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AIA Wisconsin is proud to celebrate 17 exceptional projects for design excellence in the 2026 Design Awards program.
From a field of 46 project entries designed by AIA Wisconsin architect members, three projects were awarded the Honor Award, the highest recognition awarded for design excellence. Additionally, seven projects were given Merit Awards, recognizing overall design excellence, and seven projects received Special Recognition Awards for outstanding achievement in the categories of Adaptive Reuse, Community Impact, Historic Preservation, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), Residential Design, and Sustainable Design. These awards underscore the creativity, innovation, and impact of Wisconsin architects in shaping the built environment in Wisconsin and beyond.
Each Design Award submission was evaluated using AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence, a tool to consider projects through the impact of social and environmental factors in an effort to work towards a sustainable, equitable, and resilient built environment.
2026 Design Awards Gala
In celebration of this year’s winners, AIA Wisconsin will host their 6th annual Design Awards Gala in Milwaukee on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Wisconsin Club. This premier event for the design community is open to the public as well as architects. The gala also serves as a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Architects Foundation, AIA Wisconsin's charitable arm dedicated to assisting architecture students and professionals by funding educational programs, scholarships, and grants.
The winners of the 2026 Design Awards were selected by a distinguished jury of accomplished architects from outside Wisconsin. Jury members included AIA architects recognized for their leadership and contributions to both the profession and the American Institute of Architects. We are deeply grateful for their time, expertise, and dedication to the review process, which helps ensure the program continues to honor and elevate excellence in architecture.
Hover over the headshots below to learn more about our jurors.
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Seonhee Kim, AIA
2026 Juror
"[These were] really, really diverse projects, and I appreciate seeing the variety of types and scales of the projects. The submissions were thoughtful, and the narratives were compelling. As a member of AIA's COTE Leadership Group, I appreciate the use of the Framework for Design Excellence to make the case for each project competing for recognition."
Christine Albertsson, AIA
2026 Juror
"I was really impressed by the breadth of project types of engagement that we saw. We saw very sensitively executed tight urban situations. We saw historic preservation, adaptive reuse in old neighborhoods, rural projects, industrial projects, and so on and each of them brought a real depth of thought to that particular type of project they were engaged with. I really appreciate the overall caliber of work that we saw in this group of projects."
Mark Cavagnero, FAIA
2026 Juror
"I thought a number of these projects chose to site and design their building as they felt it was appropriate for the program without worrying about any preordained formula or expectations. It's a nice statement about the region, about trying to have a sense of character, place, and belonging. And that came across to me."
Seonhee Kim, AIA
2026 Juror
"[These were] really, really diverse projects, and I appreciate seeing the variety of types and scales of the projects. The submissions were thoughtful, and the narratives were compelling. As a member of AIA's COTE Leadership Group, I appreciate the use of the Framework for Design Excellence to make the case for each project competing for recognition."
Christine Albertsson, AIA
2026 Juror
"I was really impressed by the breadth of project types of engagement that we saw. We saw very sensitively executed tight urban situations. We saw historic preservation, adaptive reuse in old neighborhoods, rural projects, industrial projects, and so on and each of them brought a real depth of thought to that particular type of project they were engaged with. I really appreciate the overall caliber of work that we saw in this group of projects."
Mark Cavagnero, FAIA
2026 Juror
"I thought a number of these projects chose to site and design their building as they felt it was appropriate for the program without worrying about any preordained formula or expectations. It's a nice statement about the region, about trying to have a sense of character, place, and belonging. And that came across to me."
2026 HONOR AWARDS
HIGHEST LEVEL OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
(Listed in alphabetical order.)
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APW House
Charlevoix, MI
“This project feels like an architect’s dream, where a clear design idea is fully realized in built form. The way it lightly touches the ground and responds to the lake demonstrates remarkable sensitivity to the land, while the thoughtful separation of the 'public' and private spaces creates a solution that is both elegant and highly responsive to its setting.”
- Seonhee Kim, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Design Architects: Brian Johnsen, AIA & Sebastian Schmaling, AIA, LEED AP
Design Team Members: P.J. Murrill & Ben Penlesky
Owners: Anna and Piotr Walter
General Contractor: PMGC
Consultant: Structural Engineer: Core 4 Engineering, Inc.
Photography: John J. Macaulay
The APW House is a private residence on the wooded shoreline of Lake Charlevoix in Northern Michigan, conceived as a low-slung, horizontal composition of solid wood volumes and glazed voids unified beneath a thin, continuous roof plane that rises at one end to cradle a panoramic observatory. Visitors enter through a light-filled vestibule into an open living hall centered on a four-sided fireplace, where a recessed wood ceiling plane adds warmth to an interior palette of concrete, blackened steel, and white walls. Continuous sixty-foot-long glass walls frame expansive views of the lake and forest, extending the living spaces onto a lakeside terrace while a precisely dimensioned overhang moderates seasonal solar exposure. Large lift-slide doors on both sides transform the central space into an open-air pavilion during summer months, promoting natural cross-ventilation and minimizing the need for mechanical conditioning.
