AIA Potomac Valley, 3907 Metzerott Road, College Park, MD (2026)

08/14/2026

The AIAPV 2026 Student and Emerging Professional Design Competitions are open for entries.

Submission deadline: September 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT

These free competitions, focusing on revitalizing urban spaces in the DMV region, invite students and emerging professionals to showcase sustainable, community-centered designs, with winners recognized at AIAPV's Design + Leadership Awards to be held on October 22 in College Park, MD.

More information is available at:

2026 AIAPV Student Design Competition - https://bit.ly/AIAPVStudentDesignCompetition

2026 AIAPV Emerging Professional Design Competition - https://bit.ly/AIAPVEPDesignCompetition

08/05/2026

We conclude our spotlight series on AIAPV’s 2025 Excellence in Design Award winners with Union on Knox designed by WDG. This mixed-use student apartment community earned LEED Gold certification and transforms a difficult site into a vibrant, student-centered community blending topography, urban context, and student life to support success, engagement, and growth. The jury recognized the project with a Merit Award.

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT Union on Knox
LOCATION College Park, Maryland
ARCHITECT WDG
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM ARCHITECURE: Bob Keane, AIA, Mickey Finn, AIA, Matt Lam, Sungjin Cho, AIA, David Osorio, Deborah McPherson, AIA INTERIORS: Manuel Lauzurique-Abiega, Keith Worley, AIA, Neha Pathare, Michael Broderick
OWNER/CLIENT Greystar / John Beinert
CONTRACTOR John Moriarty & Associates, LLC / Chris Woitowicz
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Lee and Associates, Inc. / Jeff Lee
PHOTOGRAPHER StudioHDP / Anice Hoachlander

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Union on Knox, completed in 2024, is a mixed-use student apartment community bridging the University of Maryland’s campus downtown College Park. The 359,000-SF development includes 340 apartments, 24,000 SF of retail, and a 331-space garage. Anchored by Sterling Place, a pedestrian retail corridor, the project overcomes a 20-foot grade change with a grand public stair that links campus and city. Featuring active storefronts, student-focused amenities, and LEED-Gold design, Union on Knox creates a vibrant, connected community.

JURY
“Though simple in its architecture, it is generous in its creation of an urban commons- its presence cultivating chance encounters, solidarities, and shared rhythms that make a campus alive.”

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Learn more about this project at:⁠ https://bit.ly/UnionKnox

Explore further: https://www.wdgarch.com/projects/union-on-knox

View all 2025 AIAPV Design Award Winners at: https://bit.ly/2025AIAPVDesignAwardsWinnersGallery

07/31/2026

Registration for 2026 is open!

Women’s Leadership Summit, powered by AIA, brings together the largest network of women in architecture, design, and the allied building industries. This year, the event will take place in Kansas City, MO, from November 1-3! Be part of the WLS community dedicated to advancing women’s leadership and empowerment .

Register here: https://events.aia.org/s/community
event?id=a1Y1U000002kX89

07/08/2026

Our celebration of the winners of AIAPV’s 2025 Excellence in Design Awards continues with congratulations to Winstanley Architects & Planners on earning a Merit Award from the jury for their Hillandale Pavilion project. Located in Hillandale, Maryland, the pavilion is a key element of the renovation and revitalization of Hillandale Local Park, enhancing the park’s role as both a recreational destination and a vibrant gathering place for the community.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/HillandalePav

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Michael Winstanley AIA, George Eisenberger, AIA, Leejung Hong LEED AP
OWNER/CLIENT Montgomery Parks, Wheaton HQ
CONTRACTOR Dustin Construction
PHOTOGRAPHER Anice Hoachlander

The design of the Hillandale Local Park Pavilion embodies a playful and dynamic architectural expression, inspired by the very meaning of "Hill and Dale"—a landscape of rolling hills and valleys. The double-pitched roof reflects this concept, creating a sense of movement and rhythm that echoes the natural undulations of the surrounding park terrain. The design team explored multiple concepts, engaging with community groups throughout the process to ensure the pavilion would be a welcoming and meaningful structure for local residents.

