2025 Design Awards Winners Gallery

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AWARDS WINNERS

At the 2025 AIAPV Leadership + Design Awards at CELEBRATE DESIGN celebration, held on Thursday, October 16 at Marriott International's Corporate Headquarters in Bethesda, 18 outstanding projects were honored at this year's Excellence in Design Awards. AIAPV Awards Committee Chair Scott Knudson, AIA, joined by AIAPV President Marc Feinstein, AIA, and President-Elect Emily Lally, AIA, led the recognition of this year's award-winning work.

In addition, AIAPV recognized the winners of its new Emerging Professionals and Student Design Competitions. Both competitions explored the theme “Reimagining Urban Spaces in the DMV.” The Emerging Professionals Design Competition invited participants to propose creative strategies for revitalizing neglected urban areas across Maryland—from vacant lots in Baltimore to abandoned buildings in Frederick and waterfronts in Annapolis. The Student Design Competition was sponsored by the Potomac Valley Architecture Foundation (PVAF).

Last, but not least, Edward Day and James Lee, Jr., Esq., 2025 recipients of the Paul H. Kea Medal, were honored during the awards ceremony. 

Design + Leadership Awards is AIA Potomac Valley’s biggest event of the year, providing the opportunity for architects and the greater design community to network with professional peers, celebrate the best work of our members and our region through the chapter's Excellence in Design Awards program, and recognize outstanding leadership with the presentation of our Kea and Emerging Professional Awards.

You can view an online gallery of all professional entries in the 2025 Design Awards competition on the Maryland AIA Projects Gallery as well as access a photo slideshow of the entries and full interview with the jury chair on this web page. Congratulations to our 2025 award recipients!

View and download photos of our award winners.
View the Press Release

2025 AIA POTOMAC VALLEY EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AWARDS

Click the image of each winning project below for further details and photos.

GOLD AWARD
Recognizing “Best in Show” – Residential

GOLD / Residential
PROJECT  Del Ray Passive House
LOCATION  Alexandria, Virginia
ARCHITECT  CEDAR Architects
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Deborah Buelow, AIA, Todd Yeomans, and Tim McCarthy
OWNER/CLIENT  Confidential
CONTRACTOR  Thorsen Construction
PHOTOGRAPHERS  Jennifer Hughes; Frazier Springfield

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Del Ray Passive House is a ground-up net-positive home guided by the principles of regeneration, quality, and collaboration. This project balances energy performance with joy; sustainability with the needs of a large family; connection to nature with privacy. The home has received PHIUS (Passive House Institute of the United States) design certification. Built to last for generations, it offers a model of what’s possible when sustainability is the foundation—not the finish.

JURY 
“The Jury was impressed by the client’s ambition to create a forever home that prioritizes energy efficiency, and by the architects’ ability to realize these goals in the built proposal. The project demonstrates how Passive House standards can be met without compromising beauty, timelessness, or a careful attention to detail and materiality. Both the interior and exterior express a modern sensibility with subtle vernacular references. The spaces are warm, simple, and well daylit, offering areas for quietude as well as collective gathering.”

GOLD AWARD
Recognizing “Best in Show” – Non-Residential

GOLD / Institutional Architecture
PROJECT  Bowie State University, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Communication Arts and Humanities
LOCATION  Bowie, Maryland
ARCHITECT  Perkins&Will
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Carl Knutson, AIA; Paul Harney, AIA; Renee Rodriguez, AIA; Thomas Butcavage, FAIA; Kate Carrico; Katie Janson; Brittany McNairy; Joshua Rubin, AIA; Veronica Hernandez; Laura McMullan; Elaine Zhang; Keegan Wilson; Christine Burton; Mike Johnson II; Marta Fenollosa, AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Bowie State University
CONTRACTOR  Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
PHOTOGRAPHERS  Halkin Mason Photography; Lincoln Barbour

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Bowie State University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Center is an integral part of the campus experience, collecting and connecting students across various fields into a facility that is designed to encourage student self-expression and foster a collaborative environment for learning and creativity. The building equips students with, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated in his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, “courage to face the uncertainties of the future.”

JURY 
“A vessel for voice and memory, this center extends Dr. King’s legacy into the future; where the power of speech, performance, and storytelling continue to shape collective dignity. Its architecture frames these acts—through auditoria, studios, and gathering spaces—so that the spoken word reverberates as built form, an idea that is also cemented in the rhythm of the facade.”