Beneath the vegetated roof, a series of wood-clad volumes organize bedrooms, utility spaces, and a garage, while an elongated wood volume below the observatory defines the adjacent terrace and lawn. The precisely detailed exterior envelope combines superior insulation values, high-performance triple-pane glazing, and thermally modified poplar siding installed as a deep rainscreen, allowing the dark-stained structure to visually merge with the surrounding forest. Sustainability measures include an extensive green roof that improves thermal performance, reduces heat island effect and stormwater runoff, and a vegetated raingarden that captures and slowly infiltrates remaining runoff into the landscape.
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Farm Foundation Innovation and Education Center
Libertyville, IL
“They did a beautiful job creating a dialogue between the new building and the existing barn, reinterpreting traditional forms and materials in a contemporary way without simply mimicking what was already there. Despite its larger size, the addition remains thoughtfully subservient to the original structure, while the careful use of natural and artificial light helps create spaces that feel both comfortable and inviting.”
- Christine Albertsson, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Kahler Slater, Inc.
Design Architect: Josh Forseth, AIA, LEED AP
Design Team:
Owner: Farm Foundation
General Contractor: Summit Design + Build
Consultants:
Photography: Tom Harris Photography; Kahler Slater; Farm Foundation
The Farm Foundation Innovation and Education Center serves as the architectural heart of Chicagoland’s first integrated food and agriculture campus, bringing together education, innovation, research, and community on a historic 14-acre farm within the Liberty Prairie Reserve in Libertyville, Illinois. Designed to honor the site’s agricultural legacy while expressing a forward-looking vision, the building reinterprets the scale, rhythm, and simplicity of Midwestern agricultural buildings through a contemporary architectural language. Clean geometries, honest materials, and a restrained palette create a distinctive civic presence that feels authentic to its setting while avoiding nostalgia. Careful site planning preserves key views across the working landscape, and generous glazing dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, making the surrounding fields an active part of the visitor experience.
Flexibility and adaptability were central to the design, enabling the building to support a wide range of activities, from industry forums and policy discussions to hands-on demonstrations and community events. Positioned alongside the historic farmhouse and dairy barn, the Innovation and Education Center acts as both a physical and symbolic bridge between agriculture’s heritage and its evolving future. Through its integration with the landscape, adaptable organizational framework, and commitment to stewardship, the project transforms a historic farm into a living laboratory and welcoming civic landmark that fosters collaboration among farmers, researchers, policymakers, educators, industry leaders, and the public.
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Tennis Pavilion
Emmonds County, ND
“This is a beautifully executed example of architecture as art in the landscape. Through a simple yet powerful intervention, it heightens awareness of place, horizon, and movement, creating a kinetic experience that is not necessary in a functional sense, but is nevertheless profound in its ability to move and connect people to their surroundings.”
- Christine Albertsson AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Design Architects: Brian Johnsen, AIA & Sebastian Schmaling, AIA, LEED AP
Design Team: Andrew Cesarz
Owners: Jeffrey & Jackie Mudge
General Contractor: Paramount Builders
Consultant: Structural: Core 4 Engineering
Photography: John J. Macaulay
Set within North Dakota’s Pothole Prairie region and partially embedded into the earth, the Tennis Pavilion is conceived as an inhabitable extension of the surrounding terrain, allowing the landscape to shape its architectural form. From a distance, the pavilion appears as a thin concrete datum against grass and sky, expressing the horizontal logic, permanence, and restraint of the prairie. A continuous board-formed cast-in-place concrete wall anchors the structure into the hillside, transitioning from retaining wall to inhabitable shelter before folding upward into a thin concrete roof plane supported by slender steel columns. A linear opening in the roof filters daylight onto the concrete surfaces below while framing changing views of the sky and landscape.
Beneath the roof, a long bench parallels the retaining wall, while a compact steel-clad volume provides storage at one end and a recessed display of tennis balls introduces a subtle moment of color and play at the other. The pavilion’s concrete serves as both architectural expression and thermal mass, moderating the region’s extreme temperature fluctuations by absorbing coolness from the earth during hot days and slowly releasing stored warmth as temperatures fall. At twilight, the illuminated tennis court emerges as a luminous field within the landscape, while the pavilion recedes into shadow, quietly offering shelter, comfort, and rest.
2026 MERIT AWARDS
OVERALL DESIGN EXCELLENCE
(Listed in alphabetical order.)
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ABC Supply Learning Center
Beloit, WI
“The strength of this project lies in the clarity and organization of its plan. The dramatic double-height lobby, balanced daylight, and seamless relationship between the dining and gathering spaces create an interior that is highly functional, resulting in a space that feels flexible, intuitive, and exceptionally well resolved.”
- Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: EUA
Design Architect: John S. Chapman, AIA
Design Team Member: Michelle DuPont, AIA
Owner: ABC Supply Co., Inc.
General Contractor: Corporate Contractors Inc.
