Architectural Awards
The Virginia Chapter awards recognize outstanding educational facilities that serve the needs of students, staff, and the community while facilitating student achievement. Emphasizing the connection between the planning process and the end result – a healthy, high-performing school facility – these awards uniquely assess how well a school facility supports the academic program of the school district.
Each year the exhibit and award ceremony takes place as part of the Virginia Chapter Annual Conference. All projects are displayed as a part of the conference exhibition.
Click here for complete award details and to submit your project.
Click here to see past Architectural Award Winners.
Planner of the Year Award
The annual Association for Learning Environments, Virginia Chapter Planner of the Year Award is for educational facility planning excellence and is the highest and most distinguished honor conferred by our Chapter. Selection is made by the Virginia Chapter Jury.
The presentation of the Planner of the Year Award is made each year at the Virginia Chapter Annual Conference. Finalists are also be recognized.
Click here to see past Planner of the Year Award Winners.
Student Design Award
Each year at the Annual Conference, students from Virginia universities submit educational facility designs.
Click here to see past Student Design Award Winners.
SchoolsNEXT Design Competition
The Association for Learning Environments’ SchoolsNEXT Design Competition challenges teams of middle school students across the globe to address a pressing need, problem, or challenge by formulating an educational response and designing an appropriate learning environment, – school building – in support of their idea. Students engage with each other and with architects, serving as mentors, in a planning process to develop multidisciplinary solutions that, at a minimum, are practical and applicable but at their best can be aspirational and transformative.
Teams from Virginia compete against other schools from Virginia in a juried process scheduled in March. The winning Virginia team presents at the Virginia Chapter Conference in April and moves on to the regional competition in April. The regional winner competes in the international competition in October/November.
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