Partial view of exterior of Marvin Hall showing crenulations above main entrance contrasted with a blue sky dotted with white clouds.

ArcD Advisory Board Design Excellence Awards

The Design Excellence Awards recognize students who demonstrate exceptional design skills and creativity in 3rd- and 4th-year studio projects.

Submissions due February 15, 2026
See full guidelines below.

Submit Work

Established by the KU School of Architecture & Design's Professional Advisory Board, the annual Design Excellence Awards recognize students who demonstrate exceptional design skills and creativity. The program is open to students in both the architecture and design departments. One Excellence Award and one Honorable Mention will be given per studio level/ degree program for a total of up to 28 awards. Excellence Award winners will receive a cash award, and all winners will receive a certificate and digital recognition. 

Eligibility

  • Studio projects produced in the Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 semesters in students’ 3rd and 4th years.
  • Students must have received Grade ‘A’ for the studio project.
  • Students must have a current cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
  • Only one submission per student.
  • DesignBuild studio projects are not considered for this award.

Submission Guidelines

  • The project document must be 10MB or less.
  • Must have cover page that includes: 1) year; 2) semester; 3) degree program 4) studio name; 5) course number; 6) studio instructor; 7) 200-word summary of the project and its design intentions; 8) name(s) of student contributor(s)
  • If submitting video, include link.

Submission Deadline

11:59pm, February 15, 2026

Selection Criteria

  • Innovative interpretation of the design challenge given.
  • Creativity of the design strategy/concept developed.
  • The level and quality of development and resolution of the design.
  • The quality of representation/communication of the design project.

Selection Process

  • Professional Advisory Board selects the award winners.
  • Students and faculty names will be redacted for the evaluation.
  • Award winners will be notified by April 01, 2026.
  • Winning projects will be posted on school website.

Awards Ceremony

A formal award ceremony will recognize the achievements of the award recipients. This event would be combined with the school's spring/April meeting of the Professional Advisory Board. Award winners will be invited to the award ceremony including lunch with the Advisory Board members.