Consultants:
• Pierce Engineers - Lucas Marshall (Structural)
• JDR Engineering- Jim Yurs (MEP)
• SMW- Greg Moquin (Acoustic)
• AVI- Nick Spear (Audio Visual)
Photography: Peter McCullough
Rooted in Beloit’s industrial legacy, the ABC Supply Learning Center occupies a prominent site within the revitalized 30-acre former manufacturing campus transformed by Ken and Diane Hendricks into a thriving mixed-use destination. The 43,000-square-foot national training center was conceived as a successful marriage of brand, culture and optimal performance, supporting associate development through branch management and sales training programs while accommodating up to 900 participants. Strategically sited at the heart of the campus, the facility links ABC Supply’s primary office buildings and serves as both a connector and a place of respite, with a large covered patio overlooking the Rock River and the historic industrial landscape.
The building is organized around a long, linear hall that serves as the facility’s spine, connecting a 150-seat auditorium, flexible training rooms, dining and servery functions, and offices for training and sales staff. Designed as a sequence of layers moving from open, public areas to more private, enclosed spaces, the facility balances integration with the existing campus while establishing a distinct architectural identity through its materials and color palette. Flexible layouts, integrated AV systems and breakout spaces support a leadership-driven learning environment, reinforcing ABC Supply’s associate-first culture and long-term investment in workforce development.
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Exact Sciences Discovery Campus
Madison, WI
“What stood out was the transformation of the existing building into something contemporary, welcoming, and full of character. The projecting bay windows, strong masonry base, and thoughtful use of light create a compelling rhythm across the façade, while the terrace and trellis provide inviting spaces for people to gather. Together, these elements establish a clear sense of arrival and a human-scaled presence that enhances the experience of the building."
- Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Potter Lawson
Design Architect: Andy Laufenberg, AIA
Design Team Members: Jody Shaw, AIA, PM & Erick Lawson, PIC
Owner: Exact Sciences
General Contractor: J.H. Findorff & Sons
Consultants:
Photography: Mike Rebholz; Eric Oxendorf; C&N Photography; Potter Lawson
The Exact Sciences Discovery Campus transforms a vacant, deteriorating property into a vibrant five-building, 800,000-square-foot biotechnology campus that supports cancer detection and prevention through customer service offices, clinical production laboratories, a warehouse, structured parking, and an employee amenities building organized around a central outdoor courtyard. The project began with the renovation of a former 1980s corporate headquarters, replacing its precast and metal panel façade with a curtain wall glazing system featuring clear and reflective glass and a subtle frit pattern that maximizes daylight, establishes visual hierarchy, and creates a dynamic architectural expression reflective of the company's innovative research and technology. An amenities building serves as the campus social hub, connecting to a structured parking facility via an enclosed skywalk and embracing a landscaped courtyard with diverse gathering spaces, dining facilities, fire pits, grilling stations, and an illuminated amphitheater.
A consistent architectural language unifies the campus through thoughtful material expression, including perforated aluminum panels and folded façade forms that create visual depth and an evolving play of light and shadow. Sustainability strategies such as retention ponds, native prairie plantings, rainwater storage systems, expansive daylighting, and restored prairie landscapes reduce stormwater runoff, mitigate flooding, and provide habitat for the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. By balancing innovation, sustainability, employee wellbeing, and connection to nature, the campus creates a strong sense of place, fosters collaboration and community, and has become a valuable recruitment and retention asset for Exact Sciences.
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MERIT & SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN ADAPTIVE REUSE
Marquette University | Wellness + Helfaer Recreation Center
Milwaukee, WI
"I really like the way they chose to subtract and then build anew. The combination of removing portions of the existing massing, introducing glass where it matters most for circulation and human experience, and adding a new layer to the existing façade gives the building a renewed sense of life. These two approaches—subtractive transformation and additive intervention—come together in a thoughtful way that reimagines the existing building while creating something dynamic and responsive to its surroundings.”
- Seonhee Kim, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firms: Workshop Architects, Inc. + HOK
Design Architect: Peter van den Kieboom, AIA
Design Team Members:
Workshop Architects, Inc Team
HOK Team
Owner: Marquette University
General Contractor: J.H. Findorff & Son Inc.
Consultants:
Photography: Christy Radecic
Marquette University transformed the opaque, windowless Helfaer recreation facility into a unified wellness hub that consolidates previously dispersed recreation, medical, counseling, recovery support, prevention, and wellness services within a single destination and shared entry experience. Guided by a strategy to “cut, carve, and connect,” the project retained two-thirds of the existing concrete structure while opening the building to daylight and views, creating new internal connections, improving wayfinding, and preserving embodied value and carbon. A three-story wellness tower organizes programs along a clear vertical circulation spine, balancing accessibility, privacy, acoustic separation, and operational control while normalizing access to support services by integrating them into everyday campus circulation.
A double-height lounge serves as a campus living room and primary orientation space, bringing daylight deep into the plan and establishing a welcoming civic presence. Recreation spaces on the first two floors nearly double capacity, while lounges and flexible multipurpose rooms support social connection, workshops, and evolving collaborative programming. Biophilic strategies, including plantings, daylight, outward views, natural materials, organic forms, and layered lighting, create a restorative atmosphere that softens the original concrete structure. The result is a transparent, connected wellness destination that expands access to care, reduces stigma around seeking support, and strengthens Marquette’s commitment to cura personalis through the daily student experience.
