The Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award, administered by the AIA Chicago Foundation, was established in 2020 to honor excellence in built projects and design programs guided by the conviction that access to high quality architecture is not a privilege, it is a human right. Architecture for Social Justice is defined by the following objectives:

1. To engage a broader cross-section of society, especially those not typically able to access architectural services.
2. To create innovative design solutions that address complex social and economic inequities that impact these communities.

This yearly award celebrates the commitment of designers who work on behalf of the public good while receiving no or below market rate compensation.*

*Market rate compensation is based on conventional fee structures.

Roberta Feldman, Ph.D, Assoc. AIA, is Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Architecture. As an architectural activist, researcher, and educator she is committed to democratic design. Feldman’s work is grounded in the conviction that high quality design is a meaningful and necessary component of an equitable and sustainable society. Her expertise in such work has been recognized nationally and internationally.