2026 dESIGN AWARDS

DESIGNED HERE. RECOGNIZED HERE.

The AIA California Central Coast Design Awards celebrate the architecture, ideas, and design thinking shaping our region and contributing to the broader conversation about the future of the built environment.

Our Central Coast architecture community works across an extraordinary range of project types, scales, communities, and challenges. The 2026 Design Awards provide an opportunity to recognize that work and to celebrate the architects, teams, clients, consultants, and collaborators who help make meaningful design possible.

We invite eligible architects, affiliates, and firms to submit work that demonstrates thoughtful design, strong problem-solving, environmental responsibility, community impact, and a meaningful sense of place.

  • The Design Awards recognize projects that successfully resolve their design challenges in impressive or meritorious ways.

    Projects should represent the values and aspirations of our regional design community while engaging with the larger issues facing architecture today.

    Submissions are encouraged to demonstrate:

    Inspiration
    Does the project present an innovative and relevant architectural idea? Is the design well resolved, and do the submitted materials effectively communicate its ambitions?

    Creative Problem-Solving
    How did the project respond to challenges involving site, budget, program, materials, collaboration, or context? Is the value of design thinking evident?

    Environmental Sensitivity
    Does the project demonstrate meaningful efforts to reduce environmental impacts or enhance its natural environment?

    Social Transformation + Response
    How does the project respond to its physical, social, and historical context? Does it contribute to a stronger and more livable community?

    The jury may recognize work that excels in one or several of these areas.

  • Built Work

    • Small Projects
      Projects demonstrating the value of design regardless of scale, including small structures, furniture, fixtures, installations, and interiors.

    • Residential
      Single-family residential projects including new construction, substantial remodels, and additions.

    • Multi-Family / Mixed-Use
      Projects containing two or more residential dwellings or a combination of residential and non-residential uses.

    • Historic Preservation / Renovation
      Restoration or renovation of designated structures, potential structures of merit, and qualifying existing structures.

    • Non-Residential
      Commercial, institutional, and industrial work, including new buildings, substantial remodels, and additions.

    • Interior Architecture + Design
      Residential, commercial, and institutional interior architecture and design.

    Unbuilt Work

    • Conceptual work begun within the past five years may also be considered, including unbuilt architectural projects, land art, research, architectural objects, installations, and competition entries. Projects undertaken for academic credit are not eligible.

  • The Design Awards celebrate more than beautiful buildings. Submissions should communicate the idea, process, and execution behind the work and demonstrate thoughtful responses to the challenges presented by each project.

    The jury will consider:

    • INSPIRATION
      Does the project tell a relevant and inspiring story about innovative architectural design?

    • CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
      How did the design respond to challenges involving site, budget, program, materials, collaboration, or context?

    • ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY
      Does the project demonstrate meaningful intent to minimize environmental impacts and enhance the natural environment?

    • SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION + RESPONSE
      How does the project respond to its physical, social, and historical context—and contribute to the community it serves?

    Submissions should communicate their ideas through an effective combination of text, diagrams, drawings, photographs, and other illustrative materials.

  • At the jury's discretion, projects may receive recognition at the levels of:

    • Excellence

    • Honor

    • Merit

    • Citation

  • Architects, affiliates, or firms in good standing with AIA California Central Coast may submit qualifying projects within San Luis Obispo County or projects elsewhere that were built or designed within the last five years by a San Luis Obispo architect.

    Architects, affiliates, or firms in good standing with other AIA chapters may submit qualifying projects located within San Luis Obispo County.

    All projects must be designed by a registered architect.

    • September 25, 2026
      Save the Date

    • October 2, 2026
      Submission Materials Released

    • November 2, 2026
      Submission Deadline

    • December 2, 2026
      Awards Ceremony at the AIACCC Holiday Party
      Madonna Inn

  • AIACCC Members

    • $150 first entry
      $100 each additional entry

    Non-Members

    • $250 first entry
      $200 each additional entry

  • Questions about eligibility or the submission process?

    Email us at:
    publicrelations@aiacentralcoast.org

YOUR WORK IS PART OF THE STORY OF DESIGN ON THE CENTRAL COAST.

The Design Awards are an opportunity to document and celebrate the breadth of work coming from our architecture community, from carefully considered small interventions to homes, housing, preservation, interiors, civic work, commercial projects, conceptual ideas, and beyond.

If your project has a story worth sharing, we want to see it.

Entries Due

NOVEMBER 2, 2026

START YOUR SUBMISSION TODAY!

Submission Form + Instructions