---

PV AWARD
Recognizing the best project exemplifying elements of the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence

PV Award
PROJECT  Joy Evans Therapeutic Recreation Center
LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia
ARCHITECT  DLR Group
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Matt Davitt, AIA; Rachel Chung, AIA; Hannah Caster, Jate Yonkos, Michael Boco, Hillary Keene, Chris Sanders, Bob Widger
OWNER/CLIENT  DC Department of General Services
CONTRACTOR  Smoot Construction Company
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT  CGLA
PHOTOGRAPHER  Allen Russ / Allen Russ Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Joy Evans Therapeutic Recreation Center is a new state-of-the-art facility focused on providing therapeutic recreational programming and serving people of all ages and along the full spectrum of physical and cognitive abilities. It is sited on forested National Park Service land in Southeast Washington, DC and is designed to take full advantage of this location to harness the therapeutic benefits of biophilic design for its users by establishing strong connections to nature.

JURY 
“A highly articulated design that maximizes solar gain, shading, and rainwater collection. The architect has created a sustainable, biophilic space with a unique roofline that enhances the community experience, blending environmental responsibility with architectural beauty."

---

Commercial or Mixed-Use Architecture

COMMENDATION AWARD
PROJECT  Rosewood Townhouses
LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia
ARCHITECT  Winstanley Architects & Planners
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Michael Winstanley AIA, George Eisenberger, AIA, Leejung Hong LEED AP, Graesen Johnson
OWNER/CLIENT  Rosewood CTF Development / Kristian Overbeek
CONTRACTOR  Pizzano Contractors
PHOTOGRAPHER  Anice Hoachlander / Anice Hoachlander Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In 2017, Rosewood Hotel acquired the Capella Hotel at 1026 31st Street NW in Georgetown, along with a collection of unrenovated historic townhouses built circa 1890 at the corner of 31st Street NW and South Street. This project represents a significant adaptive reuse and historic preservation effort, transforming these late 19th-century townhouses into exclusive luxury suites as part of the hotel. The renovation increased the hotel’s total room count from 49 to 63 rooms, seamlessly integrating these historic structures into Rosewood’s boutique hospitality experience.

JURY
“The jury was impressed by the project's minimal intervention with the existing historical character of the Georgetown streetscape. By preserving the integrity of the exterior, the townhouses were given a new purpose without erasing their past. This measured approach allowed modern infrastructure to work quietly behind the historic facade, creating a seamless blend of old and new.”

---

INTERIOR Architecture

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  A 15 Year Library for 10,000 Books
LOCATION  Potomac, Maryland
ARCHITECT  McInturff Architects
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Mark McInturff FAIA, David Mogensen AIA, Peter Noonan AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Confidential
CONTRACTOR  Added Dimensions Inc / Alan Kanner
PHOTOGRAPHER  Anice Hoachlander; Julia Heine

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This house was designed to be built in stages, with a decade between. The first included normal spaces for family living. This phase, originally left as a clean dark shell, is a library for 10,000 books, carefully detailed and constructed three levels opening to views over the Potomac. Floating above, a two-story spiral stair leads to a glass-floored suspended reading space, opening to an exterior balcony, 30 feet above the ground. Patience has its virtues.

JURY 
“The jury felt the positioning of the full-height double-storied library at the core of the house establishing a relationship between the plan of the house and the collection was a strong move. The delicate gestures of spiral stair leads and private reading area in glass and steel contrasted beautifully the warmth of the library in these spaces.” 

COMMENDATION AWARD
PROJECT  Baden Branch Library
LOCATION  Brandywine, Maryland
ARCHITECT  Grimm + Parker Architects
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Antonio Rebelo AIA, LEED AP, Agnes Panganiban, Julia Crawford Assoc. AIA, NCIDQ, LEED AP, Richard Watt AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Prince George's County Memorial Library System
CONTRACTOR  Nardi Construction
PHOTOGRAPHER  Martice Tucker / Grimm + Parker Architects

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A little library, housed inside a school for decades, waited for an opportunity to expand. Finally, Baden Branch Library moved next door and transformed an abandoned clinic into a vibrant and colorful library, doubling its size. Inspired by the apple orchards, the design exceeded everyone’s expectations through uses of colors and patterns—offering a welcoming, sustainable space for all ages. One community member said, “even though this is small, it is huge for us!”

