BIA Announces 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards Call for Entries

RESTON, Va. — The Brick Industry Association (BIA) has opened entries for the international 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards, featuring a new category for thin brick projects as of last year. Entries are due by Nov. 3.

Projects will compete for a Best in Class, Gold, Silver, or Bronze award in nine different categories, with only one project earning the Craftsmanship Award each year. 

“The awards competition continues to showcase groundbreaking ways to design with clay brick,” said BIA President and CEO Ray Leonhard. “These inspiring projects promote sustainable design and highlight the versatility and infinite possibilities clay brick has to offer.”

As the nation’s leading architectural design competition featuring fired-clay brick, all submissions must use clay brick as the project’s primary building material. Entrants must be either an architect or designer employed by an architectural, design-build or landscaping design firm.

Per the competition rules, eligible projects include any work of architecture completed since January 1, 2018, in which new clay brick products comprise the predominant exterior building or paving material (over 50 percent) including face or hollow brick, building brick, thin brick, paving brick, glazed brick, structural glazed facing tile, new clay brick products in special shapes and/or a combination of these.

The winners will be judged by peers in December and announced next January. Winning projects are featured on BIA’s website and social media channels. BIA also highlights winning projects and promotes them to the architect and design community throughout the year offering extensive exposure.

Entries must be submitted online by November 3 in one or more of these categories:

1. Commercial

2. Education – K-12

3. Education – Colleges & Universities (Higher Education) *

4. Residential – Single Family

5. Residential – Multi-Family

6. Thin Brick (New in 2022)

7. Paving & Landscape Projects**

8. Historic Renovation***

9. International (Projects outside of the US, Canada or a U.S. territory must be entered in this category)

* Includes residence halls and academic/administrative buildings

**At least 50% of the project must include clay pavers

***Does not need to meet the 50% or more new brick requirement but project must have 50% or more renovated brick

Additionally, an overall Craftsmanship Award will honor a mason or team of masons with exceptionally artful or unique installation.

Last year’s winning projects were featured in in BIA’s 2022 Brick in Architecture Magazine with a full recap in this video.

For questions, contact Kaylee Jeffries: kjeffries@bia.org.