The American Institute of Architects' (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) is recognizing 11 projects for state-of-the-art designs of schools and learning centers.

The Education Facility Design Award jury selected six facilities for its Awards of Excellence and five projects for its Awards of Merit. Complete details for each project are available on AIA’s website.

In order to be eligible for AIA’s Awards of Excellence, the architect must demonstrate exemplary practice. Additionally, the design must meet a host of criteria, including enhancing learning in classrooms; balancing function with aesthetics; establishing a connection with the environment; being respectful of the surrounding community; demonstrating high-level planning in the design process; and integrating sustainability in a holistic fashion. Awards of Excellence were bestowed upon the following:

• Charles Library at Temple University, Philadelphia | Stantec | Snøhetta – Joint Venture
• Geffen Academy at UCLA, Los Angeles | KoningEizenberg Architecture
• The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab, Dallas | Marlon Blackwell Architects
• Linde Center for Music and Learning, Lenox, Massachusetts | William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.
• Reeds Spring Middle School, Reeds Spring, Missouri | Dake Wells Architecture
• Tarbut V’Torah expansion, Irvine, California | LPA,  Inc.

Projects selected for the Awards of Merit are recognized for being of superior quality. This year’s recipients include:

• Amherst College New Science Center, Amherst, Massachusetts | Payette
• Canyon View High School, Waddell, Arizona | DLR Group
• MIT Theater Arts, Cambridge, Massachusetts | designLAB architects
• The Mubuga Primary School, Ruhengeri, Rwanda | MASS Design Group
• Salish Coast Elementary, Port Townsend, Washington | Integrus Architecture

Visit AIA’s website for more information on the Education Facility Design Awards.