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MERIT & SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Milwaukee Repertory Theatre – Addition and Renovations
Milwaukee, WI
“This is a great example of how you can bring historic buildings forward and make them meet current codes and function in a much more sustainable manner while maintaining respect for the original buildings. You really get to come in contact with the exterior of this historic building in a way that you never would have without the addition, getting up close to details and seeing how much bigger they actually are than you would have thought from the street. They had a lot of difficult problems to solve here, and they did it in a very elegant, competent, and professional manner, making a very complex project work beautifully.”
- Christine Albertsson AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firms: EUA
Design Architect: Thomas S. Stacey, AIA
Design Team Members:
Owner: Milwaukee Repertory Theater
General Contractor: Hunzinger Construction Company
Consultants:
Photography: Peter McCullough
Originally founded in 1954 and housed since 1987 within Milwaukee’s historic 1890s Oneida Street Power Station, Milwaukee Repertory Theater completed a transformative 152,500 sf renovation and expansion that modernizes the facility while celebrating its industrial heritage. The project introduced a new entry sequence, expanded pre-function areas, a VIP Donor Lounge, and an Education & Engagement Center, while refurbishing historic architectural elements and replacing outdated MEP, AV, and IT systems. A central organizing lobby now provides access to all three performance venues, replacing a fragmented circulation system and creating a more communal and intuitive patron experience.
The comprehensive overhaul included flexible theater configurations, upgraded rehearsal and production spaces, and extensive accessibility improvements guided by principles of inclusive design. Renovations to the Ellen and Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater feature a new seating bowl with improved sightlines and a stage capable of shifting between thrust and proscenium formats, while exposed Cream City and glazed brick masonry and historic windows express the building’s powerplant history. New amenities, donor and community spaces, accessible routes, all-gender restrooms, a universal toilet with an adult changing table, and sensory and wellness rooms support Milwaukee Rep’s mission of community engagement, ensuring a universal experience for patrons of varying modalities and strengthening the theater’s role as a cultural hub.
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MERIT & SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN
Nautilus House
Sanibel, FL
“The concept of creating a Nautilus form and using the hip metal roof forms that are common throughout the beach environment was a clever way to respond to the context while still creating something singular. Bringing in light from above while sequestering the skylights allows the overarching form to read as though it belongs with its neighbors. There are many things about this house that are not conventional, and I’m impressed by what they were able to pull off within the language and intentions they set out to achieve.”
- Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firms: LA DALLMAN Architects
Design Architect: James T. Dallman, AIA
Design Team Members:
General Contractor: Hunzinger Construction Company
Consultants:
Photography: Iwan Baan; LA DALLMAN; Coastal Vista Design
Originally founded in 1954 and housed since 1987 within Milwaukee’s historic 1890s Oneida Street Power Station, Milwaukee Repertory Theater completed a transformative 152,500 sf renovation and expansion that modernizes the facility while celebrating its industrial heritage. The project introduced a new entry sequence, expanded pre-function areas, a VIP Donor Lounge, and an Education & Engagement Center, while refurbishing historic architectural elements and replacing outdated MEP, AV, and IT systems. A central organizing lobby now provides access to all three performance venues, replacing a fragmented circulation system and creating a more communal and intuitive patron experience.
The comprehensive overhaul included flexible theater configurations, upgraded rehearsal and production spaces, and extensive accessibility improvements guided by principles of inclusive design. Renovations to the Ellen and Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater feature a new seating bowl with improved sightlines and a stage capable of shifting between thrust and proscenium formats, while exposed Cream City and glazed brick masonry and historic windows express the building’s powerplant history. New amenities, donor and community spaces, accessible routes, all-gender restrooms, a universal toilet with an adult changing table, and sensory and wellness rooms support Milwaukee Rep’s mission of community engagement, ensuring a universal experience for patrons of varying modalities and strengthening the theater’s role as a cultural hub.
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One 09
Madison, WI
“One of the most compelling aspects of this project is how it reconnects people to the lake and reinforces Madison’s unique identity as a city between two bodies of water. By thoughtfully integrating landscape, infrastructure, and the pedestrian experience, it transforms a complex site into a place that makes the presence of the lake feel immediate, accessible, and deeply connected to the city.”
- Christine Albertsson AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firms: Potter Lawson
Design Architect: Andy Laufenberg, AIA
Design Team Members:
Owner + Developer: Quad Capital Partners
General Contractor: J.H Findorff & Sons Inc.
