AIA BALTIMORE IS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS DEC. 24, 2024 – JAN. 1, 2025.

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What We Do

Baltimore Architecture Foundation Awards

The Baltimore Architecture Foundation invites nominations for its annual awards. Please see descriptions below and let us know if you know of an individual or organization that is doing wonderful work in Baltimore. The window to submit a nomination opens in early summer.

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.

2024 Award Winners

Roger D. Redden Award
Klaus Philipsen

With decades of experience, Philipsen has been a vocal advocate for sustainable development, historic preservation, and thoughtful urban design. He influenced vital projects shaping Baltimore’s landscape through his architectural practice, ArchPlan, and civic engagement. His dedication to fostering public discourse around the built environment is evident in his writings, his blog, “community architect daily,” and his participation in city planning initiatives. Philipsen’s work bridges the gap between design and community, making architecture accessible and relevant.

Among his many roles, he was a founding board member of the 1000 Friends of Maryland, a well-respected statewide growth management group and the “D Center,” a non-profit design center in Baltimore, and a past chair of the Urban Design Committee of AIA Baltimore. Additionally, he served for 20 years on the national Regional and Urban Design Committee of AIA (RUDC). By championing smart growth and equity in urban development, Klaus has contributed to the physical transformation of Baltimore and helped elevate the conversation around architecture’s role in improving quality of life, aligning perfectly with the values of the Roger D. Redden Award.

Photo of Klaus Philipsen, FAIA by Side A Photography
Photo of Shelley Halstead accepting the Golden Griffin Award by Side A Photography

Golden Griffin Award
Black Women Build Baltimore

Black Women Build-Baltimore was founded in 2017 by Shelley Halstead who believes that for Black women to build intergenerational wealth, with the inherent security and prosperity it can generate, they must also learn the skills necessary to maintain that wealth. Home ownership and the ability to maintain that asset is one way this can be achieved.

BWBB purchases the ruins of old houses from the city for reconstructions. Since its start in 2019, the organization has rehabilitated 13 houses. To help keep their houses affordable, BWBB works with the Committee on Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), which provides a 10-year tax credit on the property value increase resulting from rehabilitation work. In addition, Halstead is transforming other blighted buildings into social “third places” like a cafe and an art gallery.

BWBB is not only physically repairing neglected rowhouses, but as each house turns into a home and homeowners become neighbors, they are rebuilding communities in historically disenfranchised neighborhoods.

Jim Dilts Award
Nick Redding and PreserveCast

Nick is the President & CEO of Preservation Maryland, where he has served since 2014, leading the charge to protect and celebrate the architectural heritage of Baltimore and beyond. Under his leadership, Preservation Maryland has grown significantly, launching programs such as Smart Growth Maryland and the Campaign for Historic Trades, which trains the next generation of preservationists in partnership with the National Park Service.

Nick is also the host of PreserveCast, a popular podcast that shares stories of preservation efforts from around the world, highlighting the importance of our history in shaping the future. His work not only preserves Baltimore’s architectural treasures but also educates and inspires others to take part in safeguarding our shared heritage. For his tireless efforts in making Baltimore’s history accessible to all, we are proud to present Nick Redding with the Jim Dilts Award.

Photo of Nick Redding accepting the Jim Dilts Award by Side A Photography
Photo by Side A Photography

People’s Choice Award
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Moseley Architects

Since its founding in 1854, Emmanuel Episcopal Church has been in its original building in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. The building contains multiple historic and well-maintained spaces for worship, performances, and gathering that were being used by the congregation and a variety of community and arts groups. However, these spaces were not accessible. Taking seriously its baptismal covenant to “respect the dignity of every human being” and seeking to be a welcoming place for all people, Emmanuel completed a renovation that connects the whole building via an elevator, provides accessible all-gender toilets, and adds a new exterior entry to the lower level. Besides meeting these functional requirements, the renovation matches the quality of the historic building while staying within a limited budget through careful use of materials. Instead of relegating the disabled to a utilitarian appendage, the elevator anchors a hub that is an integral part of the structure used by all. When many churches and other “third places” and community anchors are struggling, the resulting transformation not only keeps a historic building in active use, but it allows Emmanuel to grow and thrive so that it can continue its mission into the future.

Undergraduate Student Design Award + Scholarship

“Project 3 – Visitors Center” by Lee Tomolonis, Morgan State University

Lee’s Visitors Center (also described as the ‘Pavilion for a Criminal’) has a clear intent and strong concept that is presented in a playful and engaging graphic style. All jurors agreed that the orthographic drawings were uniquely compelling – from the graffiti coloring the sections to custom restroom sinks that match the outdoor pavers in the plan. Hand-drawn vignettes were excellent companions to support the bold, stylistic renderings and lead jurors through this student’s thoughtful design process. Lee also showed an advanced level of landscape design, intentional inclusion of sustainable materials, and dedication to social equity. The pavilion for a “criminal” truly subverts the prison architecture it drew inspiration from.

Graduate Student Design Award + Scholarship

“Hydro Haven” by Evan Cage, Morgan State University

Evan’s Hydro Haven is sensitive to its context while showcasing an incredible amount of research and technical knowledge. A thorough site analysis revealing flood patterns clearly supports the need for water harvesting on the site. Inhabitants could live and work within the water cycle, with walking paths and building entrances side by side with the channels and sloped roofs funneling water down the natural slope of the site. Diagrams drawn directly on the plans and sections helped to show, not tell, the many sustainable strategies used in Evan’s design. Jurors were especially impressed by the knowledge of structural and MEP systems shown in wall sections and exploded axons, and the beautiful physical model included in the submission.

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
2023 Mark Sissman

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!
2023 CivicWorks

Jim Dilts Award

2019 Lance Humphries
2021 Leon Bridges
2022 Charlie Brickbauer