Brooklyn Design Awards 2024

Overview

The AIA’s annual Brooklyn Design Awards program (BKDA) encourages excellence in architectural design through recognition of outstanding projects in Brooklyn and beyond. An invited jury of respected design professionals reviews submissions and selects compelling entries to be commended for design excellence, technical skill, innovation, environmental responsiveness, and social impact.

Continuing our initiatives formed for our 2022 program, the BKDA program will continue to integrate the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence, not only as performance criteria during the jury review, but also as an educational source for our members. Last year we required responses in the Performance Statement for all submissions for the first time. We’re going to build upon that this year and hope we get even better entries.

Beyond this, the BKDA program seeks to highlight the borough of Brooklyn, with its design community serving as a creative hub for innovation, and its diverse neighborhoods as a dynamic network and unique urban fabric. Although projects will continue to be organized for review based on submission categories, multiple entries within a particular typology may be eligible for an award. Entries will be judged in light of the success with which the project has met its individual requirements, and each will be evaluated individually, not in competition with others. The goal is to highlight outstanding projects by Brooklyn firms and exceptional design work within the borough, whatever form it may take.

It is a priority for the AIA Brooklyn chapter to promote the work of its members, and winning entries will be publicized both within and beyond the local community. Additionally, the Awards committee is currently exploring opportunities to provide representation for all entries on the chapter’s website.

Schedule

Call for Entries (Registration Opens)	August 27, 2024
Submissions Due	September 30, 2024
Submission Due	October 4, 2024 (possible extension deadline)
Jury Meeting	Week of October 21st-25th
Winners Announced	Week of October 28th – November 1st
Awards Presentation	December 9th – Location: 501 Union

Submission Fees

Submission Fees are non-refundable. Participants can submit multiple projects, but the fees listed cover only one project submission. An entry fee is required for each project submitted for the Awards program.

$200	AIA Brooklyn Chapter Members
$100	Associate AIA
$500	Other registered Architects
$30	Students

Submission Overview

Each entry will be judged solely on the basis of a written narrative, questionnaire responses & submitted graphic presentation. Providing responses in the Performance Statement section is optional but encouraged, and not required to receive an Excellence or Merit award. However, responses in this section are required in order to receive a Commendation for Climate Action. Additional information is required for publication and promotion of the Awards program.

All competition submission material shall be properly uploaded online via Award Force prior to the specified deadline. Architects can submit multiple projects. However, each project represents one entry into the competition.

A. Award Force Online Submission Procedure

The Call for Entries contains full guidelines through the submission process. Submissions will be online using the Award Force online interface. Design for Excellence Framework will be incorporated into the online submission form.

1. Register for Competition at Award Force: https://aiabrooklyn.awardsplatform.com.
   Once you have created a login you can start creating an entry submission. You can save and return to your draft for further editing until you submit.
2. Review design awards supporting documents. These guidelines will be made available within the Award Force platform, along with prompts and help text during the submission process.
3. Compile submission. Documents should be assembled for each entry following the requirements, which are also listed in these guidelines.
4. Submit entry digitally. This is a digital awards competition and no hardcopies are necessary for primary judging.
   • ALL ENTRANTS MUST REGISTER AND SUBMIT PAYMENT VIA SQUARE PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THEIR ENTRIES.
   • Entrants must submit their entry no later than the submission due date. No extension of time will be given under any circumstances.
   • Registration payments will be made via Paypal and are non-refundable.

B. Award Force – Submission Assistance

Once you have created a login you can save and return to draft submissions until you submit.
Login: https://aiabrooklyn.awardsplatform.com

If difficulty is encountered with the Award Force platform, please refer to its specific help resource.
https://aiabrooklyn.awardsplatform.com/guides-and-tours.

For questions about submitting to the Awards, please refer first to the Call for Entries and then contact
BKDA@aiabrooklyn.org.

C. AIA Framework for Design Excellence

The Framework was developed to define principles to inform progress towards a zero-carbon, equitable, resilient and healthy built environment. The 10 principles are intended to be accessible and relevant for all architects and projects regardless of size, location or typology. The AIA provides a tool kit of practical resources to help architects achieve the vision, including a Common Application worksheet to help evaluate the measures intended to be incorporated into a project.

More information about the Framework for Design Excellence can be found (here.)
More information about the Common App can be found in a .pdf (here.)
A copy of the Common Application can be downloaded (here.)

The Awards Program incorporates the Framework and questions from the Common App into the Performance Statement section of the online submittal platform. This year providing responses in the Performance Statement section is required, and will be considered as contributing factors for consideration for any award. However it is not necessary to provide responses to all questions or for all measures.