Consultants:
Photography: Leo Alastair; C&N Photography; Potter Lawson
One 09 transforms an underutilized, sloping urban site between two prominent street frontages overlooking Lake Monona into a vibrant mixed-use destination. Central to the design is a public promenade that carves between and beneath the development’s two building wings, linking the city-facing and lake-facing frontages and reinforcing Madison’s long-term vision of stronger lake connections, including the future LakeWay development. The 14-story post-tensioned apartment community includes 340 residential units, approximately 16,960 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, and three levels of below-grade parking. Shared amenities occupy the 14th floor, democratizing panoramic views from Lake Monona to the Capitol through a resident lounge, private dining areas, outdoor terraces, and a rooftop pool.
The building’s U-shaped massing, with the base oriented toward the lake, provides wind protection while reducing perceived scale along the streetscape and creating a courtyard that extends through to a public lakefront overlook. A two-story brick plinth establishes a human-scaled pedestrian experience, while brick walls with punched openings frame lighter glass volumes articulated through metal detailing, mullion grids, and infill panels. The bird-friendly façade balances transparency and expansive views, and stepped glass volumes along the lakefront create a distinctive skyline presence that responds to the site’s urban context. Through its integration of public space, thoughtful architectural expression, and strong connections between city and waterfront, One 09 enhances Madison’s evolving urban fabric and creates a lasting sense of place for residents and the broader community.
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UW-Madison College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (CAI)
[Formerly University of Wisconsin-Madison Morgridge Hall for Computer, Data, & Information Sciences (CDIS)]
Madison, WI
“As a student, this is the kind of space I could imagine spending hours in, especially during the winter, with daylight and sunlight filling the atrium. It's a beautiful, dynamic space, but also a remarkably cohesive one, with a consistent material palette tying together the ramps, balustrades, and gathering areas. The design creates a true center for the building, a place that naturally draws people together and supports both community and connection.”
- Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firms: Kahler Slater, Inc. & LMN Architects
Design Architect: Christopher Ludwig, AIA
Design Team Members:
Owner: The Universities of Wisconsin – Capital Planning and Budget & University of Wisconsin Facilities Planning and Management
General Contractor: Findorff
Consultants:
Photography: Bruce Damonte
Morgridge Hall, a 343,000-square-foot facility anchoring the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s urban campus, serves as the home of the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences, bringing together Computer Sciences, Statistics, the Information School, Biostatistics & Medical Informatics, the Data Science Institute, and the Center for High Throughput Computing. Conceived as a collaborative, human-centered environment, the building supports interdisciplinary partnerships across medicine, engineering, agriculture, and business through spaces that emphasize openness, shared experience, and human connection. Located at one of Madison’s most active intersections, the design integrates circulation with learning spaces and dissolves boundaries between campus and community. Inspired by Wisconsin’s unglaciated landscape, craft traditions, and diverse communities, the building’s massing references stone formations, winding rivers, and layered terrain, while its curved, stepped street edge, woven textile-inspired façade patterns, and wood railings create a human-scaled, contextual presence.
Organized as a vertical campus, Morgridge Hall centers on a daylight-filled atrium and prominent stair that connect floors through terraces and gathering spaces, encouraging movement, visibility, and informal interaction. Academic and industry “ecosystems” are supported through glass walls, flexible work areas, and shared zones that make collaboration immediate and accessible. Biophilic design elements, including natural light, indoor gardens, rooftop terraces, and a public café, bring the restorative qualities of the outdoors into a high-tech academic environment. Designed as the university’s most sustainable building, Morgridge Hall incorporates a high-performance envelope, more than 300 rooftop solar panels, and advanced water-efficient systems, establishing a benchmark for environmentally responsible, human-centered design that unites Wisconsin’s landscape identity with interdisciplinary academic ecosystems and technological innovation.
2026 SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN A SPECIFIC CATEGORY
(Listed in alphabetical order.)
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN COMMUNITY IMPACT
Emplify Health Children and Adolescent Clinic
Green Bay, WI
“Incorporating nature-inspired graphics throughout the project demonstrates thoughtful design for the young patients and the healthcare providers in creating a place for care and healing. The use of colors brightens the interiors and even introduces playfulness to the space that can be intimidating to the young patients. As described in the narrative, the design team’s effort to put children at the center of design decisions is clearly demonstrated."
- Seonhee Kim, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Somerville, Inc.
Design Architect: Anders Sandli, NCARB, AIA (Senior Project Architect)
Design Team Members:
• Kirsten Martin (Interior Designer)
• Robert Schunke (Project Manager)
• Nick LaFaive (Electrical Engineering Design)
• Sam Graner (Mechanical Engineering Design)
• Sheila Downing (Plumbing Engineering Design)
• Markell Bernardy (Environmental Graphics Design)
Owner: Emplify Health by Bellin
General Contractor: IEI General Contractors
Consultants:
• Meyer Borgman Johnson (Structural Engineer)
• Point of Beginning (Site / Civil Engineer)
Photography: Gary Parker Photography
The Emplify Health Children & Adolescent Center is a 75,000-square-foot pediatric healthcare facility developed through a partnership between Emplify Health, ThedaCare, and Children’s Wisconsin. Designed as a comprehensive, child-centered destination, the two-story facility brings primary care, pediatric mental health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, specialty clinics, diagnostic imaging, and other services under one roof. Strategically positioned on a prominent healthcare campus, the building maximizes daylight and views, strengthens connections to the surrounding landscape, and incorporates outdoor therapeutic opportunities, including an inclusive playground. The design is guided by a simple principle, viewing every decision through the eyes of a child, resulting in an environment that reduces anxiety, supports emotional well-being, and improves access, safety, and clinical efficiency.
