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Every year, the American Institute of Architects presents two of the most anticipated accolades in the world of design. The Gold Medal honors an architect who has made a lasting contribution to both the theory and practice of the discipline; the Architecture Firm Award, on the other hand, recognizes a studio that has distinguished itself for at least a decade through consistent, high-quality work capable of creating meaningful value for communities.
For 2026, these two honors go to Shigeru Ban and the team at Duvall Decker.
The Gold Medal, the AIA’s highest individual honor, has been awarded this year to Shigeru Ban, Hon. FAIA, an architect who has redefined the relationship between materials, sustainability, and social responsibility. The AIA recognizes him for his ability to bring together technical research, professional ethics, and a radically innovative approach to using renewable materials, especially paper and wood.
Born in Tokyo in 1957, Ban has built an international career around the belief that architecture should serve everyone. Since the 1980s, he has been developing his now-famous paper-tube structures — first tested while curating at the Axis Gallery — which later became the foundation for pioneering projects: from emergency shelters for victims of earthquakes and conflicts to the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, a permanent building and a symbol of hope after the 2011 earthquake.
As founder of the Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN), he has brought his humanitarian work to more than 23 countries, showing how lightweight and recyclable solutions can meet real needs with dignity and beauty.
Ban is also a leading figure in the contemporary evolution of structural timber. The Swatch & Omega Campus in Bienne—featuring its post-and-beam systems and an expansive gridshell made of Swiss wood—is one of the clearest expressions of his vision: a work that redefines the possibilities of mass timber on a global scale.
Among his other notable projects are the Centre Pompidou-Metz, the Aspen Art Museum, the Tamedia Office Building in Zurich, and works such as Cast Iron House in New York, where history and innovation coexist with effortless harmony.
Throughout his career, Ban has received numerous international honors — from the Pritzker Prize in 2014 to the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture in 2024. He is also a passionate educator who, for more than thirty years, has been shaping new generations of architects through both design and hands-on building. Today, the Gold Medal acknowledges the breadth of a vision that brings together technical mastery, humanity, and a deep awareness of our environmental urgency.
Founded in 1998 by Anne Marie Duvall Decker and Roy Decker, Duvall Decker has been awarded the 2026 AIA Architecture Firm Award for creating a truly exemplary model of civic architecture. The AIA recognizes a practice whose approach weaves together design, advocacy, and a tangible commitment to place — a form of engagement that goes far beyond the act of drawing buildings and evolves into a genuine public service.
«Duvall Decker serves as an inspiring example for the profession, proving that the most profound architecture is born from a deep sense of care, respect, and empathy». American Institute of Architects (AIA)
The firm’s work is deeply intertwined with the communities of Mississippi, where every project becomes an act of responsibility and renewal. The Bennie G. Thompson Academic and Civil Rights Research Center at Tougaloo College brings together study spaces, art collections, and civil-rights memory; the new U.S. Courthouse in Greenville is conceived as a fair, open building, firmly rooted in the region’s history. Equally significant is the long-term collaboration with the Jackson Public Schools, where carefully targeted, incremental interventions have improved school infrastructures that had long been overlooked.
Duvall Decker’s work goes far beyond design: the firm provides support in real estate, project management, maintenance, and strategic planning. They repair buildings, assist public agencies in securing funding, and advance a vision of architecture as a continuous service — one capable of generating tangible social and environmental impact.
The 2026 Architecture Firm Award recognizes a practice that merges design excellence with genuine civic commitment, offering a model poised to influence the profession and inspire a new generation of architects dedicated to equity and collective well-being.
>>> The AIA Gold Medal was awarded in 2024 to David Lake and Ted Flato.