JURY
"In transforming an abandoned health clinic, the architects proposed an interior adaptive reuse inspired by regional apple orchards. The design is colorful in both expression and use, offering unscripted zones that support multiple functions beyond the prescribed program. It is a cheerful and imaginative proposal, best captured by a community member’s reflection: “Even though this is small, it is huge for us.” The Jury wholeheartedly agrees."

---

RESIDENTIAL Architecture

HONOR AWARD
PROJECT  Flint Hill
LOCATION  Flint Hill, Virginia
ARCHITECT  Gardner Architects LLC
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Amy E Gardner FAIA LEED-AP, Principal; Brittany L Williams AIA LEED-AP, Project Architect
OWNER/CLIENT  Confidential
CONTRACTOR  Willoughby
PHOTOGRAPHER  John Cole Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Flint Hill inherits the undulating foothills, clear skies, and sprawling vistas of Rappahannock County. Our client’s agenda: a sustainably-minded house with living and sleeping wings, vegetable and flower gardens, a year-round pool, a bocce court, and a carport, located strategically within the sixty-four acre site. The house borrows forms from local farm outbuildings, and comprises two wings that capture light and breeze, follow the topography and share views of the adjacent meadows and distant mountains. 

JURY 
“An elegant, restrained palette design that respects its rural context. The transparent living room and timber-clad annex create a harmonious relationship with the surrounding meadows, while the thoughtful use of sustainable materials creates a signature, timeless architecture.”

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  McKay-Scheer Studio
LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia
ARCHITECT  Hill & Hurtt Architects
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Eric Hurtt, AIA Principal, & Bradley Kaufman, AIA Project Architect
OWNER/CLIENT  Lisa Scheer & Hugh McKay
CONTRACTOR  Design/Build Inc. - Dave Flumer (Design/Build Inc. is now retired)
PHOTOGRAPHER  Frazier Springfield

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
After decades of use as a rental apartment with a small studio and storage space, this adaptive reuse project transforms an early 20th-century commercial/light industrial building in a historic neighborhood into a modern home, maintaining the attached industrial scale garage studio to create a live/work environment for the artist owners.  Developing interior spaces with ample natural light and direct visual connections to the exterior which maintain privacy was a critical component of the design.

JURY 
“A tender act of reuse, the studio holds onto fragments of its industrial past while becoming an intimate ground for creativity and continuity.”

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  Del Ray Passive House
LOCATION  Alexandria, Virginia
ARCHITECT  CEDAR Architects
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Deborah Buelow, AIA, Todd Yeomans, and Tim McCarthy
OWNER/CLIENT  Confidential
CONTRACTOR  Thorsen Construction
PHOTOGRAPHERS  Jennifer Hughes; Frazier Springfield

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Del Ray Passive House is a ground-up net-positive home guided by the principles of regeneration, quality, and collaboration. This project balances energy performance with joy; sustainability with the needs of a large family; connection to nature with privacy. The home has received PHIUS (Passive House Institute of the United States) design certification. Built to last for generations, it offers a model of what’s possible when sustainability is the foundation—not the finish.

JURY 
“The Jury was impressed by the client’s ambition to create a forever home that prioritizes energy efficiency, and by the architects’ ability to realize these goals in the built proposal. The project demonstrates how Passive House standards can be met without compromising beauty, timelessness, or a careful attention to detail and materiality. Both the interior and exterior express a modern sensibility with subtle vernacular references. The spaces are warm, simple, and well daylit, offering areas for quietude as well as collective gathering.”

COMMENDATION AWARD
PROJECT  Bullis Park Residence
LOCATION  Silver Spring, Maryland
ARCHITECT  Carib Daniel Martin A+D
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Carib Daniel Martin, AIA, M. Gabriela Leniz, Sue Bryan, Nick Wilson, Lisa Quandt, JC Comeau
OWNER/CLIENT  Marc + Brandy Blair
CONTRACTOR  Classic Homes of Maryland / Howard Saslow + Tim Moser
PHOTOGRAPHER  Anice Hoachlander

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Bullis Park Residence was created for a family wanting a modern home that felt connected to its traditional neighborhood. The design makes the most of its compact lot, with open living spaces filled with natural light and easy flow to the outdoors. High ceilings and carefully placed windows create a sense of spaciousness and privacy. Every feature, from the wrap-around porch to the backyard ball court, reflects the family’s routines and sense of community.

