About the 25 Year Award

Since its founding in 1954, the AIAOC has celebrated and served the profession of architecture and the unique, growing communities that have become Orange County. In recognition of the importance of the built environment, the AIAOC has a proud tradition of recognizing significant architectural projects with its annual design awards program.
With the Chapter recently celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2024, it’s important to recognize those unique projects that have stood the test of time with the annual 25-Year Award. Past recipients include some of the most iconic pieces of architecture in the region. A complete list of the AIAOC 25-year award winners is on the AIAOC website: aiaoc.org
As highlighted in Alan Hess’ keynote presentation at the 2024 AIAOC awards program, Orange County’s architectural history is often overlooked and understudied. We believe that, with the right promotion, the AIAOC 25-Year Award can serve as a catalyst for greater appreciation of the built environment and become one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by our chapter.
To achieve this, we need the support of the AIAOC community to honor the firms and individuals who have contributed to this rich history by submitting nominations for the 25-Year Award. A robust submission process with active participation from AIAOC members will establish a high standard for this award moving forward. Any AIAOC member can submit a nomination, provided it meets the following criteria:
The award seeks to recognize projects that have demonstrated excellence in function, distinguished execution of their original program, and a high level of creativity that remains relevant today. In essence, the project should be timeless.
Eligibility & Submission Requirements:

Member Eligibility

  • Any AIA Member, AIA Associate Member, group of AIA members, component, or PIA may nominate a project for the Twenty-five Year Award.
  • The award is open to architectural projects of all classifications and may include a single building or a related group of buildings forming a single project. The projects must have been completed and put into service prior to the end of the year 1999.

Submission Requirements:

Submission Materials are open to personal discretion, but must also meet the following qualifications:

  • PROJECT NAME, YEAR BUILT, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ARE REQUIRED
  • The project must be located in Orange County, California, and designed by an architect licensed in the United States.
  • The project must be standing in a substantially completed form and in good condition. Any additions or renovations must align with the original design intent.
  • The project should still fulfill its original program. Changes in use are permitted if they do not fundamentally alter the original design intent.
  • Both the building and its site should be considered together. Any alterations to the immediate context will be taken into account.

There is no cost to submit a nomination for the 25-Year Award, and the winner(s) will be recognized at the annual 2025 AIAOC Design Awards ceremony. More details on the jury and the submission date will be provided soon. We hope this note will begin a renewal of interest in our region’s Architectural history and inspire the AIAOC community to participate in promoting our Architectural history by making a submittal for the 25-year award.

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