2025 AIA Tampa Bay Design Awards Recap

AIA Tampa Bay is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Honor and Design Awards. Awards were presented at Celebrate Design on November 6th at Centro Asturiano de Tampa in a ceremony led by AIA Tampa Bay President Jody Beck, AIA with Tampa-based real estate broker and podcast host, Garrett Greco serving as emcee.

The top design award, the H. Dean Rowe, FAIA Award for Design Excellence was presented to Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation by Hepner Architects, Incorporated and CannonDesign. The jury praised the project for being “especially bold, well-resolved, and clear in its execution. The in-between spaces that are dispersed throughout the circulation and courtyard are active, well scaled, and encourage movement and social interaction amongst students.”

The President’s Award was bestowed by Jody Beck, AIA upon Lilian Boutros for her outstanding service and leadership within AIA Tampa Bay as a past board member and chair of the Honor and Design Awards committee which plans the Celebrate Design event. 

Honor awards, recognizing service to the architecture community, AIA Tampa Bay and the built environment were bestowed on the following honorees:

• Award of Excellence: Congresswoman Kathy Castor – Recognized for advocacy supporting sustainability, clean energy, and resilient communities.

• Allied Award: Dylan Kesterson – For outstanding involvement and partnership in support of AIA Tampa Bay programs.

• Artisan Award: Bast Floors & Staircases – For craftsmanship elevating architectural design.

• Contractor’s Award: Reno Boyd Construction – For excellence in collaboration and construction quality.

• Kelley Emerging Professional Award: Brandon Newton, Assoc. AIA, NOMA – For leadership, mentorship, and community engagement.

• Pullara Award: Angela Hendershot, AIA – For distinguished long-term service to the chapter and profession.

• Firm Award: EMPAD Architecture and Design – For a culture of mentorship, community service, and design contribution.

• Medal of Honor: Beverly Frank, AIA – The chapter’s highest honor for sustained service, leadership, and impact.

• Eduardo Garcia Award: Zilsalina Mendieta and Brad Cooke – Both were recognized for excellence in design achievement as emerging professionals.

People’s Choice Award

The People’s Choice Award, selected from 23 entries by public vote, was awarded to Tampa International Airport Main Terminal Curbside Expansion by HNTB, with more than 1,000 votes cast for the project.

Sustainability Awards

The Sustainability Award was juried by Bradley Dietert, Allison Wilson and Tim Murray with the Texas Society of Architects Committee on the Environment.  They selected the St. Petersburg Sanitation Department Building by Sweet Sparkman for the Sustainability Award.  The jury commented “This building design shows dignity to the environment, its users, and greater community. This building takes on a servant -leadership role in its purpose of serving the community and through its innovative and efficient design goals”.

Design Awards

This year’s Design Awards were juried by a distinguished panel from Sasaki, a global design firm known for its integrated approach to planning, architecture, landscape, and urban design. The jury included:

• Fiske Crowell, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, Sasaki Boston — Lead Juror

• Carla Ceruzzi, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Principal, Sasaki Boston

• Ian Dickenson, AIA, Director, Sasaki Los Angeles

• Meredith McCarthy, AIA, Chair at Large, Sasaki Board of Directors

Together, the jury reviewed projects across multiple categories to recognize outstanding achievements in the built environment.

Merit Awards recognize projects that embody excellence in architectural design and demonstrate a thoughtful and skillful response to context, program, and purpose.

Honor Awards, the highest level of recognition, are reserved for work that exemplifies exceptional design distinction, innovation, and impact.

Merit Award Winners

Sarasota County Fire Station #13, Sweet Sparkman — New Work
A contemporary interpretation of regional architectural language and thoughtful site response.

Bayshore Gardens, ASD|SKY — Renovation / Addition
Understated recladding and inviting outdoor spaces that enhance daily use and comfort.

Vestige & Vision: Echoes of Place, Luis Felipe Sanchez Carvajal — Student Category
A sensitive and site-informed visitor center proposal rooted in landscape and memory.

Riverdale Public Library, Sweet Sparkman — Renovation / Addition
Sophisticated and playful interior reorganization elevating a community resource.

Skipstop Housing, Halflants Pichette — Unbuilt
A concept-forward housing model balancing program, density, and street experience.

Schoolhouse Modern, Sweet Sparkman — Historic Preservation
Respectful integration preserving historic elements and significant site features.

University of Florida School of Dentistry, HuntonBrady Architects — Unbuilt
A wellness-centered academic facility emphasizing daylight, comfort, and performance.

Wilderness Road Event Center, AETHERWORKS — Unbuilt
A restrained and elegant reconstruction approach following disaster-related site impact.

Honor Award Winners

NOOC, WJ Architects — Small Project
A beautifully crafted composition of functional objects elevated into a meaningful spatial installation.

Moffitt Cancer Center at SouthShore, The Beck Group — New Work
Refined architecture delivering calm and clarity within a technically demanding clinical environment.

Ybor City Townhouse, Practice — New Work
A contemporary reinterpretation of historic Ybor typologies with exceptional detail quality.

Asolo Rep Koski Production Center, Sweet Sparkman — Renovation / Addition
A playful yet restrained palette supporting creative use and functional needs.

Nathan Benderson Park & Boathouse, WJ Architects — New Work
A bold civic landmark grounding identity, recreation, and community access.

The Nest at The Bay Park, Sweet Sparkman — Urban Design
A community-centered public realm integrating ecology, recreation, and cultural space.

Congratulations to all our 2025 award recipients!

See Photo Gallery by Mark Borosch, Architectural Photographer HERE