AIA Minnesota

AIA Minneapolis Awards

Merit Awards

Celebrating projects designed by AIA Minneapolis firms that tell a compelling story of excellence beyond design.

The Merit Awards are distinguished by their unique jury composition. In addition to architects, the jury includes business professionals, real estate developers, community advocates, and academic leaders. This broad perspective ensures projects are evaluated through multiple lenses.

The Merit Awards recognize projects by AIA Minneapolis architects that:

  • Tell a compelling story of excellence beyond design
  • Emphasize public-interest design
  • Embrace the varied forces that shape a building

Michael L. Schrock Merit Award

Established in 2008, the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award is named for the architect whose passion helped shape the AIA Minneapolis Merit Awards program. This distinction is presented to the project that most fully embodies the philosophy of the Merit Awards.

The submission window for the 2026 AIA Minneapolis Merit Awards is now open. Entries are due May 15 at 12:00 noon CST.

2025 Merit Award Recipients

Learn more about the winning projects and project teams.

Exterior view of Belfry Apartments and Mixed Use
2025 Merit Award | Belfry Apartments and Mixed Use | UrbanWorks Architecture | Photo credit: Farm Kid Studios
2025 Merit Award | Lake Elmo City Center | Leo A Daly | Photo credit: Thomas Grady
Exterior view of Minneapolis American Indian Center
2025 Merit Award | Minneapolis American Indian Center | Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design and Cuningham | Photo credit: Peter VonDeLinde
Interior view of Moona Moon
2025 Merit Award | Moona Moono | Keep | Photo credit: Canary Grey/Wing Ho
Exterior view of Oxbow Park Nature Center
2025 Merit Award | Oxbow Park Nature Center | Alliiance | Photo credit: Scott Gilbertson
Exterior view of Rudd Public Library
2025 Merit Award | Rudd Public Library | OPN Architects | Photo credit: Alex Michl, Assoc. AIA
Interior view of Wake Tech Community College Public Safety Facility
2025 Merit Award | Wake Tech Community College Public Safety Facility | Leo A Daly | Photo credit: Keith Isaacs
Exterior view of We Are Sharing Hope SC
2025 Merit Award | We Are Sharing Hope SC | RSP Architects | Photo credit: Mark Herboth
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Exterior view of Belfry Apartments and Mixed Use Exterior view of Minneapolis American Indian Center Interior view of Moona Moon Exterior view of Oxbow Park Nature Center Exterior view of Rudd Public Library Interior view of Wake Tech Community College Public Safety Facility Exterior view of We Are Sharing Hope SC
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Eligibility

  • Projects must be designed by AIA Minneapolis firms and completed by the submission deadline.
  • Projects may be located anywhere in the world.
  • Firms of all sizes are encouraged to submit.
  • Previously submitted projects are eligible.
  • Projects that have received an AIA Minnesota Honor Award are not eligible.
  • Merit Award winners remain eligible for AIA Minnesota Honor Awards.

Selection Criteria

The jury evaluates projects based on how effectively they respond to the following criteria:

Client
Demonstrates success in supporting the health and wellbeing of clients or users. This may include promoting occupant comfort, connection to nature, and healthy lifestyles, as well as incorporating thoughtful strategies that foster discovery, delight, and lessons learned from previous work.

Community
Addresses critical social, economic, and/or environmental needs while reflecting diverse values. Projects should promote human connection and respond thoughtfully at a human scale.

Environment
Reduces environmental impact and dependence on fossil fuels through informed material selection (including locally sourced materials and craft), responsible watershed strategies, and resilient design that benefits flora and fauna.

Economics
Adds value for owners and occupants—regardless of project size or budget—while contributing to economic development. Successful projects demonstrate abundance while living within their means.

Innovation
Employs unique technologies or inventive approaches to meet program goals, drawing from the roots and mission of the organization.

Merit Awards Process & Recent Recipients

Submission Requirements

At its core, the Merit Awards program celebrates the story of a project. Submissions should clearly and thoughtfully convey that story through the selection criteria above. Your project’s narrative may be unexpected—that’s welcome. Celebrate and honor the story your building has to tell.

