It recognizes one individual or a pair of individuals (living or deceased) whose work has made lasting contributions to the field of architecture.
The next submission window for this biennial award will open July 10, 2028, and close August 25 at 12:00 noon Central.
“Ann stands out because of her resolute calm, willingness to lean into issues of importance to our profession, ability to co-create with and lead others, and sincere desire to do what is right and just while advancing the profession of architecture.”
Read the press release
The award is open to one individual or two individuals (living or deceased). Candidates are not required to be U.S. citizens or licensed to practice architecture in Minnesota.
Nominations must be submitted by an AIA Minnesota member and will be reviewed by the Gold Medal Selection Committee. Nominators may not be the nominee or a principal or employee of the nominee’s firm.
The Gold Medal award is considered biennially; however, the Selection Committee is not obligated to confer the award in any given cycle.
Candidates are evaluated on the extent to which their contributions have:
Where applicable, nominators are encouraged to highlight contributions or life experiences that reflect sensitivity to issues of importance to AIA Minnesota and the profession, such as diversity, sustainability, architectural education, and mentoring of emerging professionals. These considerations should be included when relevant and when they strengthen the nomination.
All AIA Minnesota award programs require confirmation that nominees comply with the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Nominators must certify compliance to the best of their knowledge, in alignment with AIA national award requirements. This is part of our commitment to ensuring that recipients of AIA Minnesota awards comport to the highest standards of character and professionalism.
There is no entry fee. All materials must be submitted as a single PDF, not to exceed 10MB and 16 pages total, including:
July 6, 2026: Submission window opens
August 28 at 12:00 noon Central: 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 Gold Medal recipient at the AIA Minnesota Annual Conference (most likely on November 9)
The Gold Medal Selection Committee consists of:
The members of the 2026 Selection Committee are Nicole Bauknight, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, Wale Falade, AIA, NOMA, Kevin Holm, AIA, Phillip Koski, AIA (jury chair), Mary Springer, AIA, Ann Voda, AIA, and Angela Wolf Scott, FAIA.
The committee is convened prior to the call for nominations. Committee members may not submit nominations during their term of service.
Any communication with the selection committee regarding the nomination or selection process—from the time the committee is convened through final selection—by the nominator, nominee, or their representatives is grounds for disqualification.
Secrecy
Whenever possible, nominators are encouraged to prepare and submit materials without the nominee’s knowledge. Announcement of the Gold Medal recipient has traditionally been a surprise, and maintaining this tradition is strongly encouraged.
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.
1979 Ralph Rapson, FAIA
1981 Thomas Ellerbe, FAIA
1982 Edward Sovik, FAIA
1983 Robert Cerny, FAIA
1986 Leonard Parker, FAIA
1987 Richard Hammel, FAIA
1991 James Stageberg, FAIA
1993 George Rafferty, FAIA
1995 Curtis H. Green, FAIA
1996 Frederick Bentz, FAIA
1998 Bruce Abrahamson, FAIA
2000 John Rauma, FAIA
2002 Elizabeth Close, FAIA
2004 Victor C. Gilbertson, FAIA
2006 Milo Thompson, FAIA
2008 David Salmela, FAIA
2010 Edward J. Kodet Jr., FAIA
2012 Craig Rafferty, FAIA
2014 Julie Snow, FAIA
2016 Robert C. Mack, FAIA
2018 John W. Cuningham, FAIA
2020 James Garrett, Jr., FAIA, NOMA, and Nathan Johnson, FAIA, NOMA
2022 Thomas Meyer, FAIA
2024 Ann Voda, AIA
2022 Recipient
“Tom's openness to new ideas, unpretentious acceptance of diverse points of view, ability to evolve and remain relevant, and willingness to serve the community in which he lives and works make him an ideal candidate for the Gold Medal."
2020 Recipients
“They reimagine cities and neighborhoods, reunite architecture and art, design spaces that respond to community, climate, and context, and create high-quality architecture in underrepresented communities typically underserved by design professionals.”
