SACRAMENTO, Calif.—. The American Institute of Architects California (AIA California) announces the recipients of the thirteenth annual Architecture at Zero competition, a design competition for decarbonization, equity and resilience, open to students and professionals worldwide. It serves to engage the fields of architecture, design, engineering and planning in the pursuit of sustainable design while also considering the impacts of equity and resilience.

The 2026 competition challenge was to design a year-round educational and cultural venue (La Plaza) that will transform into a resiliency asset during regional emergencies (Emergency Operations Center), offering critical support for first responders and multi-agency emergency operations.

The vision for this Antelope Valley, California project is bold: it invited designers to envision more than just a single-use structure; it was also an opportunity to design a space with dual purpose and profound impact.

The recipients were chosen by a panel of national experts and awarded $25,000 in total prizes.

Professional category recipients include:

• A Merit award for “La Plaza Viva” an entry from Perkins & Will in Houston, TX; and a
• Citation Award for “Carapace | La Plaza Arts and Culture Center” from Stantec, Houston, TX

College/University Student Awards include:

• An Honor Award for “Oasis for Resilience,” an entry from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Arquitectura in Iztapalapa, Mexico
• A Merit Award for the entry, “CROSSROADS: Cultivating Community, Confronting Climate” from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil
• Citation Award for the entry, “THE WOVEN” from Hanoi Architectural University in Hanoi, Vietnam
• A Citation Award for the entry, “Casa del Viento” for students from UC Berkeley in Berkeley, CA,
• And a Special Recognition Award for the entry, “PueBlo” for students from Feng Chia University in Taichung, Taiwan.

The following High School Student entries were recognized:

• A Merit Award for the entry, “El Santuario” for students from Burlingame High School in Burlingame, CA;
• A Citation Award for the entry, “Desert Willow Center” submitted by students from Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, CA;
• And, a Special Recognition Award for the entry “Sombrero Big” from Admiral Farragut Academy in Tianjin, China

“The Architecture at Zero competition brings together AIA California’s commitment to communities, next generation designers, and sustainability. An understanding of strategies that achieve resilience continues to grow more critical,” said AIA California President Ginger Thompson, AIA. “In that vein, we are excited to recognize the work of this year’s recipients, which demonstrates an early commitment to AIA California core values, a desire to excel in the profession of architecture, and to make the world a better place to live.”

View all recipient projects here. 

The competition strives to generate new, innovative ideas for a decarbonized future to help achieve California’s goal for all new residential construction to be ZNE by 2020 and all new commercial construction to be ZNE by 2030.

Competition entries were reviewed by Lance Collins, AIA – Director, Partner Energy; Scott Gaudineer, AIA – Managing Principal, Flewelling & Moody Inc.; Paul Torcellini – Principal Engineer, National Renewable Laboratory; and Allison Williams, FAIA.
To learn more, and see all the winning projects, visit www.architectureatzero.com.

This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by SCE, SoCal Gas and PG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

About the American Institute of Architects California (AIA California)
AIA California is dedicated to serving its members, and uniting all architecture professionals in the design of a more just, equitable, and resilient future through advocacy, education, and political action. The organization represents the interests of more than 11,000 architects and allied professionals in California. Founded in 1944, the AIA CA is the largest component of the national AIA organization. For more information, visit www.aiacalifornia.org