Extensive engagement with patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers informed an architecture and interior design strategy that emphasizes intuitive wayfinding, sensory-supportive environments, and flexible spaces that accommodate a wide range of developmental and behavioral needs. Brightly colored exterior fins, abundant natural light, warm wood tones, rounded forms, playful graphics, and thoughtfully scaled furnishings create a welcoming, non-institutional atmosphere, while specialized spaces include an apartment-style life-skills training environment for individuals on the autism spectrum. The facility also advances healthcare delivery through innovative technology, including the region’s first EOS imaging system for low-radiation, full-body skeletal imaging. Through thoughtful architecture, evidence-based interior design, advanced medical technology, and meaningful stakeholder engagement, the project redefines the pediatric healthcare experience by fostering dignity, comfort, independence, and positive outcomes for children and families.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN ADAPTIVE REUSE
Hotel Indigo
Madison, WI
“The interiors are warm and an artful blend of new and modern coming together in a way that is less cutting-edge modern and a little bit more focused on a sort of rustic playfulness."
- Christine Albertsson, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Potter Lawson
Design Architect: Andy Laufenberg, AIA
Design Team Member: Doug Hursh, PIC, AIA
Owners/Developers:
• Archipelago Village, LLC
• Kothe Real Estate
• Great Lakes Management Group
General Contractor: Stevens Construction Corp.
Consultants:
• Gary Brink & Associates
• Ken Saiki Design
• Fink Horejsh, LLC
• Insite Consulting Architects
Photography: Mike Rebholz; Nick Berard; Potter Lawson
Hotel Indigo is the adaptive reuse and restoration of the historic Kleuter Building, a 1915 warehouse listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places, into a 144-room boutique hotel within Madison’s redeveloping East Washington Gateway Corridor. Once a grocery wholesale warehouse and later home to the Mautz Paint Company, the building had become increasingly difficult to repurpose due to its low floor-to-floor heights and closely spaced concrete columns, resulting in years of deterioration and vacancy. The project restores the structure in accordance with National and State preservation standards while preserving its architectural character and significant historic features, including extensive façade tuckpointing, exposed concrete framing, and historic industrial elements.
As the first phase of a larger master-planned redevelopment, the five-story hotel includes guest rooms, meeting space, and a ground-floor restaurant and lounge with an outdoor patio designed to activate the streetscape and promote pedestrian engagement. The addition draws inspiration from the original warehouse, reinterpreting its exposed concrete frame and gridded steel windows through board-formed precast and cast-in-place concrete piers, large glass openings, canted brick bays, and corrugated metal infill panels. Interior spaces celebrate the building’s history through restored artifacts, including the iconic Mautz sign, while blending exposed historic brick with contemporary finishes. The project serves as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization, creating a contemporary interpretation of a warehouse building that respects its heritage while strengthening the urban and industrial character of the corridor.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN ADAPTIVE REUSE
Idyll Coffee Roasters
Wauwatosa, WI
“I was impressed by the level of transformation from the building that existed to what they created. The imaginative approach of pushing back the center portion of the façade, changing materials, preserving the outer masonry bays, and rethinking the roof form completely redefined the building’s identity. They transformed what was once an ordinary, unattractive office building into a civic presence that invites the community in. It’s truly a gift to the community and a superlative example of adaptive reuse.”
- Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Galbraith Carnahan Architects
Design Architect: Nick Carnahan, AIA
Design Team Members:
• Andrew Gutierrez, AIA (Project Designer)
• Nhia Lee, AIA (Project Designer)
Owner: Idyll Coffee Roasters
General Contractor: Dahlman Construction
Consultants:
• Core4 Engineering (Structural Engineer)
• CJ Engineering (Civil Engineer)
• Landworks, Inc. (Landscape Architect)
Photography: Ryan Hainey; Galbraith Carnahan
After sitting vacant for thirteen years and facing imminent demolition, a 1963 masonry office building at 6330 West North Avenue in Wauwatosa was transformed into the new home of Idyll Coffee Roasters through a partnership among the owner, design team, and city. The project reconfigured the former office building into a combined roasting facility, administrative headquarters, and public café, with a design strategy centered on creating street presence and public connection. Strategic demolition removed the original Miami Stone cladding, colonial columns, faux shutters, and residential-scaled soffits, while a portion of the structure along North Avenue was removed to create an outdoor terrace, open the interior to the street, and establish a more generous entry sequence. The exterior was reclad in traditional three-part stucco, fundamentally redefining the building’s relationship to its urban context.