When responding to questions in the Performance Statement section please address how your team executed incorporating the following Measures, representing the 10 Framework principles into your project. **It is not necessary or important to provide responses for all measures. Rather we encourage applicants to provide responses only in the areas where your project excelled**. Show your creativity in tackling these issues. Additionally, please also include whether or not your firm is a 2030 Commitment signatory and list any relevant certifications or awards given for sustainable achievements, such as LEED, Passive House Certification, Living Building Challenge, COTE Top Ten, etc.

Additionally, please also include whether or not your firm is a 2030 Commitment signatory and list any relevant certifications or awards given for sustainable achievements, such as LEED, Passive House Certification, Living Building Challenge, COTE Top Ten, etc.

Measure 1 Design for Integration
Sustainability is essential to design excellence, and vice versa. Give examples of how individual design strategies provide multiple benefits across the full triple bottom line of social, economic, and environmental value.

Measure 2 Design for Equitable Communities
Sustainability is inextricably tied to the wellness of communities. How does this project contribute to creating a walkable, human-scaled community inside and outside the property lines?

Measure 3 Design for Ecosystems
Sustainable design protects and benefits natural ecosystems and habitat in the presence of human development.

Measure 4 Design for Water
Sustainable design conserves and improves the quality of water as a precious resource.

Measure 5 Design for Economy
Providing abundance while living within our means is a fundamental challenge of sustainability.

Measure 6 Design for Energy
The burning of fossil fuels to provide energy for buildings is a major component of global GHG emissions, driving climate change. Sustainable design conserves energy while improving building performance, function, comfort, and enjoyment.

Measure 7 Design for Wellbeing
Sustainable design supports comfort, health, and wellness for the people who inhabit or visit buildings.

Measure 8 Design for Resources
Sustainable design includes the informed selection of materials and products to reduce product-cycle environmental impacts while enhancing building performance.

Measure 9 Design for Change
Reuse, adaptability, and resilience are essential to sustainable design, which seeks to maintain and enhance usability, functionality, and value over time.

Measure 10 Design for Discovery
Sustainable design strategies and best practices evolve over time through documented performance and shared knowledge of lessons learned.

E. Design For Excellence Framework & Performance Statement Assistance

Questions about the Framework or the Performance Statement can contact technical support at BKDA@aiabrooklyn.org.

The Awards committee will post an FAQ of common questions as they come up and are collected.

Eligibility Requirements

Projects must be submitted in the name of the firm that executed the commission. If that firm has been dissolved or its name has been changed, an individual or successor firm may enter projects under the name of the firm at the time the project was executed.

Multiple entries of the same project by successor individuals or firms will not be accepted. For projects that involve multiple buildings, the architect submitting the project (or a portion thereof) must designate authorship of each portion of the project.

Categories

AIA Brooklyn welcomes submissions from a variety of project types; however, projects are not awarded based on categories. The selected category on the submission website will only be used within the BKDA program to organize projects for review and to gather information about the work submitted by its members. The Awards committee and the jurors reserve the right to audit the submission and reassign the selected category. AIA Brooklyn invites projects of all types and sizes for review. Choose the category that best describes the submitted project.

Submission Requirements

THE ENTIRE ENTRY PROCESS IS ONLINE USING THE AWARD FORCE PLATFORM. The submission process will consist of entering information into fields within the online submittal portal and uploading graphic files. Once you have created a login you can save and return to draft submissions until you submit. Login: https://aiabrooklyn.awardsplatform.com. Learn how to use Award Force: https://aiabrooklyn.awardsplatform.com/guides-and-tours.

Do not show any individual’s name, the firm’s name, or any other identifying information on any submission materials, or in any of the project description or narrative fields. Project and Team identifiers are requested in specific fields, and for the names on graphic files as described below. These will be kept confidential during the jury review.

Name all files to match the name of the submitter or submitting firm. When naming files, do not insert spaces into the file name; fill spaces with underscores, e.g. Firmane_Brooklyn_Housing_Project.pdf.

1. Project & Team Information

Entered into fields in Award Force

• Project Name
• Project Location
• Project Completion Date (must be after Jan 1,2017)
• Project Category
• Design Team (significant contributors)
  • Architecture (must have registered architect)
  • Structural Engineer
  • MEP Engineer
  • Civil Engineer
  • Landscape Architect
  • Code Consultant
  • (Student)
• Owner/Client
• Contractor
• Vendors
• Photo Credits
• AIA Chapter and #
• Social Media Handles (Facebook Instagram Twitter)

2. Narrative

Two narratives are required as part of each entry. These are entered into fields in Award Force.

