Design Excellence Awards–Learning from Past Winners

The fourth annual Design Excellence Awards competition is open for entries! The deadline to enter your lab in this prestigious international competition is March 17, 2023. Labs that have been completed and occupied anytime between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2023, are eligible to compete for top honors in the categories of Excellence in Innovation, Excellence in Sustainability, and Excellence in Safety. Use your entry form to explain what makes your lab the “best of the best,” and demonstrate the unique features and design plans that were utilized in the construction or renovation of your facility.

Labs from all over the world are welcome to enter this competition. Judges are looking for facilities which make the most of their budget and square footage in order to enable groundbreaking research and discovery, while safeguarding the health and well-being of those who work in the labs.

Below is a list of winners throughout the history of the Design Excellence Awards. Links are included for each year’s top winners. Read more about these exceptional labs and the planning involved. Visit https://summit.labmanager.com/designawards for more information and to enter. Good luck!

2022 Winners

Excellence in Innovation Category

Winner: California Institute of Technology Chen Neuroscience Research BuildingSubmitting firm: SmithGroup

Honorable Mention: Ball Horticultural Company Helix Central Research and Development CenterSubmitting firm: Christner Architects

Excellence in Sustainability Category

Winner: California Air Resources Board, Southern California Headquarters, Mary D. Nichols CampusSubmitting firm: ZGF

Honorable Mention: Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at University of OregonSubmitting firm: Ennead Architects

Safety Category – Honorable Mention

Winner: Argonne National Laboratory Materials Design LaboratorySubmitting firm: IMEG Corp.

2021 Winners

Excellence in Innovation Category

Winner: University of Michigan Biological Sciences Building & Museum of Natural HistorySubmitting firms: SmithGroup; Ennead Architects LLP

Excellence in Safety Category

Winner: Texas A&M University Global Health Research ComplexSubmitting firm: Perkins&Will

Sustainability Category – Special Mention for Adaptive Reuse

Winner: University of South Carolina Science & Technology BuildingSubmitting firm: EYP

2020 Winners

Excellence in Innovation Category

Winner: Eli Lilly and Company Innovation Development CenterSubmitting firm: Flad Architects

Honorable Mention: Engineering Research Center, Brown UniversitySubmitting firm: KieranTimberlake

Excellence in Sustainability Category

Winner: Arizona State University, Biodesign Institute CSubmitting firm: ZGF

Honorable Mention: Aerospace & Engineering Sciences Building, Metropolitan State University of DenverSubmitting firm: Anderson Mason Dale Architects

Excellence in Safety Category

Winner: Butte College Welding & Manufacturing BuildingSubmitting firm: JK Architecture Engineering