Each submission must include:

  • Completed entry form
  • Project summary narrative (200–250 words)
  • One-page project description explaining how the project responds to the selection criteria
  • Feedback from end users (quotes, letters, articles, etc.)
  • 8–12 photographs and/or drawings (JPG format), including at least one image showing site context

To better understand each project’s story, the jury may visit shortlisted projects when feasible. If in-person visits are not possible, the jury may evaluate entries based solely on submitted materials and may connect with the architect’s office, users, and/or clients as needed.

The entry fee is $25 per submission.

Anonymity Requirement

Entrants are responsible for ensuring that the architecture firm’s name does not appear in the submission materials. Failure to comply will result in automatic disqualification.

Timeline

April 1, 2026: Submission window opens

May 15 at 12:00 noon CST: Submission window closes

June: Jury, including site visits to short-listed projects (or architecture firm visits for non-local short-listed projects)

Late June: Recipients and unsuccessful entrants informed of selections

July: Presentation of Merit Awards at the AIA Minneapolis Mid-Summer Social and Merit Awards Celebration

Jury Composition

The jury is central to what makes the Merit Awards unique. Members include leaders from business, real estate, community organizations, and academia, alongside architects, bringing a broad and balanced perspective to the selection process.

The members of the 2026 Merit Awards jury will be listed here in April 2026.

Recent Recipients

2025
Belfry Apartments and Mixed Use in Minneapolis, designed by UrbanWorks Architecture.
Lake Elmo City Center in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, designed by Leo A Daly
Minneapolis American Indian Center* in Minneapolis, designed by Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design and Cuningham
Moona Moono in Minneapolis, designed by Keep
Oxbow Park Nature Center in Byron, Minnesota, designed by Alliiance
Rudd Public Library* in Rudd, Iowa, designed by OPN Architects
Wake Tech Community College Public Safety Facility in Wendell, North Carolina, designed by Leo A Daly
We Are Sharing Hope SC in Charleston, South Carolina, designed by RSP Architects

*Winners of the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award

2024
Barkley Regional Airport Terminal in West Paducah, Kentucky, designed by Alliiance
Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health Building in Bismarck, North Dakota, designed by Leo A Daly
Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis, designed by Shelter Architecture
Peregrine in Minneapolis, designed by UrbanWorks Architecture
Southeast Community College (SCC) Health Sciences Building in Lincoln, Nebraska, designed by Perkins&Will
V3 Sports Aquatic Center* in Minneapolis, designed by LSE Architects

*Winner of the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award

2023
Anoka-Ramsey Community College School of Nursing and Business, designed by Leo A Daly
Center for Performing Arts Addition, designed by Alliiance
Frogtown Community Center, designed by JLG Architects
Hennepin County North Regional Library Refurbishment, designed by Bentz Thompson Rietow
Minnesota Historical Society Historic Fort Snelling Historic Restoration and Visitor Center, designed by Leo A Daly
MnDOT Safety Rest Areas at Clear Lake and Des Moines River*, designed by Alliiance

*Winner of the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award

2022
Fergus Falls Public Library Addition and Remodel, designed by Bentz Thompson Rietow
Hennepin County Medical Examiner, designed Leo A Daly
White Bear Lake Sports Center Renovation, designed by JLG Architects
Mino-Bimaadiziwin Apartments*, designed by Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design and Cuningham

*Winner of the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award

2021
Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center, designed by Busch Architects, Inc.
Downtown East Urban Master Plan, designed by Ryan A+E, Inc.
Guild Crisis and Recovery Center, designed by UrbanWorks Architecture
Mankato Clinical Sciences Building at Minnesota State University, designed by Perkins&Will
Silver Ramp at MSP International Airport, Terminal 1, designed by Miller Dunwiddie
Second Harvest Heartland Headquarters, Volunteer Center and Distribution Center*, designed by Leo A Daly

*Winner of the Michael L. Schrock Merit Award

Entry Deadline

Application deadline is Friday, May 15, 2026, at 12:00 noon CST.
Start your submission

Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Chris Hudson, Hon. AIAMN