Congratulations to this year's winners!

Our event was November 3rd, 2023. Please see the 'Winner's Page' to see the winning projects for 2023

Celebrating the Best in Built Environment Design by Cincinnati-Area Creative Firms

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About CDA

The Cincinnati Design Awards (CDA) program recognizes the best built-environment design produced by Cincinnati-area creative firms and promotes the social and economic value of good design in our community. Each year, a distinguished nationwide jury of design thought leaders and eminent practitioners presents the awards to projects submitted by local architecture, interiors, landscape, community planners and experiential graphic designers. New to this year, we will also be including student work from local Universities!

Who we are

2023 Jurors

Megan O’Hara, AICP, LEED-AP
Principal, Partner | Urban Design Associates
Julie Maggos
Senior Director of Experiential Design and Principal | IA Interior Architects (Chicago)
EJ Lee, FIIDA, LEED AP ID+C, NCIDQ
Principal and Design Director | Gensler
Barbara Bestor, FAIA
Principal, Founder | Bestor Architecture
Steve Johns, AICP
Assistant Director | Hamilton County Planning + Development

Committee Members

Michelle VonderBrink
IIDA, LEED AP ID+C
Champlin Architecture

Luke Field
AIA, LEED AP
THP Limited

Blake Kishler
Senior Designer
Kolar Design

Megan Mershman
IIDA, LEED AP ID+C
GBBN

Eric Anderson
AICP, CPSM
KZF Design

Erin Hershberger
Champlin Architecture

Julie Carpenter
AIA Cincinnati

Kevin Kluender
AIA, LEED AP
drawing dept

Bonny Rienecke
IIDA
LOTH

Diana Bolton
ASLA
Human Nature, Inc

McKenzie Huber
IIDA
SHP

Suzanne Hopkins
SEGD
Kolar Design

Rob Busch
FAIA
drawing dept

Rebekah Vazquez
Allsteel

Minh Vu
BHDP

Daniel Luegering
GBBN

Katherine Setser

Categories

Projects submitted to the following categories will be evaluated against peer projects of a similar scale:

Building Architecture

Projects submitted this category may include New Construction, Adaptive Reuse, Preservation, Additions, Urban Design and are evaluated against peer projects of a similar scale

Large Scale = >10,000 sf
Small Scale = <10,000 sf

Interior Architecture

Projects submitted this category may include New Construction and Renovation of Interior Projects

Large Scale = >5,000 sf
Small Scale = <5,000 sf

Experiential Graphics

Projects submitted this category may include Wayfinding, Branded Environments, Placemaking, Interactive Experiences, Exhibition Design, Individual Signs

Large scale = environments or systems
Small Scale = features or elements

Landscape Architecture & Community Planning

Projects submitted this category may include Residential, Parks, Urban Design, Campuses, Streetscape, Hospitality, Landscape Art, Interior Landscapes, Gardens, Green/Blue Infrastructure, Green Roofs, Trails & Recreation, Community and Comprehensive Plans, Open Space Networks, Neighborhood Improvement/Revitalization Plans.

Planning & Analysis Projects = evaluating the rigor and soundness of analysis and planning projects that contribute to a unique sense of place.

Implementation = results of a plan or a built project of unusually high merit contributing to an improved quality of life.

In addition to the categories above, the jury may bestow an award for special recognition for Innovation in design, Historic Preservation, Community Impact and Interdisciplinary Design.

Award Levels

Honor Awards

Honor Award winners represent design conceived and executed at the highest levels of the profession. Fully realized and expertly crafted solutions like these make our environment more functional, beautiful, and inspiring for everyone.

Merit Awards

Merit Award winners reveal what design can do when applied with wit and purpose. They often surprise with their resourceful approach to difficult circumstances and never fail to bring delight to users.

Mention Awards

There is something about Honorable Mention projects that you can’t always put your finger on, but you can rarely forget. This award is how our jurors say it.