Coming off the high of last year’s 125th anniversary, the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects once again hosted its annual celebration of local architecture at the Design Pittsburgh Awards on Thursday, Nov. 6.
The 2025 ceremony came with a first in recent history: The awarding of a Silver Medal — the highest honor presented by the organization. The medal went to design firm Hord Coplan Macht, which has offices across the East Coast, for the Glasshouse apartments in Station Square.
This year’s jury was composed of a five-person panel of architects from the Potomac Valley chapter. Aside from traditional award categories, the new year also comes with honorees for the Excellence in Masonry Award, The Young Architects Studio Competition Award of Excellence and the People’s Choice Award.
Here are the other winners, alongside juror comments:
Silver Award:
Glasshouse, Station Square. Hord Coplan Macht. Large project. Jury comments: “Enjoyed everything about it, particularly the public connection: taking advantage of and enriching the waterfront without monopolizing it. Massing is well executed and broken down into nicely composed elements reducing the scale of this massive project without feeling artificial.”
Small Projects: Certificate of Merit
Hillside Residence, South Side Slopes. Margittai Architects. Jury comments: “The jury loved that the adaptive reuse still shows the rhythm of the original facades.”
Martini, Nashville International Airport. LGA Partners. Jury comments: “This is a well-executed result of strong branding. This is what good architecture should be.”
Small Projects: Honor Award
Liten Hyde, Northern Michigan. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Jury comments: “Very well-crafted jewel box in the woods. A nice composition and good balance/dichotomy between rough plywood/corrugate metal and highly finished interior volumes.”
Mid-Century Modern Renovation & Addition, Squirrel Hill. Wildman Chalmers Design. Jury comments: “A seamless project that is cohesive throughout the existing building, the addition and the exterior spaces, which all share the same soft inviting palette.”
Medium Projects: Certificate of Merit
City of Pittsburgh Medic Station 4, North Side. AE7. Jury comments: “Sustainability is the driver of this design. The graphic storytelling of the submission was well articulated.”
Richard King Mellon Foundation Headquarters, Strip District. GBBN. Jury comments: “A good example of transformation of an existing building to a modern use. The structure could have led to a cold aesthetic, which was luckily avoided.”
Premier Custom Paint & Collision, Zelienople. NEXT architecture. Jury comments: “It’s great to see an everyday, oft-ignored use receive design attention – using architecture to elevate the business and the customer experience.”
Digital Foundry, New Kensington. R3A Architecture. Jury comments: “The concept is strong, particularly seeing everywhere from everywhere, and the incorporation of sawtooth rooflines and ceiling lines that echo that rhythm, to forge some connection between the digital and the historical.”
Arnold Palmer Learning Center, Squirrel Hill. R3A Architecture. Jury comments: “Clear concept of modernizing the previously established approach, and a strong sustainability concept.”
Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building, Butler. Stantec. Jury comments: “The floor plan creates variegated angles that bring people together and bring light deep into the space. We appreciate the inclusion of conceptual sketches.”
State College Family Services Center, State College. Strada. Jury comments: “The focus on biophilia and aviation themes resonates well with the execution, and there are many dynamic forms that create a sense of movement.”
Medium Projects: Honor Award
Ronald McDonald House Charities, Dayton. GBBN. Jury comments: “Loved this project. The concept of beginning with a kid’s sketch of home carrying through not only the overall form but the interior design decisions makes it a home away from home.”
Allegheny Branch House Lofts, North Side. PWWG Architects. Jury comments: “The repurposing of this industrial building included a lot of thought of how to deal with noise from adjacent train tracks. It might be a shiny object, but we appreciate the effort in maintaining as much of the history and character as possible. We would live here in a heartbeat.”
Large Projects: Certificate of Merit
Form Factory 1, Weirton. Stantec. Jury comments: “It’s difficult to turn the mundane into the extraordinary with a simple gesture. Sometimes basic architecture deserves the same credit as more complex typologies.”
The Eatery at Litchfield Towers, Oakland. PWWG Architects. Jury comments: “For a college eatery, it’s one of the best we’ve seen. The logistical planning of phasing and occupancy was as challenging as the design.”
Slippery Rock University Performing Arts Center, Slippery Rock. R3A Architecture. Jury comments: “We don’t know why, but we really like the arched thing that is going on here. Something feels silly, but it really works, reminding us of Roman theaters, curtains and box seats.”
Dickie McCamey & Chilcote Pittsburgh Headquarters, Downtown. Perkins Eastman. Jury comments: “Innovative rethinking of what it means to be a law firm office.”
Large Projects: Honor Award
Christ the Teacher Academic Hall, Steubenville. MCF Architecture. Jury comments: “It doesn’t feel like a performative representation of traditional forms — the architect has used depth and shadows and contrasting modern elements to create a level of authenticity.”
Excellence In Masonry Award
The Park at SouthSide, SouthSide Works. Desmone Architects. Jury comments: “The combination of the block as an architectural element, along with the protruding brick pattern and the ‘floating’ balcony blend extremely well together. The fact that masonry was chosen for this project, when other materials would have been acceptable, shows the true desire for excellence.”
People’s Choice Award
New Trinity Intermediate School, Washington. DRAW Collective. Received 449 of the 2,358 votes cast.
The Young Architects Studio Competition Award of Excellence
This year’s competition asked designers to create a multiuse space on the North Shore or in Downtown that could meet the needs of both visitors for large-scale events like the 2026 NFL Draft and an average city resident.
The winner is The Connection by Alyssa Penrod of RM Creative. Jury comments: “The proposal demonstrated strong attention to detail and a compelling narrative, presenting a vision that feels relevant in both the short and long term. The chosen site was well suited to the prompt, and the presentation board was beautifully executed. Overall, this was the most complete and cohesive submission, effectively communicating the full range of ideas requested by the competition brief.”
