AIA and BAF awards 2024

In October AIA Baltimore in conjunction with the Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF) celebrated the 2024 design awards with a dinner at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Theater. The design awards annually showcase the design skills of local architects and landscape architects. 

The type of awards given by AIA and BAF Baltimore 

Over the years the emphasis and approach to awards has shifted from a mere "beauty contest" of "design excellence" to also awarding architecture as good business, design for social equity, for historic preservation and awards to "future architects". Design Excellence awards are given only to projects that have baked in sustainability goals.  BAF further complements the array of awards with  an award that honors dedication to architecture in Baltimore, Black Women who build Baltimore, a People's Choice Award and a Publication Award given to an individual who creates publicly accessible works that celebrate or educate about Baltimore architecture, past, present, or future.

Here this year's award winners, starting with the traditional design excellence awards that were based on the selection of an out-of-town professional jury consisting four AIA members of  the Buffalo and Western New York chapter of AIA. 

At the awards event Seth Amman, AIA of Arch & Type presented the design awards on behalf of the jury:

The Grand Design Award

The Grand Design Award went to Ayers Saint Gross for their Missouri Botanical Garden and Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center. The center also received an AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Honor Award earlier this year and was also recognized by IIDA Southwest with a Best in Show honor and a Design Excellence Award in Public Facilities.

Grand Design Award: ASG Missouri Botanical Garden
and Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center (Photo: ASG)

The jury called the project " an elegant addition to the campus that improves the sustainable goals of the garden“ and is "both restrained and beautiful in its simplicity” with “wonderful use of natural elements inside to connect to the exterior gardens.” “There is a wonderful layering of spaces, from the entrance through the vertical main lobby to the gardens beyond,” the jury noted and commented on the building’s site integration which skillfully addresses accessibility challenges of a nine-foot grade difference, and the clear site plan and programming.

Design Awards

Design Awards also went to Ziger Snead Architects for the Steep Creek House and the Five Gables House. The jury was struck by the execution and attention to detail in Steep Creek

Steep Creek House by Ziger Snead (Photo: Ziger-Snead)

House. Immersed in the forest, the design does not compete with the landscape. They also lauded the  "subtle and elegant detailing' that "carries through the exterior and interior design of

Five Gables. The building massing and exterior detailing nods to the archetypical

farmhouse." 

A Design Award also went to  Design Collective Inc. for Aster and its focus on sustainability and shared amenities create an exciting project that activates the community it's sited within. The Aster development is part of the Route 1 transformation in College Park.

ISTUDIO Architects received a Design Award for the Arboretum Community Center in DC for setting a precedent how to extend the life of existing structures that may not meet the milieu for historic preservation and using mass timber construction to create a clear distinction between the existing structure and new. According to ISTUDIO's website the project exemplifies innovative design, sustainability, and community collaboration. As D.C.'s first mass timber building, it revitalizes a historic field house, merging preservation with cutting-edge technology to create a net zero-ready recreational space.

Ziger Snead: Five Gables House (Photo Ziger Snead)

The Michael F. Trostel, FAIA Award For Excellence In Historic Preservation

The award went to the Urban Design Group for the VIVO Baltimore which expands the concept of Historic Preservation by extending the life cycle of two International Style structures in downtown Baltimore. The jury noted the difficulties in reprogramming two hotel towers and the intrinsic value of creating spaces for worker housing in the city center. VIVO Baltimore is an excellent case study for other cities as buildings constructed as recently as 1974 qualify for historic preservation.

Honorable Mentions

Moseley Rosemont. (Photo: Moseley Architects)

An Honorable Mention went to Moseley Architects for the Rosemont, a rehabiltation of rowhouses in Rosemont in West Baltimore. As per Moseley's website the project "helped to transform the Rosemont community while working within tight budget constraints and navigating HUD and CDA requirements. The owner and residents’ desire for accessibility, a vibrant new aesthetic, and updated amenities shaped the revitalization of 106 townhomes".

Quinn Evans received an honorable mention for the Baltimore Museum of Art, Patricia and Mark Joseph Center for Education, SM+P Architects for the Crook Horner Lofts, Hord Coplan Macht for the Park School Science and Engineering Wing, Design Develop, LLC for the The Lot at The Urban Oasis (unbuilt), Hord Coplan Macht for the The Wren, and ISTUDIO Architects for the Kingman Island Environmental Education Center (unbuilt)

The BAF awards are listed below.

