The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced four architects and one architecture firm receiving 2025 AIA Awards. An AIA award is the ultimate acknowledgment of impactful, exemplary work in architecture and design. The architects and firm below were recognized for setting new standards of excellence and inspiring others to innovate.
See all AIA award recipients and winning projects across nearly 30 categories here.
2025 AIA Gold Medal
Deborah Berke, FAIA, LEED AP
Deborah Berke, FAIA, LEED AP, is a transformative figure in architecture whose career spans over four decades. She has combined design excellence, academic leadership, and a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. From founding her practice, Deborah Berke Partners (now TenBerke), in 1982 to becoming the first female dean of the Yale School of Architecture, her journey exemplifies innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability.
The Gold Medal is AIA’s highest annual honor, recognizing individuals whose work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.
Learn more about Berke’s selection as the 2025 AIA Gold Medal recipient.
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Jury, Gold Medal 2025
The AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council select the winners for this program. The finalists were selected by the following advisory jurors:
- Anne Hicks Harney, FAIA, Chair, Long Green Specs, Manasquan, N.J.
- Kjell M. Anderson, FAIA, LMN Architects, Seattle
- Ung-Joo Scott Lee, AIA, Morphosis Architects, New York City
- Amy Slattery, AIA, Odimo, Kansas City, Mo.
- Megumi Tamanaha, AIA, ARO, New York City
- Roderic Walton, AIA, Moody Nolan, Chicago
- Korey White, AIA, DLR Group, Quincy, Ill.
- Taryn Williams, SGH, Washington, D.C.
2025 AIA Architecture Firm Award
LPA Design Studios
LPA Design Studios has established itself as a trailblazer in sustainable, high-performance architecture, blending a mission-driven ethos with innovative, interdisciplinary design practices. LPA’s achievements have earned it national and international recognition. The firm has received numerous AIA awards, including a COTE Top Ten Plus Award and several AIA Committee on Architecture for Education honors. Projects like the Lanier High School Renovation in San Antonio and the West Hollywood Aquatics and Recreation Center exemplify the firm’s ability to address pressing social and environmental challenges while creating spaces that inspire and uplift communities.
The Architecture Firm Award is the highest honor AIA bestows on an architecture practice. The award recognizes a firm that has consistently produced distinguished architecture for at least 10 years.
Learn more about LPA Design Studios’s selection as the 2025 Architecture Firm Award recipient.
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Jury, Architecture Firm Award 2025
The AIA Board of Directors and Strategic Council select the winners for this program. The finalists were selected by the following advisory jurors:
- Anne Hicks Harney, FAIA, Chair, Long Green Specs, Manasquan, N.J.
- Kjell M. Anderson, FAIA, LMN Architects, Seattle
- Ung-Joo Scott Lee, AIA, Morphosis Architects, New York City
- Amy Slattery, AIA, Odimo, Kansas City, Mo.
- Megumi Tamanaha, AIA, ARO, New York City
- Roderic Walton, FAIA, Moody Nolan, Chicago
- Korey White, AIA, DLR Group, Quincy, Ill.
- Taryn Williams, SGH, Washington, D.C.
2025 Edward C. Kemper Award
Raymond “Skipper” Post, FAIA
Across the span of nearly 60 years, Raymond “Skipper” Post, FAIA, has dedicated himself to advancing AIA and the profession at all levels. Through extensive community and organizational service, Post has bolstered the public’s perception of architects’ work while simultaneously operating a productive office dedicated to design excellence. His seemingly inexhaustible vigor and enthusiasm have led to countless meaningful appointments, and his leadership has profoundly influenced his colleagues and the built environment.
The Edward C. Kemper Award is the highest service award AIA can confer upon a member, this program recognizes significant impact on the profession through service to AIA or an architecture-related organization.
Learn more about Post’s selection as the 2025 Edward C. Kemper Award recipient.
2025 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education
Thomas Fisher, Assoc. AIA
Tom Fisher, recipient of the prestigious 2025 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion, has profoundly influenced architecture, design education, research, and professional practice. Over a career spanning decades, Fisher has redefined the role of architects as public intellectuals and practical futurists, advocating for a profession that transcends traditional boundaries to address societal and environmental challenges.
Presented jointly by AIA and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the Topaz Medallion recognizes outstanding individual contributions in architectural education.
Learn more about Fisher’s selection as the 2025 Topaz Medallion recipient.
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Jury, Topaz Medallion 2025
- Elizabeth Danze, FAIA, Chair, Danze Blood Architects, Austin, Texas
- Illya Azaroff, FAIA, +LAB architects, New York City
- Jordan Luther, Assoc. AIA, AIAS, Pittsburgh
- Winifred Newman, Assoc. AIA, Clemson University, Greenville, South Carolina
- Renee Chow, University of California, Berkeley
- Andrew Chin, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee
2025 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award
Bryan C. Lee Jr., NOMA, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
Bryan C. Lee Jr., NOMA, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a transformative architect, educator, and activist whose career has redefined the role of design in fostering social and spatial justice. As the founder and director of Colloqate Design and a leading voice in the Design Justice movement, Lee has championed architecture as a tool for dismantling systems of oppression and building spaces of reparation and liberation. Lee will serve as the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) 2025-2026 president.
The Whitney M. Young Jr. Award distinguishes an architect or architectural organization that embodies social responsibility and actively addresses a relevant issue, such as affordable housing, inclusiveness, or universal access.
Learn more about Lee’s selection as the 2025 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award recipient.