Inside, large sections of floor were removed to create visual and spatial connections between levels, while removal of the second floor along the southern façade introduced daylighting through new skylights. Existing steel beams and Douglas fir joists were left exposed, and a range of seating environments, from intimate settings to double-height spaces, supports varied patterns of use. Despite initial construction estimates reaching 175 percent of the available budget, a rigorous value engineering process and contractor collaboration reduced costs by $800,000 while preserving the design intent. Opened in August 2025, the project demonstrates how adaptive reuse, civic partnership, and careful design can transform a deteriorated structure into a neighborhood gathering place and community anchor.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN COMMUNITY IMPACT
Oregon Public Library
Oregon, WI
“This project is a great example of how architecture can strengthen a community by creating a shared space that connects people with the landscape around them. The building becomes a kind of prism for its rural environment, with the thoughtful combination of a light-filled library and trailhead park entry creating a simple yet meaningful civic destination.”
- Christine Albertsson, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: OPN Architects
Design Architect: Wesley Reynolds, AIA
Design Team Members:
• Brett Rottinghaus, AIA (Project Architect)
• Kim Knoop (Interior Design)
Owner: Village of Oregon
General Contractor: Tri-North Builders
Consultants:IMEG (MEPT), JSD (Civil & Landscape)
Photography: Crane Photography; Shutter Photos; Sam Smith
The new 31,000-square-foot Oregon Public Library replaces a constrained downtown facility and redefines community services through a design that embraces its setting adjacent to Keller Alpine Meadows Park and Lerner Conservation Park. Oriented north to south along the west edge of the conservancy, the building maximizes views and connections to the landscape. A light cream-city brick wraps the northwest and southeast corners to anchor the building at its base, while a dark board and batten second level references the agricultural character of the site. Windows on every elevation flood interiors with natural light, and the placement of offices, study rooms, meeting spaces, and the community room along the west side allows public collection areas to capitalize on sweeping views of the conservancy.
The library strengthens connections to both nature and community through a variety of gathering and reflection spaces. In the children’s area, a lifted roof and windows on three sides create the feeling of being projected into the landscape, fostering quietude and curiosity, while the young adult area is located adjacent to the maker space. A second-floor adult area, separated from the more active first-floor functions, features vaulted ceilings and elevated park views. The building also serves as a new park trailhead, linking to paved paths and a Story Walk with rotating picture books, while a large east-facing patio provides outdoor space for respite and relaxation. Together, these elements establish the library as a community hub that celebrates its natural surroundings both inside and out.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
SSM Health Outpatient Center in Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie, WI
“This project demonstrates a thoughtful approach to sustainability by addressing not only the wellness of patients, but also the wellness of the healthcare professionals who work within the space. The careful organization of clinical areas creates opportunities for both individual and collaborative work, while the focus on health and wellness is reinforced through its anticipated WELL Gold certification. It’s commendable to see a project that moves beyond ideas and intent to demonstrate a true commitment to creating healthier environments.”
- Seonhee Kim, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Kahler Slater, Inc.
Design Architect: Melinda Pogwizd-Nerad, AIA, WELL AP
Design Team Members:
• Dave Sheedy (Principal-in-Charge)
• Mike Franz, AIA (Project Manager)
• Melinda Pogwizd, AIA (Design Leader/Healthcare Planner)
• Aaron Ebent, AIA (Design Principal)
• Josh Derginer, AIA; Cam Twohey, AIA; Ryan Johnson, AIA (Project Architects)
• Robert Konzelmann Assoc. AIA; Anya Vanecek Assoc. AIA; Katie MacDonald, Assoc. AIA (Project Specialists)
• Ed Dueppen, AIA (Specifications)
• Katy Frey Finkelmeyer (Interior Designer)
• Danielle Jamieson (Interior Designer/Healthcare Planner)
• Riley Atlas, Jess Schulz, Madison Haenszel (Environmental Branding)
Owner: SSM Health
General Contractor: Findorff
Consultants:
• GRAEF (Structural, Civil, & Landscape)
• IMEG (M/E/P)
Photography: Tom Harris; Kahler Slater
SSM Health’s 92,550-square-foot Sun Prairie Ambulatory Care Center reimagines outpatient healthcare as a holistic wellness destination that integrates advanced care, intuitive design, and a meaningful connection to nature. Responding to growing regional demand for surgical orthopedics and comprehensive eye care, the facility is strategically located at a major highway interchange while preserving mature tree groves and maintaining strong ties to the surrounding landscape. The building is organized into two distinct volumes connected by shared public spaces, with a transparent, tactile ground level of glass and warm wood tones supporting a human-scaled experience, and a cantilevered upper level articulated through vertical brick and glazing patterns. A light-filled lobby, open stair, stone-and-glass enclosure, and dynamic sloping roof establish a strong civic presence, while carefully articulated stair towers enhance wayfinding and integrated signage.