JURY
“This residential project in Silver Spring, Maryland draws formal inspiration from its context, demonstrating a thoughtful reading of scale and typology in the development of a new housing proposal. Elements such as board and batten siding, porch, yard, and landscaping are choreographed to offer a fresh interpretation of familiar domestic features. The integration of resilient landscaping and energy-efficient strategies further contributes to reducing the home's environmental footprint."

---

INSTITUTIONAL ARCHITECTURE

HONOR AWARD
PROJECT  Saint James School Pohanka Fine Arts Center
LOCATION  Hagerstown, Maryland
ARCHITECT  MSB Architects
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  M. Scott Bowen, AIA & Janelle Horst, AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Saint James School
CONTRACTOR  Callas Contractors
PHOTOGRAPHER  Chris Spielmann / Spielmann Studio

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Rooted in the Georgian traditions of Saint James School, the Pohanka Fine Arts Center frames a contemporary curved volume between two classical bookends: the main entrance and recital hall. This juxtaposition creates a dialogue of tension between permanence and innovation, tradition and experimentation. At 22,000 square feet, the center houses music, visual art, and performance in a civic-scale presence, opening to the Bai Yuka landscape with crafted detail, natural light, and ecological connections.

JURY
“Here the arts are a heartbeat, giving young people a sanctuary, the arts and the ages are woven together through a strong gesture in the roof designed by the architects.”

HONOR AWARD
PROJECT  Bowie State University, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Communication Arts and Humanities
LOCATION  Bowie, Maryland
ARCHITECT  Perkins&Will
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Carl Knutson, AIA; Paul Harney, AIA; Renee Rodriguez, AIA; Thomas Butcavage, FAIA; Kate Carrico; Katie Janson; Brittany McNairy; Joshua Rubin, AIA; Veronica Hernandez; Laura McMullan; Elaine Zhang; Keegan Wilson; Christine Burton; Mike Johnson II; Marta Fenollosa, AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Bowie State University
CONTRACTOR  Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
PHOTOGRAPHERS  Halkin Mason Photography; Lincoln Barbour

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Bowie State University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Center is an integral part of the campus experience, collecting and connecting students across various fields into a facility that is designed to encourage student self-expression and foster a collaborative environment for learning and creativity. The building equips students with, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated in his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, “courage to face the uncertainties of the future.”

JURY 
“A vessel for voice and memory, this center extends Dr. King’s legacy into the future; where the power of speech, performance, and storytelling continue to shape collective dignity. Its architecture frames these acts—through auditoria, studios, and gathering spaces—so that the spoken word reverberates as built form, an idea that is also cemented in the rhythm of the facade.”

HONOR AWARD
PROJECT  Joy Evans Therapeutic Recreation Center
LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia
ARCHITECT  DLR Group
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Matt Davitt, AIA; Rachel Chung, AIA; Hannah Caster, Jate Yonkos, Michael Boco, Hillary Keene, Chris Sanders, Bob Widger
OWNER/CLIENT  DC Department of General Services
CONTRACTOR  Smoot Construction Company
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT  CGLA
PHOTOGRAPHER  Allen Russ / Allen Russ Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Joy Evans Therapeutic Recreation Center is a new state-of-the-art facility focused on providing therapeutic recreational programming and serving people of all ages and along the full spectrum of physical and cognitive abilities. It is sited on forested National Park Service land in Southeast Washington, DC and is designed to take full advantage of this location to harness the therapeutic benefits of biophilic design for its users by establishing strong connections to nature.

JURY 
“A highly articulated design that maximizes solar gain, shading, and rainwater collection. The architect has created a sustainable, biophilic space with a unique roofline that enhances the community experience, blending environmental responsibility with architectural beauty."

