2025 DESIGN AWARDS ENTRIES:

The annual DIA Design Awards are now officially open for submissions. 

This respected event honours and celebrates excellence in architecture and design across a broad spectrum of categories, showcasing the innovation, creativity, and craftsmanship that continue to shape our region’s built environment. 

We look forward to receiving your entries and celebrating the outstanding contributions that enrich our communities and inspire our profession.

 

AWARD CATEGORIES:

CATEGORY 01 - ON THE DRAWING BOARD:

Celebrating visionary projects still in the design phase. This category is intended for stalled or speculative proposals that may not progress to construction, but nonetheless demonstrate exceptional ambition, creativity, or design thinking worthy of recognition.

CATEGORY 02 - AMBASSADOR:

Recognising individuals or organisations who champion design excellence. This category celebrates projects located outside the DIA Chapter area that have been designed by a DIA-affiliated practice, highlighting the global reach and influence of local talent.

CATEGORY 03 - GROUP OF HOUSING:

Honouring outstanding residential developments that demonstrate design excellence at scale. Entries may include clusters, blocks, or multi-unit schemes that form part of a cohesive residential project.

CATEGORY 04 - COMMERCIAL / NON-DOMESTIC:

Acknowledging excellence in non-residential architecture, from workplaces and retail to civic and cultural spaces. This category may be subdivided into large and small projects depending on the number and scale of entries received.

CATEGORY 05 - REGENERATION:

Rewarding projects that breathe new life into existing buildings, sites, or urban fabric. This category includes adaptive reuse, conservation, and heritage-led interventions that demonstrate thoughtful renewal, cultural sensitivity, and lasting impact.

CATEGORY 06 - INTERIOR DESIGN:

Showcasing exceptional interior environments that elevate the user experience. Open to commercial, industrial, and residential projects that demonstrate innovation, atmosphere, and spatial clarity.

CATEGORY 07 - HOUSE OF THE YEAR:

Celebrating the pinnacle of residential architecture. Open to entirely new builds or projects incorporating significant new-build elements, this category recognises homes that exemplify design excellence, innovation, and emotional resonance.

CATEGORY 08 - BEST DOMESTIC EXTENSION:

Recognising creative and functional additions to existing homes. This category celebrates extensions that enhance everyday living, demonstrating sensitivity to context, clever spatial solutions, and architectural flair.

CATEGORY 09 - BEST SMALL PROJECT:

Highlighting impactful architecture delivered with modest means. Open to projects with a construction cost under £150,000 (incl. VAT), this category celebrates ingenuity, restraint, and design excellence on a small scale.

CATEGORY 10 - INNOVATIVE USE OF MATERIAL:

Rewarding projects that push boundaries through inventive, expressive, or sustainable use of materials. This category celebrates craft, experimentation, and the transformative potential of materiality in architectural design.

CATEGORY 11 - BEST USE OF TIMBER:

Celebrating projects that showcase the versatility, warmth, and sustainability of timber. This category recognises exceptional craftsmanship, innovative detailing, or environmental performance achieved through the thoughtful use of timber in architecture.

 

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

Submissions will be accepted from Friday, 1st August at 21:00, and the closing date for entries is Friday, 5th September at 21:00.

Please note we have introduced an entry fee of £55 per practice to participate in the awards process. This is applicable only once per practice, and each practice may submit as many entries as they wish across the various categories, in accordance with the other award T&Cs.

In return for your entry fee, the practice will receive one ticket to the DIA Awards ceremony and dinner on Friday, 7th November 2025, at the Apex Hotel in Dundee. Additional tickets can be purchased via the usual process when tickets are released for general sale.

The required entry fee of £55 should be paid directly to the DIA via bank transfer to the following account:

Bank Name: Virgin Money

Account Name: Dundee Institute of Architects

Account Number: 50232638

Sort Code: 82-61-21

Please use your practice name as the payment reference. Payment receipts can be provided upon request for your records.

Payment must be made in advance of the awards entry deadline [insert date] to ensure your submission complies with the awards terms and conditions.

All entries must be submitted through our Airtable link:

https://airtable.com/appNQEWSHlZ8s88bw/shrOXY5I2U5A3zKd3

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Before submitting your project, please ensure you have reviewed the full terms and conditions as set out below.

  • The Awards are open to participation from registered (Royal Incorporation of Architects) Chartered Architects and Practices, regardless of whether they are based within the DIA area or not.

  • Any eligible architect employed by a practice but not submitting through the practice must ensure this does not affect their contractual employment status.

  • Any applicant must own the intellectual property rights of the relevant works and designs submitted.

  • If two parties have collaborated on a project, it is the entrant's responsibility to ensure that the project is submitted by only one of the collaborating parties.

  • All applicants must ensure that clients are aware of their inclusion in this process. A visitation of the judging panel to the site may be required if the development is shortlisted.

  • DIA reserves the right to use any photographic images submitted in publicity material.

  • No development previously submitted for DIA Awards consideration may be resubmitted (an exception applies to entries in the ‘On the Drawing Board’ category, where a previously unbuilt concept may have since progressed to completion and now qualifies for consideration in a built category).

  • Entries are suggested to have been realised within the last 5 years to take part in the competition.

  • The decisions made by the judging panel are final. Correspondence will only be entered into at the absolute discretion of the judging panel.

  • Winning entries will be announced at the DIA Annual Awards Dinner. Entrants whose entries did not win will not receive any correspondence from the DIA.

  • There is no limit to the number of submissions made.

  • Entrants are invited to indicate their desired award category when submitting their work. This approach allows the judging panel discretion to assess each submission and, where appropriate, place it in the category they feel offers the best fit (whether in terms of project type, design intent, or potential for recognition).  Please note submissions should still be considered for one primary category, plus the ‘Innovative Use of Material’ category if relevant.

  • No responsibility can be accepted for incorrectly uploaded entries or those that are illegible or corrupted. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. (Please ensure that the application form includes a ‘receipt’ to the applicant).

  • All correctly completed entries for each category shall be forwarded to a judging panel who will select a shortlist of entries for each category. From this, a winner will be decided. The judging panel reserves the right to confer ‘Highly Commended’ and ‘Commended’ awards where appropriate.

  • If, at the sole discretion of the judging panel, none of the entries within a category is deemed to be of a sufficiently high standard to merit the award, no prizes may be awarded. This is to protect the prestigious nature of the DIA Awards.

  • The DIA may disqualify any entrant whose submission, in the judging panel’s opinion, has acted in a manner that is fraudulent, dishonest, or unjust.

  • Entries will be initially evaluated solely on the information submitted in order to establish a shortlist. The judging panel then reserves the right to request a site visit. It is unlikely that an award will be bestowed without a site visit (other than the Ambassador Award).

  • Photographs must be unadulterated and genuine, although minor retouching is permitted. Computer-generated images are accepted as supporting material where relevant, but these will be given secondary importance during judging. Such images must be clearly captioned as being computer-generated.

  • Only completed developments may be submitted (other than the ‘On the Drawing Boards’ award). To be considered as completed, projects need to have been handed over to the client.

  • DIA Council reserves the right to appoint the judging panel. There will be a minimum of three judges. The incumbent DIA President will be one of the judging panel. If there is felt to be a ‘conflict of interest’ on any entry, the other judges may adopt an elected member of the DIA Council as a replacement.

  • All entries must be supplied digitally. Entries submitted in any other way, including by email or hard copy, will not be accepted. All entries must be supplied as a high-resolution .PDF and in accordance with the conditions noted on the entry form.

  • The awards are non-transferable, and no cash alternative will be offered.

  • These terms will be governed by Scottish law, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish Courts.