Residential & Hospitality Design Awards

RHDA involves a two-part submission process that allows entrants to register projects now and submit details later.

Step 1

Register up to three projects at a time

We’ll collect your project name(s) and contact information. Then, after completing payment, you’ll be directed to the project submission form. This two-part process encourages fairness by hiding firms’ identities from the jury.

Step 2

Submit your project details and photos

Submissions must not include identification of authorship within the information requested below, or will result in automatic disqualification and forfeiture of any submitted fees.

You will input the following into the provided text fields:

• Category
• Project name
• Project location
• Completion date
• Project synopsis (max 250 words)
• Application of AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence
• Project narrative (max 500 words)
• Project owner or tenant
• Client anonymity
• Project team and credits as needed:
  • Civil engineer
  • MEP engineer
  • Structural engineer
  • Landscape architect
  • General contractor
  • Additional consultants
  • FF&E vendors

You will upload the following in the specified formats:

• Signed statement on letterhead declaring no use of unpaid labor (PDF)
• Diagrams and/or photographs (pdf, tif or jpg)
• Signed photographer consent form(s) (PDF)

Photos

Photos should show each exterior facade and interior to illustrate the context, extent, and quality of the finished project. Entrants must credit the photographer for each photo, and obtain rights to allow for their use by AIA Atlanta.

Entrants may submit up to ten* photos for jury deliberation. The photos must be high-resolution at 300 dpi. Accepted file format: .jpg.

EXCLUDING floor and site plan diagrams, photo collages and text on photos are not permitted.

Additional photo requirements:

1. One photograph must display the floor plan(s).
2. One photograph must display additional narrative drawings (e.g., site plans and elevations).
3. One photograph in landscape orientation must clearly show the project’s landscape surroundings or context.
4. All photo file names must include the project name

*For the Renovations/Adaptive Reuse categories only: Projects involving changes to existing structures must include documentation of the original conditions. Upload at least one photo showing the original/before condition of the structure.

For each category, the jury may confer prizes of the Honor Award and/or the Merit Award, the former being the highest recognition.

Honor and Merit awards are evaluated by:

• How well the architect frames, addresses, and solves the key problems unique to this project, such as site, materials, context, codes, and community
• Notable elements in response to AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence
• Creative design responses to the existing site, building program, and community.
• Innovative approaches to use of materials, lighting, structural systems, or building skin technology
• How the design accommodates a variety of lifestyles, such as aging in place or changing physical needs of the occupants
• Overall design excellence

The deliberation process:

The jury is comprised of noted architecture professionals. The RHDA committee or jury may make any interpretations necessary to carry out the awards’ intent and move projects to a different category as deemed appropriate. Each entry is also judged for its success with which it has met its individual requirements. Entries are subject to disqualification at the discretion of the committee or jury. The decisions made by the jury are final. Finalists will be notified before the winners are announced.

AIA members (at least one on the project team)
$175 first entry

Nonmembers
$250 first entry

Subsequent entries
$150 each

2023 RHDA submission package files:

• Printable Submission Guidelines
• AIA Framework for Design Excellence
• Photographer Consent Form
• AIA Unpaid Labor Resolution: The applicant must provide a brief statement that the firm and/or architect has not used unpaid labor in 10 years.

Download submission package (Dropbox) »