HONOR AWARD
PROJECT  Montgomery College Math and Science Building
LOCATION  Takoma Park, Maryland
ARCHITECT  SmithGroup
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Design Team: SmithGroup - Provided the following services: FFE; Building Technology; HVAC Design; Architecture; Engineer of Record; Program Verification; Plumbing Design; Design; Electrical Engineering; Construction Documents; Laboratory Planning; Interior Design; Fire Protection; Construction Administration; Conceptual Design Robert Bull, AIA, Principal in Charge; Kevin Johnson, AIA, Project Manager; Bill Jones, AIA, Architecture; Lori Cappuccio, AIA, Principal, Architecture and Planning; Rabeea Hameed, Architecture, Designer; Wade Fuh, AIA, Architecture Lead Designer; Dominique Serrette, Architect; Jordan Duke, Architecture, Designer; Doris Cheng, Electrical Engineer; Jamison Caldwell, Mechanical Engineer; Matt Fogarty, Electrical Engineer; Victor Braciszewski, Impact Engineer; Elena Charming, Mechanical Engineer; Patricia Halaby, AIA, Architecture; Paula Caro, Architecture; Cheryl Brown, Interior Design; Joanne Valencia, Lab Planning; Yin Kay Wong, Plumbing Engineer; Viral Amin, Fire Protection Engineering; Lokesh Nigam, Fire Protection Engineering; Eric Dixon, Impact Engineer
OWNER/CLIENT  Montgomery College, Lisa Thomas, Senior Project Manager, Assoc. AIA, LEED GA
CONTRACTOR   Barton Malow Construction / David Coleman
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT  Mahan Rykiel Associates, Inc. / Steve Kelly
PHOTOGRAPHER  Alan Karchmer

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The new Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science Building at Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus exemplifies the College’s dedication to STEM education. It features state-of-the-art labs, a Math and Science Learning Center, a planetarium, outdoor green spaces, and landscaped walkways. The building creates a new campus anchor and supports commuter students in their pursuit of careers in science, math, technology, medicine, and nursing, setting them on a successful academic journey.

JURY
“An elegant, well-proportioned design with a restrained material palette that celebrates geometry, proportion, light, and air. A subtle twist in the plan creates striking double-height spaces, while the refined use of materials and natural light makes this a thoughtful and commendable scheme.”

COMMENDATION AWARD
PROJECT  Ellen Ochoa Middle School
LOCATION  Landover Hills, Maryland
ARCHITECT  Grimm + Parker Architects
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Kieran Wilmes, AIA, Jonathan Hill, AIA, Kat Schooley, Melissa Wilfong, AIA, Laura Smyles, AIA, Patrick Byrne, Chang Song
OWNER/CLIENT  Prince George's County Public Schools
CONTRACTOR   MCN Build
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT  Bradley Site Design
PHOTOGRAPHER  Sam Kittner / Sam Kittner Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Ellen Ochoa Middle School is a new 1,200-seat Middle School which draws inspiration from its location in Glenridge Community Park for form and material and provides a new community hub. The school is organized around a Student Commons that flows downhill with the slope of the park and connects the public zone (Gym, Dining, Media and Admin) to the Academic Wings and North and South Learning Courtyards which provide secure outdoor learning environments.

JURY
“The jury felt the new school with its design and materiality made a connection to the surrounding landscape and the neighborhood, while the jury commended its high-performance features like LEED Gold and a net zero energy target help it reduce its environmental impact and meet sustainable goals. We found the layout emphasizes the use of natural light and collective spaces that make it a welcoming, inclusive place.”

---

MULTI-FAMILY ARCHITECTURE

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  Atworth
LOCATION  College Park, Maryland
ARCHITECT  WDG
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  ARCHITECTURE: Bob Keane, AIA, Mickey Finn, AIA, Matt Lam, Renzo Carlin, Deborah MacPherson, AIA INTERIORS: Manuel Lauzurique-Abiega, Keith Worley, AIA, Neha Pathare, Michael Broderick
OWNER/CLIENT  Gilbane Development Company / Bobby Gilbane, Matt Michetti, Stefano Terricola
CONTRACTOR  CBG Building Company / Tom Sedeski
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT  Lee and Associates, Inc. / Jeff Lee
PHOTOGRAPHER  Firewater Photography / Kris Decker

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Atworth, completed in 2023, is a landmark 568,000-SF community delivering 451 units of 100% affordable housing in College Park. Partnering with the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, the project ensures long-term affordability for residents earning up to 80% of area median income. Located beside the College Park Metro and future Purple Line, Atworth advances transit-oriented living, connects residents to jobs and education, and integrates retail, courtyards, and commuter-inspired design to strengthen community access and opportunity.

