Clockwise from top left: Moorhead Community Center and Public Library, FilmNorth Creative Center, Togo Studio, St. Croix Travel Information Center, College of William & Mary Arts Center, The Blake School Early Learning Center, Bowdoin College Sills Hall Renovation, and Minnesota Museum of American Art.
MINNEAPOLIS, October 29, 2026 — AIA Minnesota is pleased to announce the eight winners of a 2026 AIA Minnesota Honor Award. Since 1954, AIA Minnesota has recognized outstanding architecture and urban design through its annual Honor Awards, a program that celebrates exceptional built projects designed by AIA Minnesota members or by firms owned by AIA Minnesota members.
AIA Minnesota Honor Awards submissions are evaluated using the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. The Framework is composed of 10 measures—Design for Integration, Equitable Communities, Ecosystems, Water, Economy, Energy, Well-Being, Resources, Change, and Discovery—that together form a holistic approach to quality design.
AIA Minnesota Honor Awards juries include three award-winning architects from across the country. On this year’s panel were Angela Watson, FAIA, of Shepley Bulfinch in Phoenix, Arizona; Gregory Ibañez, FAIA, of Ibañez Shaw Architecture in Fort Worth, Texas; and Paul Lewis, FAIA, of LTL Architects in New York, New York.
The jurors made their selections from among 53 submissions in five categories: Architecture, Interiors, Renovation and Restoration, Small Projects, and Urban Design and Master Planning.
Bowdoin College Sills Hall Renovation
Location: Brunswick, Maine
Client: Bowdoin College
Architect: HGA
Category: Renovation and Restoration
Framework citations: Design for Energy, Well-Being, and Integration
Project partners: Stimson, Sebago Technics, SGH, Acentech, and JF Scott Commercial Construction
Photographer: Michael Moran Photography
College of William & Mary Arts Center
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
Client: College of William & Mary
Architects: HGA and Moseley
Category: Architecture
Framework citations: Design for Well-Being and Integration
Project partners: Affiliated Engineers, Dunbar, Jaffe Holden, Apeiro Design, VHB, Core Studio, and GHD
Photographer: Albert Vecerka, Esto
FilmNorth Creative Center
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Client: FilmNorth
Architect: D/O Architects
Category: Renovation and Restoration
Framework citations: Design for Resources, Integration, Economy, and Water
Project partners: BKBM Engineers, Advanced Private Cinema, Emanuelson-Podas, Veneklasen Associates, Rochon Corporation, Jaeger Construction, Allan Mechanical, Gladhill Rhone, and 326 Group
Photographer: Chad Holder Photography
Minnesota Museum of American Art
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Client: Minnesota Museum of American Art
Architect: VJAA
Category: Interiors
Framework citations: Design for Integration, Equitable Communities, Resources, and Economy
Project partners: Greiner Construction, Sterns & Associates, MOCA Services, Summit Fire Protection, Lerch Bates, Meyer Borgman Johnson (MBJ), NV5, PVN, and Hesse Roise
Photographer: Peter J. Sieger Photography
Moorhead Community Center and Public Library
Location: Moorhead, Minnesota
Client: City of Moorhead
Architects: JLG Architects and The Miller Hull Partnership
Category: Architecture
Framework citations: Design for Discovery, Integration, Equitable Communities, and Resources
Project partners: McGough Construction, CMTA, Inc., Heyer Engineering, Stantec Consulting Services, Braun Intertec, Mayer/Reed, Commercial Recreation Specialists, Kraemer Design + Production, and Tenor
Photographer: Lara Swimmer
St. Croix Travel Information Center
Location: West Lakeland Township, Minnesota
Client: Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)
Architect: VJAA
Category: Architecture
Framework citations: Design for Integration, Water, and Economy
Project partners: Donlar Construction Co., Meyer Borgman Johnson (MBJ), Pierce Pini & Associates, Damon Farber, EDI-Doljes, and Summit Fire Protection
Photographer: Gaffer Photography
The Blake School Early Learning Center
Location: Hopkins, Minnesota
Client: The Blake School
Architect: HGA
Category: Architecture
Framework citations: Design for Resources, Water, and Energy
Project partners: Mortenson, Bell Structural Solutions, and Willdan
Photographer: Kendall McCaugherty/Hall + Merrick + McCaugherty
Togo Studio
Location: Togo, Minnesota
Clients: Loren Ahles and Kara Hill
Architect: Kara Hill Studio
Category: Architecture
Framework citations: Design for Resources, Integration, Energy, and Ecosystems
Photographers: Loren Ahles and Kara Hill
The winning design teams will be honored at an awards celebration during the AIA Minnesota Conference on Architecture on November 9, 2026. Learn more about the Honor Awards here.
The American Institute of Architects Minnesota, founded in 1892, is dedicated to advancing a vital profession, vibrant communities, and architecture that endures. For more information on the organization and Minnesota architectural firms, visit our website and subscribe to ENTER, our digital monthly newsletter that explores the people and ideas shaping a better built environment for Minnesota.