The Texas Society of Architects Design Awards program recognizes outstanding architectural and urban design projects by architects practicing in Texas to promote public interest in design excellence. The 2022 Design Awards jury met May 5–6 to review 150 submissions, selecting 25 projects for recognition. Approximately 40 percent of submissions were residential projects, with the remaining 60 percent representing a variety of typologies and scales ranging from temporary mobile installations to larger urban interventions. While the TxA Design Awards are not categorized, this year’s jury opted to organize the entries by typology — allowing for a more “apples to apples” comparison of work while distributing recognition more equitably amongst differing project types. Projects that “do more with less” captured the jury’s attention, reflecting broader industry trends toward projects that promote more affordable, accessible design. Even so, the jury also lauded projects that exhibit exquisite craftsmanship as well as unique approaches to culture and context, projects which have been mainstays of design awards programs since their inception.
Monica Chadha, AIA
Civic Projects
Monica Chadha, AIA, is founder and principal of Civic Projects, a Chicago-based architecture practice with a focus on social impact. The firm goes beyond architecture to engage in grant-writing, strategic planning, pre-development, and revitalization on several scales. Current projects include collaborating with Ralph Appelbaum Associates on the Obama Presidential Center Museum design, and strategic planning and programming of the Chicago Torture Justice Center.
Paul Danna, FAIA
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Paul Danna, FAIA, leads SOM’s Los Angeles studio, whose award-winning work integrates architecture, interiors, urban design, and product design across domestic and international markets. Danna and his team have led groundbreaking sustainable projects including the first net-zero-energy large office building in the United States, and the LEED Platinum certified Los Angeles Federal Courthouse, which earned the AIA’s highest awards for design and sustainability.
Jeff Goldstein, FAIA
DIGSAU
Jeff Goldstein, FAIA, is a principal and co-founding partner at Philadelphia-based DIGSAU, a 50-person studio practicing contemporary architecture, urbanism, and environmental design. The firm’s philosophy is guided by a commitment to design excellence, social and environmental sustainability, and cultural resonance. Among their more than 60 award-winning projects are Discovery Center in Philadelphia and the PPR Residence Hall at Swarthmore College.
Claire Weisz, FAIA
WXY
Claire Weisz, FAIA, is a founding principal of WXY architecture + urban design, located in New York City. Globally recognized for its place-based approach to architecture, WXY works at all scales, from public plazas and parks to intergenerational community centers, to large-scale affordable housing complexes. The firm has also created master plans for major economic initiatives like the Brooklyn Tech Triangle and overseen the design of climate change-resistant landscapes, including the redevelopment of the Manhattan East River waterfront.