JURY
“A high-density, mixed-use development close to a Metro system, Atworth seamlessly integrates into the urban fabric. The design features private garden courtyards and well-concealed parking, offering a dignified relationship with the city and a respite space for residents on the interior.”

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  Union on Knox
LOCATION  College Park, Maryland
ARCHITECT  WDG
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  ARCHITECURE: Bob Keane, AIA, Mickey Finn, AIA, Matt Lam, Sungjin Cho, AIA, David Osorio, Deborah McPherson, AIA  INTERIORS: Manuel Lauzurique-Abiega, Keith Worley, AIA, Neha Pathare, Michael Broderick
OWNER/CLIENT  Greystar / John Beinert
CONTRACTOR  John Moriarty & Associates, LLC / Chris Woitowicz
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT  Lee and Associates, Inc. / Jeff Lee
PHOTOGRAPHER  StudioHDP / Anice Hoachlander

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Union on Knox, completed in 2024, is a mixed-use student apartment community bridging the University of Maryland’s campus downtown College Park. The 359,000-SF development includes 340 apartments, 24,000 SF of retail, and a 331-space garage. Anchored by Sterling Place, a pedestrian retail corridor, the project overcomes a 20-foot grade change with a grand public stair that links campus and city. Featuring active storefronts, student-focused amenities, and LEED-Gold design, Union on Knox creates a vibrant, connected community.

JURY
“Though simple in its architecture, it is generous in its creation of an urban commons- its presence cultivating chance encounters, solidarities, and shared rhythms that make a campus alive.”

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  The Braystone
LOCATION  Alexandria, Virginia
ARCHITECT  Winstanley Architects & Planners
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  George Eisenberger AIA, Michael Winstanley AIA, Leejung Hong LEED AP, Mike Balaban, Abhimata Nursilo, Chan Park, Assoc. AIA, Harrison Blair, Bence Szaloki, AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Holladay Corporation and The Foundry Companies
CONTRACTOR  Holladay Corporation
PHOTOGRAPHER  Anice Hoachlander / Anice Hoachlander Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Located at the western edge of Old Town Alexandria’s historic core, The Braystone at 1300 King Street weaves preservation and innovation into a unified urban response. The project reactivates a prominent corner through the restoration of two 19th-century masonry storefronts and the introduction of a four-story, 55,000-square-foot mixed-use building with 32 condominium residences above retail. Inspired by the site’s industrial past, the design introduces new density while honoring the scale and texture of its historic context.

JURY
“A masterful adaptive reuse of an industrial building, blending modern extensions with the original steel and brick structure. This project celebrates the building's history, contextualizing modern storytelling and ensuring its lasting relevance.”

COMMENDATION AWARD
PROJECT  The Leggett + Silver Spring Recreation & Aquatic Center (SSRAC)
LOCATION  Silver Spring, Maryland
ARCHITECT  Kishimoto.Gordon.Dalaya PC (KGD Architecture)
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Tom Donaghy, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Principal-in-Charge; Alex Shifflett, AIA, NCARB, CDT, CSI, CCCA, Project Director; Kevin Pennington, RA, LEED AP, Project Architect; Iffat Afsana, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Project Architect; Leah Kleinman, AIA, NCARB, LEED Green Associate, Project Architect; Nia Furr, NCARB, Architectural Designer; Shane Trexler, MBA, LEED AP O+M, Sustainability; and Jacobi Gastile, BIM Manager
OWNER/CLIENT  Housing Opportunities Commission, Montgomery County, MD
CONTRACTOR  Costello Construction
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT OCULUS: Landscape Architecture + Urban Design
PHOTOGRAPHER  Kristopher Ilich / Kristopher Ilich Productions LLC; Patrick Ross / Patrick Ross Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
"This mixed-use development is a true gift to the neighborhood. The jury was impressed with its strong social impact, especially the commitment to a community-focused design. With new pools, a health center, and dedicated senior living, the development shows a real understanding of the community's needs, creating a new, vibrant hub for everyone to enjoy."

