In order to be eligible for AIA’s Awards of Excellence, the architect must demonstrate exemplary practice. Additionally, the design must meet a host of criteria, including enhancing learning in classrooms; balancing function with aesthetics; establishing a connection with the environment; being respectful of the surrounding community; demonstrating high-level planning in the design process; and integrating sustainability in a holistic fashion. Awards of Excellence were bestowed upon the following:

• Charles Library at Temple University, Philadelphia | Stantec | Snøhetta – Joint Venture
• Geffen Academy at UCLA, Los Angeles | KoningEizenberg Architecture
• The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab, Dallas | Marlon Blackwell Architects
• Linde Center for Music and Learning, Lenox, Massachusetts | William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.
• Reeds Spring Middle School, Reeds Spring, Missouri | Dake Wells Architecture
• Tarbut V’Torah expansion, Irvine, California | LPA,  Inc.

Projects selected for the Awards of Merit are recognized for being of superior quality. This year’s recipients include:

• Amherst College New Science Center, Amherst, Massachusetts | Payette
• Canyon View High School, Waddell, Arizona | DLR Group
• MIT Theater Arts, Cambridge, Massachusetts | designLAB architects
• The Mubuga Primary School, Ruhengeri, Rwanda | MASS Design Group
• Salish Coast Elementary, Port Townsend, Washington | Integrus Architecture

Visit AIA’s website for more information on the Education Facility Design Awards