Project Summary Statement (max 200 words)
Describe your project. Emphasize design achievements including design intent and program requirements. Describe specific ways in which you achieved and integrated these goals and requirements, and any other distinguishing aspects of your project.

Client Impact Statement (max 200 words)
Relate how the project came to be including the client’s goals and what impact the finished project has made on the client, users, and/or the community.

3. Performance Statement (optional)

The Performance Statement gathers information about the project’s characteristics as they relate to the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. This year providing responses in this section is optional but encouraged. While not required to receive an Excellence or Merit award, they will be considered as contributing factors for consideration for any award. It is not necessary or important to provide responses for all measures. Rather it is encouraged to provide responses only in the areas where your project excelled. Show your creativity in tackling these issues.

1. Design for Integration
2. Design for Equitable Communities
3. Design for Eco Systems
4. Design for Water
5. Design for Economy
6. Design for Energy
7. Design for Wellbeing
8. Design for Resources
9. Design for Change
10. Design for Discovery.

4. Graphic Presentation

• Each file upload can be no more than 5MB. PLEASE COMPRESS YOUR FILE TO 5 MB OR LESS.
• 20 slides maximum, combined into 1 pdf
• Must begin with Title Slide followed by plan slide
• Title Slide may include additional text or images. Do not include the category.
• Include, as applicable, a Site Plan and Building Plan (does not apply to interior projects.)
• Include the building plan(s) necessary to describe the building arrangement and envelope. If including section or elevation drawings, indicate their location on the plans.
• Additional drawings may include elevations, sections, wall sections, details, diagrams, or renderings.
• Include photos as required to adequately describe the site/building.
• If the project is a restoration or adaptive reuse project, include at least one image that describes conditions before work began.
• Graphic presentations shall not contain any sound, animation, video, interactive graphics, or links to other files.

5. Publicity Package

• Minimum 5, maximum 10 images
• 300 DPI, 2K pixels/side minimum, if possible
• CMYK
• JPG or PNG
• Combination of vertical and horizontal images
• Must include one square thumbnail image for social media

6. Acknowledgement Forms

Forms to be reviewed and accepted online in Award Force.

• Acceptance of Rules and Regulations & Acknowledgement of Disqualification for deviation from submission requirements
• Photo/Publication Release
• Certification of Authorship and all team members listed.

Rules and Regulations

1. Entrants give AIA Brooklyn permission to reproduce their submission without restriction.
2. No royalties shall be payable by AIA Brooklyn or any other affiliate for use of the submission entry materials.
3. Entrants verify that all information provided is true. A submission is subject to disqualification if any information has been falsified.
4. For all built categories, entrants and teams must have at least one registered architect (the architect of record) in order to submit. Students, Associate members, Interns, Non-Architects may submit without a registered architect only in the unbuilt categories.
5. Projects and unbuilt concepts may be sited anywhere if submitted by Brooklyn based firms, architects, Interns, Non-Architects, by Brooklyn AIA Architect Members or Associate Members or by Students registered at a Brooklyn school. Projects submitted by firms based outside Brooklyn or concepts submitted by firms, architects, interns, non-architects or students based outside of Brooklyn must be located within Brooklyn (Kings County) to qualify.
6. Entrants affirm that they are sole owner of the materials identified in the submission entry, that each submitted entry is an original work, and that neither these materials nor the permission granted hereby infringes upon the ownership, copyright, trademark, or rights of others.
7. All deliverables become property of AIA Brooklyn
8. Previously submitted projects may be resubmitted provided they did not win an award in previous years.
9. All projects should be recent, with a project completion should be within the last five (5) years from the call for entries date. The project must be substantially complete in order to qualify.
10. If the project is submitted by a team of people, all primary team members must be identified on the registration form. This includes any design architect and architect of record. Any indication that authors of work aren’t clearly identified which leads to dispute between respective parties will be subject to project disqualification.

Jury Selection and Guide

Jury Makeup

5 jurors total

• 2-3 – Architects from outside Brooklyn
• 1-2 – Architect from Brooklyn
• 1 – Non-Architect (Can be from Brooklyn, or outside Brooklyn)

One of the members of the jury should be a practicing architect with strong sustainable values and experience.

Link to List of Potential Jurors

TIP: It would be a good idea to maintain a list of jurors from year to year. Get the COTE Committee to suggest members as well. This can help make sure the jury is balanced and diverse in many ways.

