2022 American Architecture Awards Showcase “Urban Generosity”

The much awaited 2022 American Architecture Awards are finally live, recognizing more than 150 innovative and impactful buildings across a variety of architectural firms. The American Architecture Awards are the U.S.’ highest public award for new architecture, urban planning, and generally prestigious architectural design.

Organized jointly by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, the Awards are now in their 28th year. Awards are chosen by a five-member independent jury of Italian architects, educators, and planners.

This year’s awards spanned every corner of the architecture industry, rewarding firms for their superb work in commercial, corporate office, government, high rise, healthcare, multi-family, and other sectors. Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, architecture critic and Museum President at The Chicago Athenaeum, highlighted the importance of “urban generosity” in the works he saw represented this year, which showed how “design may be harnessed to address the pressing threats of our time, climate change; the economy; and the crisis of so many people without housing.”

“It is particularly important to be considering excellence in architecture at this time—in this fast-changing world, where governments, clients and society need the skills and insight of architects,” he said.

Paul Doherty, AIA, IFMA Fellow and DFC Senior Fellow, recognized smart city thought leader, and founder of the digit group, weighs in on his reaction to this year’s awards.

Paul’s Thoughts

“The American Architecture Awards were given out for 2022, and I was pleasantly surprised with some great architecture being awarded this year. It was 150 different awards with 50 honorable mentions. What was also interesting was that there was a jury only made of Italian architects. Maybe we can do better next time and have a little bit of diversity?

But with that being said, they did a good job. I was also pleasantly surprised to see all of the different types of architecture, everything from renovations to brand new buildings and everything in between. But with 150 award winners, there’s gonna be a couple clunkers in there. And boy were there. I was wondering if this was more of a limitation of a person’s ability to use a computer program and they kind of just stick with what they can do with the computer, and that limits the creativity. I don’t know, I’m just throwing something out there. But that seems to be a thing. So with that, pleasantly surprised, small firms, large firms, everything in between. Good job by the jury.”