PHIUS Zero Historic Retrofit, TBDA, Ltd.
Decarbonization Award
Award Information
Submissions open: Week of May 4, 2026
Submissions close: Friday, June 12, 2026, 5:00 PM central
Submission fee: To make submissions more accessible, there is no submission cost in 2026
Purpose:
The Decarbonization Award aims to recognize projects that surpass basic energy reduction objectives, highlighting their leadership in sustainable design. The purpose is to showcase innovative projects that demonstrate a commitment to the goals of the 2030 Commitment while maintaining functional and aesthetic excellence.
Eligibility:
- Projects must be designed by registered architects.
- Entries must be submitted by architecture firms with at least one AIA Chicago member. Projects may be located anywhere in the world.
- Projects located within the Chicago metropolitan area but designed by AIA members based outside Chicago may also be submitted.
- Submissions require additional data and must be operational for at least 12 months prior to the submission deadline.
- All entrants, including all involved architectural team members, must be able to answer ‘Yes’ to the AIA's Unpaid Labor Declaration established by national AIA. See the online submission form for details. Exemptions are noted for students and other types of Pro Bono work.
- All AIA member entrants must be able to answer ‘Yes’ and affirm abidance to the national AIA's Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct (2024). See the online submission form for details.
- All firms submitting to the 2026 Design Excellence Awards and Decarbonization Award must have signed the AIA 2030 Commitment. By joining the 2030 Commitment, you are asserting your firm’s commitment to energy performance and adapting your practice to stand behind that value.
- To join the 2030 Commitment, register your firm through the Design Data Exchange (DDx). The registration will ask you to upload a Commitment letter signed by your firm’s leadership (template is provided on the DDx registration site). https://2030ddx.aia.org/registerFirm
- All firms submitting to the 2026 Decarbonization Award are required to be up to date with project reporting to the Firm Portfolio in the 2030 Design Data Exchange (DDx) at the time of submission. It is required that the submitted project be included in the DDx Firm Portfolio.
- Previous Decarbonization Award-winning projects may not be resubmitted for consideration for a Decarbonization Award if the project won within the last five years (May, 2021 - May, 2026).
- Firms are encouraged to re-enter projects that have not previously won an award from AIA Chicago.
Application Requirements:
Includes standard submission information for AIA Chicago Awards (not visible to the jury), as well as the following:
- How does the project align with the Framework for Design Excellence to reduce carbon emissions? Provide specific design choices, material selections, or technologies that contribute to a low-carbon, resilient, and equitable built environment. Consider one or more of the below:
- Operational Carbon: What strategies were implemented to reduce energy demand, optimize efficiency, and integrate renewable energy?
- Embodied Carbon: How were material selections and sourcing decisions made to minimize emissions, prioritize reuse, and support circularity?
- Resilience: In what ways does the project enhance climate adaptation, passive survivability, and long-term durability?
- Equity: How does the design reduce environmental burdens on vulnerable communities, improve accessibility, and support climate justice?
- Preferred Voice: First Person | Word Limit: 250
- Please list any third party certifications already achieved by this project.
- What deliberate steps were taken to substantially reduce embodied carbon in the structural design? (If the project incorporated any existing structure or infrastructure, please explain.)
- What deliberate steps were taken to reduce embodied carbon in material selections and limit transportation emissions? Examples may include reusing salvaged materials from a local demolition, sourcing stone from a nearby quarry, or requesting that the general contractor procure gypsum board from the manufacturer’s closest plant. Please describe any efforts made to minimize both the embodied carbon in materials and the environmental impact of their transportation. (250 or 300 words).
To extract the necessary data needed to upload for the Decarbonization Award, please login unto the DDx - Design Data Exchange: https://2030ddx.aia.org/account/login
Once you log in, go to the Introduction tab and complete that form. Once you save those details then go to the Summary tab and generate a zip file download. Please refer to THIS GUIDED TUTORIAL to help with this process. Out of the 13 files included in the zip file, you will only upload to Reviewr the following four files:
- File #1 = COTE Project Profile
- File #2 = Introduction
- File #8 = Energy
- File #10 = Resources
Projects will be evaluated holistically, with consideration given to the following key areas:
- Performance: Does the project go beyond basic energy reduction goals, including construction and operational efficiency?
- Innovation: How successfully does the project introduce new strategies for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability?
- 2030 Commitment Alignment: Does the project reflect the architectural profession’s goals outlined in the AIA 2030 Commitment?
- Functional & Aesthetic Excellence: How well does the project balance design quality and functional performance with sustainability and decarbonization objectives?
- Operational Performance: Has the project demonstrated strong environmental performance over the 12 months prior to submission?
Recognition may include:
- Potential to win Honor or Citation of Merit
- 3 complimentary printed certificates to display in your office and/or distribute to team members
- Recognition on AIA Chicago's communication channels
- Acknowledgment on stage at Designight
- Complimentary tickets to Designight
- Consideration for media outreach to local and national outlets
2026 Decarbonization Award Jury
Nadav Malin, Hon. AIA, LEED Fellow, Living Future Accredited
CEO, Green Commons LLC
Battleboro, Vermont
Chandra Robinson, AIA, NOMA
Founder, chromatografica, llc
Portland, Oregon
Doris Sung, AIA
Professor, USC
Principal, DOSU Studio Architecture
Los Angeles, California
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