Jury Review Process

An entry in the awards program should be judged for the success with which it has met the individual project requirements. An “award winning project” shall demonstrate a high level of design resolution. A project which also advances the contemporary understanding of design by proposing new approaches to the development of architectural form should also be awarded.

Jury will be given access to Award Force for review prior to the jury meeting. No Identifying information for entries will be accessible to the jurors. However the Technical Review notes will be made available.

Prior to the jury meeting each juror must rate all entries must be rated either yes or no. All “yes” entries will be part of the first round of judging at the jury meeting. During deliberation, all entries where the majority of the ratings are not “No” will move forward to the next round of judging.

Entries shall be weighed individually, not in comparison with each other. Awards may be given in as many or as few projects as are deemed worthy to receive recognition as the Jury believes are justified by the quality of the submissions.

Each entry will be judged based on the criteria listed in the following section: Judging Criteria

Jury Comments on Winning Projects

Jury comments are included with the award recipient’s award certificate and in all promotion and publication of the award-winning projects, as well as on the slide show that is presented during the Awards Gala. Jury comments are generally 3 to 5 sentences or a solid paragraph for each winning project; however, please feel free to comment as much or as little as you deem appropriate. These comments should reflect the positive attributes of the project and demonstrate to the public the value of design excellence.

Recipients and non-winners are notified following the judging, but the level of award remains confidential until the evening of the awards program.

Judging Criteria

An entry in the awards program should be judged for the success with which it has met the individual project requirements. An “award winning project” shall demonstrate a high level of design resolution. A project which also advances the contemporary understanding of design by proposing new approaches to the development of architectural form should also be awarded.

Entries will be evaluated individually, not in competition with others. The jury uses anonymous written and visual material submitted for their analysis. There will be no site visits, so it is imperative that the information describe the project as clearly and accurately as possibly. Project authorship will remain concealed throughout the deliberations of the jury. If the authorship is revealed on any of the images, plans, captions or narratives the entry will be disqualified. Awards may be given in as many or as few projects as are deemed worthy to receive recognition as the Jury believes are justified by the quality of the submissions.

Jury considerations include design quality, functional utility, economy, environmental harmony, sustainability, accessibility, aesthetic delight, creativity, craftsmanship and innovation. More specifically the submissions are rated and judged around the following criteria. However, additional criteria may be established by the jury at the time of their review:

Design Excellence:

• Does the design elevate the human experience while addressing the project’s practical needs?
• The building’s character: integration and creative use of materials & systems; ease of use to best serve the client; ability to draw people in to explore, experience and provide a welcoming feeling
• Quality of the built form relative to its program, needs, challenges, and setting
• How the project’s design and functionality serves the client as facilitated by its attention to details
• Does it further our understanding of design via new approaches?

Community Impact:

• Does the design provide significant improvement to its social or physical setting? Overall integration of the project to its contextual surrounds and how the project relates to the community and its users.
• Contextual relationship
• Accessibility

Sustainable Design/Resiliency:
Even though questions about sustainability are part of the optional Performance Statement section, these considerations will be part of the jury’s deliberations, and considered as contributing factors even for an Excellence or Merit Award. All entrants are encouraged to describe the sustainability measures and strategies incorporated into their projects in applicable areas of the Performance Statement section.

• Does the design take a progressive approach to advancing the missions of sustainability and/or resiliency?
• Attention given to energy/water conservation and applicable environmentally friendly materials and design methods
• Life cycle cost and maintainability
• Sustainability and intelligent use of available resources
• Economy

Award Types

Award of Excellence	Project demonstrates the highest level of design and performance,
Award of Merit	Project demonstrates exceptional design and performance
Award of Commendation	Demonstrates exemplary achievement in a specific aspect of a project. and/or for exemplary achievement in specific aspects of the Framework for Design Excellence.
Commendation for Climate Action	Demonstrates exceptional performance & sustainability measures. (Built projects only.)
Best in Competition	Jurors will select one entry among the Excellence Award winners.

NOTE: In future years, think about giving a Climate Action award for projects getting a 4 or more on the technical review.

Announcement of Winners

Recipients and non-winners are notified following the judging, but the level of award remains confidential until the evening of the awards program.

The Design Awards Committee is currently exploring opportunities to provide representation for all entries on the chapter’s website, and during the Awards Ceremony.

Awards Ceremony

Awards will be announced and presented to Architects of winning projects at the annual Awards Celebration in December 2024. Location 501 Union