DEADLINE EXTENSION! NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS UNTIL NOVEMBER 14th, 2025 at 5:00PM JST!

The AIA Japan Chapter invites AIA members assigned to the Japan Chapter, as well as AIA members working on projects in Japan, to submit their projects for the 2025 AIA Japan Design Award Program by the new extended deadline of November 14, 2025. The 2025 AIA Japan Design Award Ceremony is scheduled for December 13, 2025.

The mission of the AIA Japan Design Awards Program is to encourage excellence in architectural design and planning, and to provide a platform through which architects can gain recognition from both their peers and the public. The goal is to elevate the standards of architectural design excellence for the benefit of the architectural community and society at large.

With five distinct categories—Architecture (large-scale project), Architecture (small-scale project, single detached house), Interior Architecture, Urban Planning, and a Special Entry Category welcoming architects who have not yet joined the AIA—the AIA Japan Design Awards provide a comprehensive platform for architects to showcase their creativity and technical prowess.

JURORS

AIA Japan is proud to announce the distinguished jury for the 2025 Design Awards!
This year’s panel brings together leading voices in international architecture and design.

Michel Van Ackere, AIA is Professor-in-Practice at Meiji University’s International Program in Architecture and Urban Design, based in Tokyo. He received his BA from Brown University in Art and Architecture History, and his M.Arch from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, where he was awarded the AIA Gold Medal and the Julia Amory Appleton Travelling Fellowship.
Following graduation from the GSD, Michel was employed at Maki and Associates in Tokyo through 2024.  As an Associate there, he led a variety of projects including the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania (2009), the Jewish Community of Japan, Tokyo (2009), the Bihar Museum, Patna, India (2017), and the Museum Reinhard Ernst, Wiesbaden, Germany (2024). He is a licensed architect in the United States and Japan and maintains LEED AP and CSI (CDT) certifications.
In 2005-2006, Michel served as the founding President of AIA Japan (the AIA’s fourth overseas chapter). He remained a Board Member through 2022 and is currently the Chapter’s Sponsorship Director.

Shirin Frangoul-Brückner, born in 1967 in Baghdad, is the visionary architect and founding partner of ATELIER BRÜCKNER. Together with Uwe R. Brückner, she established the company in 1997, shaping it into a globally recognized leader in museum planning and exhibition design. Honoured as an SEGD Fellow and named among The Power 10 of the Blooloop 50 Museum Influencer List 2024, she is celebrated for her leadership and impact on the field.
Under her direction, ATELIER BRÜCKNER works from Stuttgart and Seoul on projects worldwide, guided by the philosophy “Form Follows Content.” The firm creates narrative architectures that seamlessly merge content, light, and space into immersive experiences.
Major projects include the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, the Louvre Abu Dhabi Children’s Museum, and the upcoming London Museum. At Expo 2025 Osaka, ATELIER BRÜCKNER designed the UAE Pavilion’s Visitor Experience and created the Uzbekistan Pavilion’s architecture and exhibition. Both received multiple international distinctions, including BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) Awards and the German Design Award Gold 2025, while the Uzbekistan Pavilion was further honoured with the Red Dot: Best of the Best.

Rita Topa is a Portuguese architect and Partner at Kengo Kuma & Associates, based in Tokyo, where she has developed an international career leading cultural and public architecture projects across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She specializes in public and cultural architecture and has played key roles in projects such as the extension of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum in Lisbon, the Founders’ Memorial in Singapore, and the Portugal Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka.
Originally from Portugal, Rita has lived and worked in Japan for over a decade. She embraces multidisciplinary collaboration to deliver innovative, context‑driven design solutions that respond to place, culture, and community.
She holds a Master’s degree from YGSA (Yokohama Graduate School of Architecture), Yokohama National University, where she studied under Ryue Nishizawa. Her early work received recognition with the Riken Yamamoto Award (2010) and finalist inclusion in the Tokyo Architecture Masters Collection and Central Glass International Architecture Design. In addition to her professional practice, Rita is actively engaged in academia and public discourse, giving lectures and participating in international conferences for students and emerging architects, addressing topics such as materiality, craft, and cultural exchange.

AWARDS: AIA Japan Award (優秀賞)、Honorable Mention (佳作賞)
The jury will determine the number of awards in each category. They may also decide not to award any submitted projects in a category. Awards are based on quality, not competition, and there is no limit on the number of awards.

ENTRY CATEGORIES

• For multiple-building projects, the submitting Architect (or portion thereof) must provide detailed evidence of authorship for the relevant portion.
• Projects for architecture large project, small project, and interiors must be built work completed between January 1, 2020, and October 31, 2025. For the Urban Planning Category, incomplete or ongoing projects may be recognized if a significant portion has been completed or implemented by a local authority since January 1, 2015.
• For “Special Entry” Category, you will be required to produce evidence that you have applied for AIA membership as part of the submission review process. If submitting multiple projects, only one accompanying membership application is required.

FEES AND ELIGIBILITY

• Multiple entries by the same individual are allowed.
• Entrants must be AIA members assigned to the Japan Chapter or AIA members with a project in Japan, in good standing, including Architect members, International Associate AIA (Int. Assoc. AIA) members, and AIA Honorary members. Membership must be valid and active as of November 15, 2025.
• Entrants must also be able to claim authorship or significant authorship of the project being submitted.

APPLICATION

Accepting submissions until Friday, November 14, 2025 at 5:00pm Japan Standard Time (JST), UTC+9. Download application materials now for further detailed instructions on how to submit.

FOR INQUIRY

• Please contact the Award Program Coordinator or a Committee Member for further information.
• Email: aiaj.design.awards@gmail.com

AWARDS CEREMONY

Awards will be presented during the Year-End Event on Saturday, December 13, 2025. AIA Japan Chapter encourages all entrants to attend the AIA Japan Design Award Ceremony. Award winners are required to present their project for 5–10 minutes at the ceremony.
SAVE THE DATE MORE DETAILS TO COME!