Celebrating Design and Professional Excellence in New York State Public Art & Architecture.
AIA New York State, in partnership with the New York State contracting agencies, created the Excelsior Awards in 2014 to provide a model of excellence for state-funded building design, landscape architecture, and public art, including professional practice and advocacy.
We’d Like to Thank Our 2021 Sponsors

2021 Excelsior Award Recipients
Submitting Firm | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Empire State Development
General Contractor | Skanksa USA Civil
MEP and FP Engineering, IT and Telecom | Jaros Baum & Bolles
Civil and Geotechnical Engineering | Langan Engineering & Environmental Services
Structural Engineering | Severud Associates
Skylight Structural Engineering | Schlaich Bergermann Partner
Historic Building Restoration | Building Conservation Associates
Photo Credit | © Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM; Lucas Blair Simpson Aaron Fedor © SOM; Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ggbain-17144; Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ggbain-15004
Submitting Firm | Sage and Coombe Architects
Structural Engineering | Severud Associates
MEP, FP Engineering | JFK&M Consulting Group
Landscape Architecture | MKW and Associates
Civil and Geotechnical Engineering | Langan
Cost Estimating | Toscano Clements Taylor
Contractor | WWC Contracting
Photo Credit | © Alexa Hoyer and Andrew Kao
Submitting Firm | Shop Architects
Structural Engineering | Thornton Tomasetti
Civil Engineering | GHD Group
Mechanical and Plumbing Engineering | ME Engineering
LEED | ME Engineering
Acoustical Engineering | LSTN Consultants
Geotechnical Engineering | John P. Stopen Engineering
Landscape Architecture | Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects
General Contractor | LeChase Construction Services
Photo Credit | © James Ewing / JBSA
Submitting Firm | nARCHITECTS
Landscape Architecture | Starr Whitehouse
MEP and Civil Engineering | FPM Group
Structural Engineering | Silman
Lighting Design | Lumen Architecture
Sustainability Consultant | Terrapin Bright Green
Graphic Design | Tactile
Exhibition Design | Tactile, AJA Architects
Cost Estimating | Ellana
Construction Manager | Elite Construction Company of New York
General Contractor | Scalamandre
Photo Credit | © Michael Moran
2021 Professional Service Awards & Presidential Citation
The Professional Awards honor excellence in practice and advocacy of design in NYS public architecture.

Henry Hobson Richardson Award
The Henry Hobson Richardson Award recognizes AIA members licensed in NYS and practicing in the private sector who have made a significant contribution to the quality of NYS public architecture and who have established a portfolio of accomplishments to that end.
Presidential Citation
Illya Azaroff, FAIA, the 2021 AIA New York State President, was honored to present Sandra L. Daigler, AIA, Director of Upstate Planning, Design and Quality Assurance for DASNY with a Presidential Citation for her unwavering commitment and dedication to AIA New York State and the Excelsior Awards program.
“Sandy has been an invaluable leader of the Excelsior Awards Program since its inception. Her strong commitment to design excellence in public architecture is evident in her work with the AIA and DASNY. She is the ideal public architect!”
Kelly Hayes McAlonie, FAIA, Founder, AIANYS Excelsior Awards Program,
Director of Campus Planning, University at Buffalo