadavia (Argentina), Tampico (Mexico), Cantarell Oil Fields (Mexico, Gulf of Mexico), Catalina Cabral-Framinan, University of Miami
- Merit Award: The Resilient Oasis, Gainesville, FL, A Myat, University of Florida
- Merit Award: Ground and Stage, South Miami, FL, Andrea Rodriguez, Florida International University
- Merit Award: Re Kindling Rakhain Culture, An Inclusive Approach towards Ethnic Cultural Tourism Based Resilient Community, Kuakata, Bangladesh, A Myat, University of Florida
- Citation Award: Shoptower: Degrees of Porosity between Ground & Sky, Miami, FL, Ruth Hunter Iglehart, Lyndsey Weisman, University of Florida
- Citation Award: MMRKT, Miami, FL, Makayla Chiarello, Florida Atlantic University
- Citation Award: Edge Library, Posada Miradas, Galipan, Venezuela, Gneiss Aramburu & Gabriela Ascanio, Florida International University
The 2026 Honor Award Recipients are:
- The Gold Medal Award: Debra Lupton, FAIA
- The Silver Medal – Hilliard T. Smith Community Service Award: Jaime Sobrino, FAIA
- The Anthony “Tony” Pullara Individual AIA Service Award: Peter Hauerstein, AIA
- AIA Florida Honor Award for Social Advancement of the Profession: Vanessa Smith-Torres, AIA
- Associate Member of the Year: Alyssa Scherger, Assoc. AIA
- Firm of the Year: RG Architects, P.A.
- The Anthony “Tony” Pullara Chapter Award: AIA Florida Northwest
A full list of award recipients, projects and photos can be found on our website here: 2026 Design Award Recipients (aiafla.org) and 2026 Honor Award Recipients (aiafla.org)
The Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects, headquartered in Tallahassee, represents the interests of more than 4,000 members in Florida. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct that assures the client, the public and colleagues of an AIA-member architect’s dedication to the highest standards in professional practice.
Date Posted: June 11, 2026