JURY
“A masterful adaptive reuse of an industrial building, blending modern extensions with the original steel and brick structure. This project celebrates the building's history, contextualizing modern storytelling and ensuring its lasting relevance.”

---

SMALL PROJECTS

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  Hillandale Pavilion
LOCATION  Hillandale, Maryland
ARCHITECT  Winstanley Architects & Planners
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Michael Winstanley AIA, George Eisenberger, AIA, Leejung Hong LEED AP, Abhimata Nursilo, Harrison Blair
OWNER/CLIENT  Montgomery Parks, Wheaton HQ
CONTRACTOR  Dustin Construction
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT  Parker Rodriguez
PHOTOGRAPHER  Anice Hoachlander / Anice Hoachlander Photography

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The design of the Hillandale Local Park Pavilion embodies a playful and dynamic architectural expression, inspired by the very meaning of "Hill and Dale"—a landscape of rolling hills and valleys. The double-pitched roof reflects this concept, creating a sense of movement and rhythm that echoes the natural undulations of the surrounding park terrain. The design team explored multiple concepts, engaging with community groups throughout the process to ensure the pavilion would be a welcoming and meaningful structure for local residents.

JURY
“In its simplicity, the pavilion gifts the community a stage for everyday ritual—picnics, play, gathering—where belonging is practiced in the open air.”

---

UNBUILT ARCHITECTURE

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT  Torpedo Factory Arts Center
LOCATION  Alexandria, Virginia
ARCHITECT  Winstanley Architects & Planners
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  George Eisenberger AIA, Michael Winstanley AIA, Leejung Hong LEED AP, Mike Balaban, Chan Park, Assoc. AIA, Bence Szaloki, AIA
OWNER/CLIENT  Route 66
CONTRACTOR  N/A
RENDERING  Lifang Renderings

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Torpedo Factory Art Center (TFAC), originally a U.S. Naval munitions plant, was transformed in 1974 into a public arts hub on Alexandria’s waterfront. The new vision repositions TFAC as a dynamic, 21st-century cultural destination. The plan retains the original structure while reorganizing the interior around a central atrium to improve daylight, circulation, and visibility across all floors. This re-envisioning transforms TFAC into a future-facing cultural landmark—an inclusive and inspiring epicenter for arts, innovation, and public life along the Alexandria waterfront.

JURY
“The Jury appreciated this community-focused adaptive reuse project, which promotes public access to the waterfront and reimagines a landmark building as a new social condenser. The excavation of the central bays to introduce a light-filled sculptural atrium is a transformative gesture—bringing daylight deep into the building’s plan and establishing visual connections across its various zones. This intervention achieves maximum impact while preserving as much of the original building fabric as possible.”

Visit our 2025 Student and Emerging Professionals Winners Galleries.

---

View the Jury Team 2025

David Adjaye, Hon. FAIA [Jury Chair]
Founder and Principal
Adjaye Associates, Ltd. – London, United Kingdom

Sean Canty
Founder and Principal
Studio Sean Canty – Cambridge, MA

Joe Franchina, AIA
Associate Principal
Adjaye Associates, Ltd. – New York, NY

Sumayya Vally
Founder and Principal
Counterspace – Johannesburg, South Africa  

The AIA Potomac Valley Excellence in Design Awards Competition is designed to encourage and recognize distinguished architectural achievement; to honor the architectural team, their clients and consultants who work together to improve the built environment; to demonstrate the breadth of services architects provide; and to raise public consciousness of the Architect’s role in shaping the quality of life through design excellence. The awards program recognizes excellence in design and planning. Consequently, the awards program honors the full range of quality work completed or designed by eligible members of the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter and AIA Members from other chapters for work located in AIAPV's region.

---

AIA Potomac Valley provides leadership, communication, education, and advocacy in support of architects and their constituencies in the Potomac Valley region. We empower members to advance their roles in service to society; act as a collective voice to help cultivate the future of the architectural profession; foster innovation and sustainability in design; and are a knowledge resource to members and the public, raising awareness of the value of the architecture profession. The chapter serves roughly 700 members in Allegany, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Washington counties in Maryland.

Our charitable arm, the Potomac Valley Architecture Foundation, promotes architectural education, training and research, and public awareness of the field of architecture.

Photo Gallery