JURY
“In its simplicity, the pavilion gifts the community a stage for everyday ritual—picnics, play, gathering—where belonging is practiced in the open air.”

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06/24/2026

We’re proud to continue celebrating the winners of AIAPV’s 2025 Excellence in Design Awards by recognizing Grimm + Parker Architects for their outstanding design of Ellen Ochoa Middle School in Landover Hills, MD.

This high-performance, LEED Gold school was recognized by the jury with a Commendation Award and has also earned multiple accolades, including Public Building of the Year from AIA Maryland.

AIA Maryland’s jury praised the project, saying: "We only wish all of America’s children could learn in a building like this."

Learn more about this project at: https://bit.ly/EllenOchoaMS

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Kieran Wilmes, AIA, Jonathan Hill, AIA, Kat Schooley, Melissa Wilfong, AIA, Laura Smyles, AIA, Patrick Byrne, Chang Song
OWNER/CLIENT Prince George's County Public Schools
CONTRACTOR MCN Build

Ellen Ochoa Middle School is a new 1,200-seat Middle School which draws inspiration from its location in Glenridge Community Park for form and material and provides a new community hub. The school is organized around a Student Commons that flows downhill with the slope of the park and connects the public zone (Gym, Dining, Media and Admin) to the Academic Wings and North and South Learning Courtyards which provide secure outdoor learning environments.

JURY
“The jury felt the new school with its design and materiality made a connection to the surrounding landscape and the neighborhood, while the jury commended its high-performance features like LEED Gold and a net zero energy target help it reduce its environmental impact and meet sustainable goals. We found the layout emphasizes the use of natural light and collective spaces that make it a welcoming, inclusive place.”

Explore further at Grimm + Parker Architects: https://www.grimmandparker.com/projects/ellen-ochoa-ms

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06/10/2026

We're proud to spotlight another 2025 Design Awards winner and extend our congratulations to Kishimoto.Gordon.Dalaya PC (KGD Architecture) for their outstanding work on The Leggett + Silver Spring Recreation & Aquatic Center (SSRAC), a mixed-use development in Silver Spring, MD. The project was recognized with a Commendation Award by the jury for its strong social impact and community-focused design.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/TheLeggett-SSRAC

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Tom Donaghy, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Principal-in-Charge; Alex Shifflett, AIA, NCARB, CDT, CSI, CCCA, Project Director; Kevin Pennington, RA, LEED AP, Project Architect; Iffat Afsana, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Project Architect; Leah Kleinman, AIA, NCARB, LEED Green Associate, Project Architect; Nia Furr, NCARB, Architectural Designer; Shane Trexler, MBA, LEED AP O+M, Sustainability; and Jacobi Gastile, BIM Manager
OWNER/CLIENT Housing Opportunities Commission, Montgomery County, MD
CONTRACTOR Costello Construction

This 420,000 SF development redefines community for the entire DC metro region, comprising multiple projects under one umbrella: The Leggett with 267 units of senior living housing within a mixture of affordable and market-rate units; the 134,000 SF Silver Spring Aquatic & Recreation Center (SSRAC); and the 7,500 SF Holy Cross Health Partners clinic. It is also about the real compassion architecture can symbolize and create in a planned environment that is—in equal parts—humane, healthy, and beautiful, coming together as a set of crucial amenities and services centered on art, technology, healthcare, and sustainability.

Explore further: https://www.kgdarchitecture.com/projects/the-leggett-ssrac/

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06/04/2026

Submissions are officially open for the 2026 AIA Potomac Valley Excellence in Design Awards competition—a prestigious opportunity to showcase your firm’s most compelling, creative, sustainable, and community-enhancing work.