Developed through LEAN Design workshops, the center incorporates a self-rooming model and interior environments inspired by natural materials, textures, and custom artwork featuring local flora and fauna. Sustainability and wellness are central to the design, including high-performance mechanical systems, radiant flooring, advanced filtration, low-emission materials, and solar canopy arrays that generate approximately one-third of the building’s energy while reducing heat island effects. Designed to significantly exceed energy code benchmarks and on track for WELL Platinum certification, the facility provides abundant daylight, enhanced acoustic performance, visual comfort, and healthy amenities, creating a highly efficient, resilient, and restorative environment that advances SSM Health’s mission and redefines access to care for the community.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION + JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (JEDI)
ThriveOn King
Milwaukee, WI
“I was drawn to this project for its ability to carry forward the original intent of the structure as a public place, while reinterpreting that role in a new and meaningful way. By incorporating job training and career counseling, a dedicated wellness center, childhood education, and other community-focused resources, the building becomes a powerful example of how historic preservation can support equity and create a positive impact for the community.”
- Christine Albertsson, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Engberg Anderson
Design Architect: Bill Robison, AIA, Principal
Design Team Members:
Owner & Developer: Royal Capital Group
General Contractor:
Consultants:
MEP/FP Consultants (Design-Build):
Photography: Kyle Szef; Craig Dugan
Situated on Milwaukee’s historic Martin Luther King Drive, ThriveOn King is the adaptive reuse and restoration of the former Schuster’s Department Store, a nearly 350,000-square-foot landmark that had remained largely shuttered for more than 40 years. The project transformed a historic building into a community-centered development supporting health and food resource access, job training and career counseling, a wellness center, early childhood education, adaptable meeting and event spaces, after-school programming, and intergenerational housing. The first-floor North Lobby, Neighborhood Hall, and Café serve as welcoming public spaces that reinforce the project’s role as a hub for neighborhood engagement and community services in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood.
The design prioritizes thoughtful preservation and adaptive reuse, restoring the building’s historic character while accommodating contemporary needs. Removal of a decades-old industrial metal panel skin revealed an intact envelope, allowing restoration of most original windows along with extensive masonry and terra cotta repairs to the façade. Interior character-defining features were retained, restored, and repaired, including exposed plaster ceilings, decorative column capitals, historic wood and tile flooring, exposed brick walls, original revolving doors, elevator entries, stairwells, decorative grilles, and wood trim. Historic display cases were repurposed as installations for local artists, while a former open-air alley and loading dock with brick pavers was transformed into the residential lobby, celebrating the building’s heritage while supporting its renewed civic purpose.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN COMMUNITY IMPACT
Urban Ecology Center – Washington Park
Milwaukee, WI
"I really appreciate the extensive community engagement that took place in the making of the project. The project successfully brings the old and new together and creates opportunities to connect indoor and outdoor. I am certain the building and its grounds will offer flexible and inviting places for learning and playing, and the benefits to the community will extend beyond the places it offers."
- Seonhee Kim, AIA, 2026 Juror
Architecture Firm: Quorum Architects, Inc.
Design Architects:
• Allyson Nemec, AIA (Principal Design Architect)
• Matthew Edwards, AIA (Project Manager)
• Kate Edwards, AIA, (Design Architect)
Design Team Members:
• Emily Neal, Assoc. AIA (Architectural Designer)
• Mark Knapp, AIA (Quality Control / Quality Assurance)
• Jennifer Current (Landscape Architect)
• Emily Hoffman (Interior Designer)
Owner: Milwaukee County Parks
General Contractor: VJS Construction Services, Inc.
Consultants:
• Payne & Dolan (Civil Engineering)
• Pierce Engineers (Structural Engineering)
• Ring & DuChateau (Plumbing & Fire Protection, Mechanical, Electrical, Lighting)
Photography: Crane Photography; Shutter Photos; Sam Smith; Jake Badovski, Urban Ecology Center, VJS Construction Services, Inc.
The Urban Ecology Center (UEC) in Milwaukee’s Washington Park was designed to strengthen connections between people, nature, and the surrounding community through a deliberate “decision-making lens” established by the owner and design team. Informed by demographic research, inclusive public engagement, and extensive focus groups with residents, children, community organizations, staff, and park users, the design responds directly to community priorities. A key theme was the desire for a stronger relationship between the building and the park; in response, large areas of glazing create visual connections into and through interior and exterior spaces, drawing visitors into the landscape and encouraging engagement with nature from multiple vantage points.
Sustainability and adaptive reuse were central to the redesign. The original building’s distinctive “shark fin” exterior walls were retained as the shell of the project, while a new double-height volume emerges from within, allowing old and new architecture to remain in conversation. Existing elements, including the exposed fluted precast concrete, former building sign, and a preserved window now repurposed as an interior opening, underscore the building’s transformation. Connections to local ecology are further expressed through salvaged ash wood from park trees affected by the emerald ash borer and a sculptural regional tree installation in the central community room. In its first year, the project supported more than 9,200 student visits, activated community spaces with over 10,400 visits, established three acres of native plantings, and fulfilled its mission to enliven the park and reconnect surrounding neighborhoods.
This year’s program received 46 outstanding entries from members across the state, showcasing the breadth, depth, and impact of architecture in Wisconsin. A huge thank you to all who submitted their projects—we’re honored to celebrate your creativity, dedication, and design excellence.
