For high-resolution images of individual projects, contact Chris Hudson.

MINNEAPOLIS, July 6, 2026 — AIA Minneapolis announces the six recipients of the 2026 Merit Awards, an honor bestowed on projects designed by AIA Minneapolis architects that tell a story of excellence beyond design, emphasize public-interest design, and embrace the varied forces that shape a building.

The Merit Awards are distinguished by their unique jury composition. In addition to an architect, the jury includes a business professional, real estate developer, community advocate, and academic leader. This broad perspective ensures projects are evaluated through multiple lenses.

The six AIA Minneapolis Merit Awards recipients are:

• Cankdeska Cikana Community College Cultural Heritage Center in Fort Totten, North Dakota, designed by JLG Architects. Serving as a hub for community gathering and cultural pride on the Spirit Lake Dakota Reservation, this 9,000-square-foot addition to the college provides an open, welcoming space where the community can continue the Native American tradition of passing cultural history, knowledge, and traditions to future generations.
• Great River Children’s Museum in St. Cloud, Minnesota, designed by GLTArchitects. This project transforms the former Liberty Savings Bank in historic downtown St. Cloud into a children’s museum featuring immersive, hands-on exhibits and interactive play spaces. The design team reinforced the aging structure while seamlessly integrating new additions and modern, energy-efficient building systems.
• The McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis, designed by Studio BV. This new headquarters embodies the organization’s mission to advance climate solutions, equity, and community vitality. The LEED Gold-certified renovation of the century-old building prioritizes Minnesota-sourced materials, daylit collaborative spaces, and biophilic design elements that foster connections among staff, grantees, nonprofit partners, and nature.
• Mississippi Gateway Regional Park in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, designed by Alliiance. This project transforms two adjacent but disconnected parklands into a unified 290-acre destination where recreation, ecology, and education come together in a seamless experience. At its center, the Gateway Center creates a welcoming point of arrival while blurring the traditional boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.
• NEON Collective Kitchens in Minneapolis, designed by LSE Architects. This 24,000-square-foot building advances the Northside Economic Opportunity Network’s mission to support underserved entrepreneurs as they grow their food businesses. Located adjacent to the Capri Theater, the two-story facility brings together food production, retail, education, and community spaces under one roof.
• The Valiance in Minneapolis, designed by UrbanWorks Architecture. Developed through a partnership between Agate Housing and Services and Trellis Companies, this project brings together innovative housing types, shelter beds, and on-site support services in a residential Minneapolis neighborhood for women experiencing homelessness, trauma, and housing instability.

Each year, one (or two) Merit Awards recipient is named the winner of the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award, an honor created in memory of the architect who helped develop the awards program. The special honor is awarded to the winning project or projects that most embodies Schrock’s Seven Rules of Architecture:

1. Know where you are from.
2. Know who you are.
3. Know why you are.
4. Respect your benefactors.
5. Honor the environment.
6. Architecture must serve those who occupy it.
7. There is beauty in functional, economical, safe, environmentally responsible, owner-driven architecture.

This year, the jury bestowed the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award on The Valiance.

The 2026 Merit Awards jury included John Crippen of the Hennepin History Museum, Daniel Kodet, AIA, NOMA, of Kodet Architectural Group, Angie Lee of Moona Moono, Charlie Merwin of Cushman & Wakefield, and Robbie Seltzer of Dunwoody College of Technology. The jury reviewed the entries for how well the projects support the health and well-being of occupants; address critical social, economic, and/or environmental needs of the community; reduce burdens on the environment; promote economic development; and embrace innovation.

The 2026 Merit Awards will be presented to recipients at the AIA Minneapolis Mid-Summer Social & Merit Awards Celebration at the Luminary Arts Center on July 23, 2026, at 4:30pm. Learn more about the Merit Awards.

AIA Minneapolis is the largest chapter in Minnesota with more than 1,600 members. Centered in Minneapolis, the chapter territory includes the southwestern portion of the state. As a large chapter, AIA Minneapolis participates with other large AIA chapters nationwide to focus attention on significant issues facing AIA members. The chapter provides leadership, networking, and outreach opportunities for its members.