Roger D. Redden Award

The Roger D. Redden Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated a dedication to architecture and furthering its understanding in Baltimore. It was awarded to me.
as a founding board member of the 1000 Friends of Maryland,  the “D Center,” and as a past chair of the Urban Design Committee of AIA Baltimore and the national Regional and Urban Design Committee of AIA (RUDC). 

Klaus Philipsen, FAIA (Photo: Side A Photography)

Golden Griffin Award

BAF’s Golden Griffin Award honors a group or institution for its exemplary contribution to, or stewardship of, Baltimore’s built environment. The Golden Griffin trophy consists of a stone from the Maryland Club salvaged from the building’s fire, and a gilded griffin inspired by those that grace the art deco landmark, former Baltimore Trust Company Building at 10 Light Street. The recipient of this award will keep this hefty reminder of their weighty contributions to Baltimore architecture for the coming year. The awardee is Black Women Build – Baltimore, founded in 2017 by Shelley Halstead who believes that for Black women to build intergenerational wealth, with the inherent security and prosperity it can generate, they must also learn the skills necessary to maintain that wealth. Home ownership and the ability to maintain that asset is one way this can be achieved.

BWBB purchases the ruins of old houses from the city for reconstructions. Since its start in 2019, the organization has rehabilitated 13 houses. To help keep their houses affordable, BWBB works with the Committee on Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), which provides a 10-year tax credit on the property value increase resulting from rehabilitation work. In addition, Halstead is transforming other blighted buildings into social “third places” like a cafe and an art gallery.

Shelley Halstead accepting the Golden Griffin Award
(Photo:  Side A Photography)

Jim Dilts Award

The Jim Dilts Award was created in memory of author, Baltimore Sun newspaperman, and BAF board member James D. Dilts. As a founding member of BAF’s ‘Dead Architects Society’ Jim authored and edited many books, including A Guide to Baltimore Architecture. The Jim Dilts award is a monetary prize that is awarded to an individual who creates publicly accessible works that celebrate or educate about Baltimore architecture, past, present, or future. This year's award goes to Nick Redding and PreserveCast. Nick is the President & CEO of Preservation Maryland, where he has served since 2014, leading the charge to protect and celebrate the architectural heritage of Baltimore and beyond. Under his leadership, Preservation Maryland has grown significantly, launching programs such as Smart Growth Maryland and the Campaign for Historic Trades, which trains the next generation of preservationists in partnership with the National Park Service.

Nick is also the host of PreserveCast, a popular podcast that shares stories of preservation efforts from around the world, highlighting the importance of our history in shaping the future. His work not only preserves Baltimore’s architectural treasures but also educates and inspires others to take part in safeguarding our shared heritage. For his tireless efforts in making Baltimore’s history accessible to all, we are proud to present Nick Redding with the Jim Dilts Award.

 Nick Redding accepting the Jim Dilts Award
(Photo: Side A Photography)

People’s Choice Award

Emmanuel Episcopal Church – Moseley Architects

Photo by Kevin Weber/ Moseley

This award went to Mosley Architects the 1854 Emmanuel Episcopal Church renovation that connects the whole building via an elevator, provides accessible all-gender toilets, and adds a new exterior entry to the lower level. The renovation matches the quality of the historic building through careful use of materials. The resulting transformation keeps a historic building in active use and allows it to grow and thrive.


Future Architects Scholarship Awards

The (FAR) Committee created a scholarship program for students pursuing careers in architecture that awards design excellence. Winning projects demonstrate innovation, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and critical thinking. The FAR Scholarship is a joint program between Baltimore Architecture Foundation, AIA Baltimore, and AIA National. This year's Undergraduate Student Design Award + Scholarship awardee is the Project 3 – Visitors Center by Lee Tomolonis of Morgan State University.

Lee’s Visitors Center  has a clear intent and strong concept that is presented in a playful and engaging graphic style. Hand-drawn vignettes were excellent companions to support the bold, stylistic renderings and lead jurors through this student’s thoughtful design process. Lee also showed an advanced level of landscape design, intentional inclusion of sustainable materials, and dedication to social equity. The pavilion for a “criminal” truly subverts the prison architecture it drew inspiration from.


The Graduate Student Design Award + Scholarship went to “Hydro Haven” by Evan Cage of Morgan State University.

Evan’s Hydro Haven is sensitive to its context while showcasing an incredible amount of research and technical knowledge. A thorough site analysis revealing flood patterns clearly supports the need for water harvesting on the site. Jurors were especially impressed by the knowledge of structural and MEP systems shown in wall sections and exploded axons, and the beautiful physical model included in the submission.

Klaus Philipsen, FAIA 

based on material obtained from AIA and BAF and firm websites. The article has been updated.