It recognizes an AIA Minnesota member firm that has made outstanding and sustained contributions to advancing the profession of architecture.
The next submission window for this biennial award will open July 6, 2027, and close August 27 at 12:00 noon CST.
“More than a half-century after its founding, Alliiance continues to transform to meet the needs of this industry while also maintaining their foundational commitments to mentorship, service to clients, leadership in the community, and innovative design.”
Read the press release
The Firm Award is open to any individual firm, successor firm, or organization of architects with an office in Minnesota. Prior recipients may be considered again after 10 years.
Nominations may be submitted by AIA Minnesota chapters, committees, board members, or individual members.
The Firm Award nomination and selection process occurs every two years; however, the Firm Award Selection Committee is not obligated to confer the award in any given cycle.
The Firm Award Selection Committee evaluates nominees based on how effectively the firm has:
There is no entry fee. All materials must be submitted as a single PDF, not to exceed 32 pages, including:
July 6, 2027: Submission window opens
August 27 at 12:00 noon CST: Submission window closes
September: Recommendation of the Selection Committee
September/October: AIA Minnesota confirmation of the Selection Committee’s recommendation
October: Recipient and nominators of unsuccessful candidates informed of selection
November: Celebration of the Firm Award recipient at the AIA Minnesota Annual Conference
The Firm Award Selection Committee is composed of:
The Selection Committee is convened prior to the call for nominations. Committee members are not eligible to submit nominations while serving on the committee.
Any communication regarding the nomination or selection process—between the time the committee is convened and the conclusion of the process—by nominators, nominees, or anyone acting on their behalf is considered inappropriate and may result in disqualification.
Confirmation of Selection
The Selection Committee’s recommendation is submitted to the AIA Minnesota Board of Directors. Final approval requires a three-fourths majority vote of the board.
1992 Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (now HGA)
1993 Ellerbe Becket
1994 The Architectural Alliance (now Alliiance)
1995 The Leonard Parker Associates, Architects, Inc.
1997 Rafferty, Rafferty, Tollefson Architects
1999 Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd. (now MSR Design)
2001 Miller Dunwiddie Architects, Inc.
2003 The Weidt Group
2005 SALA Architects
2007 Elness Swenson Graham Architects, Inc. (now ESG Architecture & Design)
2009 VJAA*
2011 MacDonald & Mack Architects
2013 Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc. (now Cuningham)
2015 BWBR
2017 Kodet Architectural Group, Ltd.
2019 Perkins&Will Minneapolis
2021 LHB, Inc.
2023 LSE Architects
2025 Alliiance
*2012 AIA Architecture Firm recipient
2023 Recipient
“In project after project, the LSE team has grounded itself in community, welcoming and working with ideas from every stakeholder. It’s clear they want to do more than design buildings: They want to lift communities.”
2021 Recipient
“LHB has made outstanding contributions to the architecture profession. They create sustainable communities through high-quality design with a focus on public projects and serving underserved populations.”