Submission Deadline: Monday, July 20 at 11:59 PM (No late entries accepted!)
Eligibility rules apply.

Whether you're breaking new ground or preserving cherished history, this is your chance to be recognized for elevating the built environment through design. The competition is more than an awards program—it's a platform to honor architectural innovation, highlight the vital role of collaboration, and celebrate the transformative power of design.

Jury Review
Entries will be reviewed by an accomplished team of firm leaders from AIA Arkansas led by Head Juror Marlon M. Blackwell, FAIA, Founding Partner + Design Director, Marlon Blackwell Architects. Awards will be presented at AIAPV’s Design + Leadership Awards ceremony on the evening of Thursday, October 22. Save the Date!

Learn more and enter: bit.ly/2026PVAWARDS-CFE

05/27/2026

Next in the spotlight of our 2025 Excellence in Design Awards winners, we congratulate Winstanley Architects & Planners for their outstanding reimagining of the Torpedo Factory Arts Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The transformative visionary project was recognized by the jury with a Merit Award.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/TorpedoFactoryAC

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM George Eisenberger AIA, Michael Winstanley AIA, Leejung Hong LEED AP, Mike Balaban, Chan Park, Assoc. AIA, Bence Szaloki, AIA
OWNER/CLIENT Route 66
RENDERINGS Lifang Renderings

The Torpedo Factory Art Center (TFAC), originally a U.S. Naval munitions plant, was transformed in 1974 into a public arts hub on Alexandria’s waterfront. The new vision repositions TFAC as a dynamic, 21st-century cultural destination. The plan retains the original structure while reorganizing the interior around a central atrium to improve daylight, circulation, and visibility across all floors. This re-envisioning transforms TFAC into a future-facing cultural landmark—an inclusive and inspiring epicenter for arts, innovation, and public life along the Alexandria waterfront.

JURY
“The Jury appreciated this community-focused adaptive reuse project, which promotes public access to the waterfront and reimagines a landmark building as a new social condenser. The excavation of the central bays to introduce a light-filled sculptural atrium is a transformative gesture—bringing daylight deep into the building’s plan and establishing visual connections across its various zones. This intervention achieves maximum impact while preserving as much of the original building fabric as possible.”

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05/13/2026

We’re spotlighting our next 2025 Design Awards winner and congratulating Carib Daniel Martin A+D for their exceptional design work on the Bullis Park Residence in Silver Spring, MD. The project earned a Commendation Award from the jury.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/BullisPark

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Carib Daniel Martin, AIA, M. Gabriela Leniz, Sue Bryan, Nick Wilson, Lisa Quandt, JC Comeau
OWNER/CLIENT Marc + Brandy Blair
CONTRACTOR Classic Homes of Maryland / Howard Saslow + Tim Moser

The Bullis Park Residence was created for a family wanting a modern home that felt connected to its traditional neighborhood. The design makes the most of its compact lot, with open living spaces filled with natural light and easy flow to the outdoors. High ceilings and carefully placed windows create a sense of spaciousness and privacy. Every feature, from the wrap-around porch to the backyard ball court, reflects the family’s routines and sense of community.

JURY
“This residential project in Silver Spring, Maryland draws formal inspiration from its context, demonstrating a thoughtful reading of scale and typology in the development of a new housing proposal. Elements such as board and batten siding, porch, yard, and landscaping are choreographed to offer a fresh interpretation of familiar domestic features. The integration of resilient landscaping and energy-efficient strategies further contributes to reducing the home's environmental footprint.”

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05/04/2026

Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects with offices in DC and Middleburg, VA is seeking a project architect with 4+ years' experience for each location. We are an 8-person award-winning, widely published design firm producing a broad range of carefully detailed tradition-based residential projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Good opportunity for professional growth in pleasant city or country work environment.

Visit AIAPV's Job Board at bit.ly/pvjobboard for full position details and to apply.

AIA Potomac Valley

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