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OpenArchitectureSustainable Design
AIA COTE Top Ten Award 2027
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment — United States
One of the architecture profession's best-known sustainability-focused award programs, the COTE Top Ten evaluates completed, occupied buildings against AIA's Framework for Design Excellence, spanning design achievement, ecological performance, and other principles. Eligible projects must have been completed after January 1, 2021, finished at least 12 months before the deadline, and include a minimum of 12 months of real building performance data at 75% occupancy. Projects can be located anywhere in the world, but the submitting architect must be an AIA member in good standing and the design must be led by a U.S.-licensed architect.
Submissions open
Aug 28, 2026
Deadline
Nov 3, 2026
Entry fee
$450 for a single project submission; $100 for additional submissions of the same project to other AIA award programs
Award / prize
No cash prize: winners receive promotional recognition across AIA communication channels and are celebrated at AIA awards events, typically the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design
Audience
Professionals
Submission format
Online submission through AIA's award portal, including project performance data (12 months, 75% occupancy) responding to the Framework for Design Excellence principles