Message from the Chair
Nicholas A. Piteo
Associate Principal
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Associate Principal
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
AEI Professional Project Awards 2026
Publicly acknowledging outstanding achievement in design and construction
The AEI Professional Project Award program is designed to publicly acknowledge and showcase outstanding achievements in design and construction in architectural engineering and related fields. The program seeks to exemplify and award the ultimate results of best practices, emphasizing the art and science of an integrated approach to architectural engineering.
2026 winners
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2026 Professional Project Awards. Winners in all categories were announced at the AEI Conference 2026 during the awards ceremony on Friday, March 20, 2026, including the following special awards:
- Best Overall Project (greater than $100 million) – Emory University: Health Sciences Research Building II, by Vanderweil
- Best Overall Project (less than $100 million) – Davey Tree SEED Campus & Training Center, by SmithGroup
- Most Innovative Project (greater than $100 million) – Emory University: Health Sciences Research Building II, by Vanderweil
- Most Innovative Project (less than $100 million) – Double-Water Low-Carbon Center, by Zheijiang Univeristy (ZJU) Nighai Architecture Design Institute, Ltd
I’m so proud of all the great work in the AEC industry once again exemplified by the AEI Professional Project Award submissions. All of the submissions showcase the tremendous technical ability, creativity, and dedication of the talented professionals working together to evolve the design and construction of our built world in beautiful and functional ways to make it more resilient, adaptable, and sustainable.”
— Nicholas A. Piteo, P.E., Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Chair, AEI Professional Project Awards
Special thanks to all the companies that submitted projects for their support of the program.
Award of Excellence 2026 Winner
Harvard Graduate School of Design: Gund Hall | Vanderweil
Architectural Engineering Institute Professional Project Award 2026
The AEI Professional Project Award program is designed to publicly acknowledge and showcase outstanding achievements in design and construction in architectural engineering and related fields. The program seeks to exemplify and award the ultimate results of best practices, emphasizing the art and science of an integrated approach to architectural engineering.
The competition focuses on the design and construction of high-performance buildings including structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, as well as construction management and architectural engineering integration. The award results will be posted on the AEI PPA website and will be made available to the media through press releases.
Resources:
About the Architectural Engineering Institute
Established in 1998, the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) is the premier organization for architectural engineering, providing its more than 8,000 members timely technical information, professional advocacy, continuing education, and opportunities to excel in their careers. AEI's vision is to be the worldwide resource for the advancement of the design and construction of integrated buildings.