What We Do

Baltimore Architecture Foundation Awards

The Baltimore Architecture Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2024 awards. Please see descriptions below and use this form to make a nomination. Deadline to submit is July 9.

Roger D. Redden Award

Given annually since 2008, the Roger D. Redden Award honors an individual for exemplary contribution to the built environment/design.

Golden Griffin Award

Given annually since 1996, the Golden Griffin Award honors a group/institution for its exemplary contribution to or stewardship of built environment.

James Dilts Award

The Jim Dilts Award was created in memory of author, Baltimore Sun newspaperman, and BAF board member James D. Dilts. As a founding member of BAF’s ‘Dead Architects Society’ Jim authored and edited many books, including A Guide to Baltimore Architecture, The Great Road, the Building of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, The World the Trains Made and also co-authored Baltimore’s Cast-Iron Buildings.

The Jim Dilts award is a monetary prize that is awarded to an individual who creates publicly accessible works, of a written or visual nature, that celebrate or educate about Baltimore architecture, past, present, or future.

People’s Choice Award

Given annually, the People’s Choice Award is selected by members of the public from AIA Baltimore Excellence in Design Awards submissions.

FAR Scholarship Awards

The Future Architects Resources (FAR) Committee created a scholarship program for students pursuing careers in architecture that awards design excellence. Winning projects demonstrate innovation, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and critical thinking. The FAR Scholarship is a joint program between Baltimore Architecture Foundation, AIA Baltimore, and AIA National.

2023 Award Winners

Roger D. Redden Award
Mark Sissman, Healthy Neighborhoods

Mark Sissman’s storied career began at the Enterprise Foundation, where his team was able to elevate the company to become the nation’s foremost syndicator of low-income housing tax credits. He has also served as CEO of the Hippodrome Foundation, the local partner for the redevelopment of the abandoned Hippodrome Theater, and a recent development of the Ambassador Theatre in Howard Park.

But one could argue that his more influential role was that of President of Healthy Neighborhoods, a Baltimore community development intermediary that leverages federal money with private financing and foundations in an effort to improve neighborhoods by increasing values, rehabilitating homes and marketing neighborhood assets.

In 2010, Healthy Neighborhoods won a national competition to buy and renovate vacant and foreclosed houses that threatened stability and diminished home values in seven communities. With NSP2 grant money, Healthy Neighborhoods leveraged federal dollars with $19 million in private financing, turning a $26 million government grant into a $45 million neighborhood investment. “The project remains a pinnacle example of equitable deployment of public/private funding,” Sarsfield Williams, BAF Board Member, said. “It was a great honor to work alongside Mark Sissman’s team at Healthy Neighborhoods in partnership with Southway Builders and C.L. McCoy Framing to revitalize homes in Baltimore’s historically underserved communities.” Between the NSP2 and the Healthy Neighborhoods loan program, his organization has touched over 1000 homes in Baltimore City.

Photo by Side A Photography
Photo by Side A Photography

Golden Griffin Award
Civic Works

We are all here to make Baltimore better, but no one embodies it quite like Civic Works. Exemplifying the ideas of building Baltimore, Civic Works creates job-training based around sustainable construction, equity, healthy communities, and works with youth across the city to teach real-world building skills.

You may recognize them as one of the core organizations tediously restoring beautify to the Clifton Mansion. Other programs include YouthBuild and Baltimore Conservation Leadership Corps. Civic Works’ skill development programs have assisted more than 58,000 students through tutoring and mentorship programs.

Through its farming and land conservation programs, Civic Works has grown or distributed over 200,000 pounds of fresh produce to local communities, planted over 25,000 trees, and converted nearly 300 vacant lots into community green spaces. With its multi-pronged approach, Civic Works is bringing environmental, economic and social change to the most underserved communities in Baltimore.

People’s Choice Award
Lexington Market, BCT Design Group

Lexington Market has become home to numerous market sheds since 1783, making it one of the longest running public markets in America. Approximately 50,000 square feet, the new market building facade is inspired by the large metal roof of the 1803 market and the interior receives extensive daylight through the use of windows in a clerestory configuration. Constructing a new building allowed the tenants of the existing market building to remain in operation which was key to their continued success. Lexington Market is now poised to be a great catalyst for the surrounding neighborhoods and has set a standard for diversity, equity, and inclusion which will continue to drive it’s success.

Out of nearly 2,000 votes for a People’s Choice winner this year, the new Lexington Market by BCT Design Group came out on top.

Undergraduate Student Design Award + Scholarship

“The Quoin Urban Development Project” by Shannon Sinnicki, University of Maryland

This project excelled at communicating her concept of the building as the cornerstone of her DC neigborhood. Polished graphics and diagrams with integrated text descriptions supported Shannon’s design of not one but two buildings on her site. The mass timber structure and the vegetated exterior are both beautiful and eco-friendly friendly features that drew us in. We recognize the ambition of creating a cohesive vision between the buildings while celebrating the unique programming elements that each provides.

Graduate Student Design Award + Scholarship

“Marketing Anacostia: Creating a Public Heart in Anacostia” by Marcelino Defngin, University of Maryland.

This project displayed Defngin’s highly ambitious balance of urban design and architecture. Marcelino successfully tackled design at all scales, from the rich environment of the Anacostia waterfront to the fine details of his steel structure. He respected the existing context by preserving the adjacent church, connected to the future bridge construction and public transit expansion on site, and promoted social good by placing a new market in a food desert. Altogether a thoughtful exploration of city expansion that welcomes new inhabitants while addressing the needs of the existing ones.

Past Winners

Roger D. Redden Award

2008 Walter Schamu, FAIA
2009 John McGrain
2010 James T. Wollon, AIA
2011 Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson
2012 M. Jay Brodie
2013 Fred Lazarus
2014 Larry Peterson
2015 Dan Rodricks
2016 Jillian Storms, AIA
2017 Kathleen Kotarba
2018 Dr. Lance Humphries
2019 Rebecca Hoffberger
2020 Mary Ellen Hayward
2021 Johns Hopkins
2022 Chelsea Thomas

Golden Griffin Award

1996 Nationsbank
1997 Maryland Institute College of Art
1998 Phoebe Stanton
1999 Baltimore Sun (Ed Gunts)
2000 Baltimore Heritage
2001 Preservation Maryland
2002 Struever Bros. Eccles, & Rouse
2003 Charles Brickbauer
2004 Jim Dilts
2005 Live Baltimore
2006 John Dorsey
2007 Walter Sondheim, Jr
2008 Whiting Turner
2009 The Engineering Society of Baltimore
2010 Gutierrez Studios
2011 Jubilee Baltimore
2012 University of Baltimore
2013 Seawall Development
2014 Chesapeake Shakespeare Theater
2015 Mt. Vernon Place Conservancy
2016 Parks & People Foundation
2017 Baltimore Arts Realty Corp
2018 Morgan State University
2019 Enoch Pratt Library
2020 Neighborhood Design Center
2021 The National Aquarium
2022 Poppleton Now!

Jim Dilts Award

2019 Lance Humphries
2021 Leon Bridges
2022 Charlie Brickbauer