AIA Architects League of Northern New Jersey is announcing the start of an annual design awards competition. Submitted entries will be eligible for a jury-selected ALNNJ Building of the Year Award, and there will also be online voting by our members for an ALNNJ Peer Award.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE 2025 DESIGN AWARDS. THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING! PLEASE CONSULT THE TIMELINE BELOW FOR NEXT STEPS

Applications are open now and due on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM.

See below for eligibility requirements and rules, and please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Timeline

• Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM – Applications due

• Week of November 10, 2025 – Online ALNNJ Member voting begins

• November 19, 2025 – Winners are announced live from the podium at the ALNNJ November Member Meeting at the Ridgewood Country Club

• January 24, 2026 – Awards are presented at the Architects League Awards and Installation Dinner at Acqua in Edgewater, NJ

Eligibility Requirements and Rules

1. This is a single-category design competition. You can submit built or unbuilt work.

2. You may submit multiple projects.

3. Submitter Eligibility:

   • Architects League members are eligible to enter projects sited anywhere (built or unbuilt).

   • Non-Architects League members are eligible to enter a project (built or unbuilt) if located in Bergen, Hudson, Sussex, or Passaic County, New Jersey.

   • Built projects completed after January 1, 2025 are eligible. Unbuilt concepts developed after January 1, 2025 are eligible.

   • If an unbuilt project is submitted and awarded, that project will not be eligible for a future design award if realized.

4. For all projects: the individual submitting needs to be the project manager on that project or a firm principal. “Project manager” is defined as the main client contact. AIA Assoc. members are welcome to enter. Projects must be submitted in the name of the firm that executed the commission.

5. Fees (per entry):

   • $50 for ALNNJ Members

   • $150 for non-ALNNJ Members submitting projects in Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, or Sussex Counties

6. A design jury will select one overall winner based on design excellence. That project will receive the ALNNJ Building of the Year Award. At the jury’s discretion, additional projects may be selected to receive ALNNJ Design Merit Awards.

7. All current ALNNJ Members will be invited to vote for their favorite project through an online voting system. The project that receives the highest number of votes, and that has not already received a jury-selected award, will receive the ALNNJ Peer Design Award. In the unlikely event of a tie in member voting, a winner will be selected based on the project that received the winning vote total first.

8. Do not include your firm name, logo, or any identifying information on any of the submitted materials. The design jury will review all submissions anonymously. However, your firm name will be included during ALNNJ Member online voting for the ALNNJ Peer Design Award. Firms may advertise that their project is in contention for the ALNNJ Peer Design Award only after online voting has started.

9. Submission Requirements (aligned with AIA-NJ Design Award requirements):

   Submit the following:

   • One high-resolution image (maximum size 7680 x 4320 pixels)

   • One 8.5” x 11” PDF (maximum of 10 pages) including:

     • One-page project information sheet stating project name, project address, date of completion, along with a 70-word (+/-) project synopsis and 400-word (+/-) project narrative.

     • Do not include the design firm’s name or logo.

     • Applicable photographs, plans, or images such as:

       • Site plans and context (include graphic scale and North arrow)

       • Before/After photos (if applicable)

       • Building sections and/or details (where informative)

       • Photographs showing all exterior elevations reasonably visible to a viewer circumnavigating the project

       • Concept sketches

       • Interior/Exterior photographs

       • Pages may be composed with multiple images or individual images per page. Captions are helpful.

10. Projects that do not meet the submission requirements or abide by these competition rules will not be considered for awards. Contact [email protected] with any eligibility questions prior to submitting.

11. Winners will be announced live from the podium at the ALNNJ November Members Meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

12. Winners will be invited to accept their awards in person at the Architects League Awards and Installation Dinner on January 24, 2026 and will receive a discount to purchase tickets.