AIA Maine Celebrates Excellence in Design at 2026 Design Awards
PORTLAND, Maine — May 14, 2026 — Architects, designers, students, and industry partners from across the state gathered at Grace Events in Portland on May 14 for the 2026 AIA Maine Design Awards, an evening celebrating exceptional architecture and design excellence throughout Maine and beyond.
This year's program marked a record-breaking milestone for AIA Maine, with 64 project submissions from 37 firms and students, making it the largest Design Awards program in the organization's history.
Jurors reviewed projects representing a broad range of scales, building types, locations, and clients. Eight projects were ultimately recognized with Honor, Merit, and Citation Awards for their outstanding contributions to architecture, community, sustainability, and design innovation.
"The growth of this year's Design Awards program reflects the strength, creativity, and impact of Maine's design community," said Kelli Shedd, Executive Director of AIA Maine. "These projects demonstrate how architects are addressing some of today's most pressing challenges while creating inspiring places that improve lives and strengthen communities."
Design Excellence at the Forefront
For the second consecutive year, AIA Maine's Design Awards program centered its submission process around the American Institute of Architects' Framework for Design Excellence.
The Framework encourages architects to advance a built environment that is equitable, resilient, healthy, and carbon-conscious through thoughtful design strategies and measurable outcomes.
Project teams were given two options for demonstrating their commitment to design excellence:
Responding to a series of focused questions based on the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
Submitting the Common App for Design Excellence, a nationally adopted tool that evaluates projects across multiple performance metrics and visually represents results through a Design Excellence "spider chart."
This year's award categories included:
Single Family Residential
Institutional & Commercial
Renovation & Adaptive Reuse
Multifamily Housing
Small Projects
Professional Unbuilt
Student Unbuilt
Architrave
AIA Maine also introduced Multifamily Housing as a new category for 2026, reflecting the growing importance of housing solutions throughout Maine and the region. The inaugural category received four strong submissions.
2026 Design Awards Jury
The 2026 Design Awards were evaluated by a distinguished jury from Halifax, Nova Scotia:
Jane Abbott, Abbott Brown Architects
Peter Braithwaite, Peter Braithwaite Studio
Graham Edgar, Wild Salt Architecture
Susan Fitzgerald, Susan Fitzgerald Architecture
Technical Advisor:
Gwen Fuertes, Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (California)
2026 Award Recipients
Honor Awards
Norden Camp
Blake Civiello, Architect
Institutional & Commercial
Charbrook Farm
OPAL
Institutional & Commercial
Merit Awards
Wanderwood Lean-tos
Winkelman Architecture
Small Projects
Elemental
OPAL
Single Family Residential
Jones Commons
AAmp Studio
Multifamily Housing
Citation Awards
Sweep Scape
Linxi (Jenny) Zhang and Greta Ulatowski, Syracuse University School of Architecture
Student Unbuilt
Municipal Grand
AAmp Studio
Institutional & Commercial
Spectre House
Jessie Carroll Architect
Single Family Residential
A Growing Design Community
The Design Awards also provided an opportunity to celebrate the continued growth of AIA Maine and the broader architectural profession.
AIA Maine membership has continued to grow alongside positive national membership trends, reflecting a strong and engaged professional community throughout the state. Today, AIA Maine represents approximately 360 members, including licensed architects, emerging professionals, fellows, emeritus members, and allied industry partners.
Throughout the year, AIA Maine's committees support professional development, advocacy, sustainability, mentorship, and design leadership.
The Emerging Professionals Committee continues to attract young architects, recent graduates, and licensure candidates through study groups, mentorship opportunities, internship support, and project-sharing events. The Committee on the Environment (COTE) has expanded its virtual programming, creating opportunities for members to explore sustainable design practices and emerging tools for reducing building emissions. Legislative Affairs remains actively engaged in advocating for architects and the built environment at both the state and national levels.
The Design Awards program itself is guided by AIA Maine's Design Committee, whose work continues to elevate the visibility of exceptional architecture across the state.
More Than Four Decades of Design Recognition
The first AIA Maine Design Awards program was held in 1981. Since 1984, project books documenting award recipients and submissions have been carefully archived, creating a remarkable record of architectural achievement throughout Maine.
Originally held every two years, the Design Awards became an annual program in 2020. Today, AIA Maine's online Design Awards archive features more than 500 projects, providing a valuable resource for architects, students, and the public.
As the program continues to evolve, the 2026 Design Awards demonstrate both the enduring importance of design excellence and the growing impact of Maine architects in shaping resilient, sustainable, and vibrant communities.
For more information about AIA Maine, upcoming programs, and the Design Awards archive, visit aiamaine.org.