Southern Arizona Design Award winners were celebrated at the 2025 AIA Southern Arizona Annual Meeting in December 2025, at the Tucson Museum of Art in Tucson.
Michael Becherer, AIA, of Tucson was the AIA Southern Arizona Design Awards Chair. Jurors were Michael Jacobs, FAIA; Eric Zabilka, AIA; and Tom Hickey, AIA.
DISTINGUISHED ARCHITECTURE
HONOR AWARD
University of Arizona Grand Challenges Research Building
Scenes from the 2025 Annual Meeting + Design Awards Presentation
AIA Arizona Executive Director John Czarnecki and AIA Southern Arizona President Laura Vertes, AIA.AIA Arizona Executive Director John Czarnecki welcomes the audience.Teresa Rosano, AIA, is acknowledged for being the 2025 Arizona Architects Medal honoree.AIA Southern Arizona President Laura Vertes, AIA, gives a year in review for the chapter.AIA Southern Arizona President-elect Karena Makomaski, AIA, gives her vision for 2026.casa ala blanca by HK ASsociates received a Citation Award in the Unbuilt Architecture category.Winners of three awards for three separate projects: Line and Space.
Unbuilt Architecture: Citation Big Spring Community Center in Texas
Distinguished Architecture: Merit Pima County Northwest Service Center in Tucson
Distinguished Architecture: Citation Pima County Martha Cooper Library Addition in TucsonSombra de Santa Fe by DUST received a Merit Award in the Distinguished Architecture category.Johnny Birkinbine, AIA (right) and Awards Chair Michael Becherer, AIA.The University of Arizona Grand Challenges Research Building by ZGF Architects with BWS Architects received an Honor Award in the Distinguished Architecture category.AIA Southern Arizona Past President Dan Maher, AIA and AIA Southern Arizona President Laura Vertes, AIA.Rosemary Bright, AIA (left) and AIA Southern Arizona President Laura Vertes, AIA.AIA Southern Arizona President Laura Vertes, AIA and AIA Southern Arizona AIAS Representative Francisco Zazueta. 2025 Newly Licensed Architects from left: Aaron Knepper, AIA; Emanuel Torres, AIA; Wen Xie, AIA; Lauren Craig, AIA; and Ryan Helmick, AIA.
