2025 Design Award winners with jurors and AIA International officers at the awards ceremony.
The AIA International Design Awards program is a highlight of our calendar each year, and so we were excited to announce and celebrate the winners as part of the AIA International Conference Sri Lanka: The Art within Architecture. The 2025 Design Awards ceremony was hosted at the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo on 11 October 2025. Now in its 12th year, the program continues to grow, once again attracting a record number of entries.
Our distinguished jury recognised submissions across three main categories this time - Architecture, Interior Architecture and Urban Design. Winning projects were eligible for further recognition for combining exceptional design with sustainability, in the form of the Sustainable Future Award (SFA) developed with our partner Dow. In addition, the Inclusive Design Excellence Award (IDEA) celebrated projects which embody inclusive and accessible design that supports all people. Finally, the jury conferred the Firm Award for outstanding architectural practice.
We opened with remarks from the Design Awards program chair, Dr Christine Bruckner, FAIA. We were honoured to welcome jurors Barbara Bouza, FAIA (Jury Chair) and Brinda Somaya, Hon. FAIA to the stage to present the awards on behalf of the jury, which also included Sophia Gruzdys, AIA. They were joined by the AIA International President, Yew Kee Cheong, FAIA.
Presenting the 2025 Firm Award to KRIS YAO｜ARTECH
Following tradition, we closed with the Firm Award, which went to KRIS YAO | ARTECH. But the celebration continued that evening as participants gathered for a Kadamandiya Gala Dinner, based on the tastes, sights and sounds of a traditional Sri Lankan village market.
Please see below for the full list of awards, and visit our 2025 Design Awards Winners page to discover the remarkable projects which were recognised. Congratulations again to all the winners!
We look forward to celebrating exceptional design again, this time for a US-based audience, at the AIA Conference on Architecture and Design, AIA26 in San Diego on June 10-13, 2026.
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List of 2025 Awards
Honor Awards for Architecture
Isabu Dokdo Museum, Chung Whan Park, AIA, Simplex Architecture; Samcheok, South Korea
Seaside Pavilion on Chai Shan Island, Lijiang Shen, Intl. Assoc. AIA, GN Architects; China
The Panda Pavilions, Atelier Ping Jiang | EID Arch; Chengdu, China
Merit Awards for Architecture
Dialogue with Nature: Commune STORE, Frankie Lui, Intl. Assoc. AIA, Atelier Glow; Fujian, China
Scott Street Signal Tower Generator, Tyler W. Sharp, Intl. Assoc. AIA, RDH Architects; Toronto, Canada
Sydney Metro Central Station Upgrade, Woods Bagot with John McAslan + Partners; Sydney, Australia
U.S. Embassy Windhoek, Javier Arizmendi, FAIA, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Windhoek, Namibia
Commendations for Architecture
DAISHINKU CORP. HQ and Plant, Nobuaki Miyashita, Intl. Assoc. AIA, MR STUDIO Co., Ltd; Kakogawa, Japan
Edificio Jardín, El Equipo Mazzanti; Bogotá, Colombia
Holiday Retreat at Diyatalawa, Damith Premathilake Architects; Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka
Legacy of Bodegas Faustino Winery, Foster + Partners; Oyón, Spain
Merit Awards for Interior Architecture
Peak Re Headquarters, M Moser Associates; Hong Kong
Shenzhen X-Institute, Zhang Yuxing, Han Jing, Intl. Assoc. AIA, ARCity Office; China
Commendation for Interior Architecture
The Mississauga Central Library Renovation & Addition, Tyler W. Sharp, Intl. Assoc. AIA, RDH Architects; Canada
Honor Award for Urban Design
Ciénaga de Mallorquín, Francisco Ricardo, Intl. Assoc. AIA, DEB Consulting and El Equipo Mazzanti; Barranquilla, Colombia
Merit Awards for Urban Design
ROCKBUND, David Chipperfield Architects; Shanghai, China
Floating Cornice on the Brook, Peidong Zhu, Intl. Assoc. AIA, line+ studio; Hangzhou, China
Firm Award
KRIS YAO | ARTECH
Sustainable Future Awards
Sydney Metro Central Station Upgrade, Woods Bagot with John McAslan + Partners; Sydney, Australia
Peak Re Headquarters, M Moser Associates; Hong Kong
Ciénaga de Mallorquín, Francisco Ricardo, Intl. Assoc. AIA, DEB Consulting and El Equipo Mazzanti; Barranquilla, Colombia
Inclusive Design Excellence Award
Seaside Pavilion on Chai Shan Island, Lijiang Shen, Intl. Assoc. AIA, GN Architects; China
