The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the winners of its 2025 AIA Small Project Award. Seven projects have been honored in this year’s edition, which aims to raise public awareness of the value and design excellence that architects provide regardless of the limits of size and scope. The 900 Wilshire Medical Office Building Renewal project in Santa Monica, CA explores the concept of ‘Deep Renovation.’ An aged building is fully saved from demolition, significantly reducing its carbon footprint, while its original form is transformed into a rejuvenated structure with modern sustainability standards.
Centennial Park Pavilion in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is designed for a cycling-focused park and international race events. The pavilion features open-joint cladding reminiscent of old barns, filtered sunlight, and vertical light wells for orientation. The Osage Park Pavilion, a gateway to Bentonville’s Osage Park, draws inspiration from aircraft wing design, reflecting the adjacent municipal airport’s character.
Its fluid form creates a light-filled structure with a dynamic cypress facade. Located next to historic Roger Williams Park, the Broad Street Gateway and Visitor’s Center in Providence, RI enhances community access, inviting visitors to celebrate this public asset.
AIA recognizes 2025 award winners
The center promotes inclusivity and expands Broad Street’s cultural identity. The Stealth House in Austin, TX addresses the challenges of densifying fringe areas and inner suburbs with an innovative approach to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) design. Clad in corrugated Cor-Ten steel, its windowless perimeter ensures privacy and security in compact neighborhoods.
The Syd is a novel suite-style hotel for group accommodations on a constrained interior city block in New Orleans, LA, built around a 110-year-old Live Oak tree. A lush meandering entry sequence leads to a tropical courtyard space oriented around the oak tree and swimming pool. The kindergarten project at Wonderland Magnet Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA provides two new classrooms and outdoor learning at an existing hillside public school.
The design illustrates that ‘wonder’ can be expressed in simple, sculptural, light-filled, and colorful architecture connected to nature. The awards come days after the AIA also honored winners at the 2025 AIA Architecture Awards.
