Dezeen Magazine

AIA reveals America's best homes for 2022

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the winners of its annual Housing Awards, including multiple residences by Olson Kundig Architects and Alterstudio.

Fourteen projects were selected by the panel of judges in three categories: one- and two-family custom residences, specialised housing, and excellence in affordable housing.

AIA Housing Awards 2022 exterior rio house
Olson Kundig's Rio House was among the firm's winning designs. Photo by Maíra Acayaba

Two designs by Olson Kundig and three by Texas-based Alterstudio made the cut.

"Specifically, the jury looked at whether designs are sustainable, affordable, durable, innovative, socially impactful, meeting client needs as well as addressing the natural and built contexts," said the AIA in a release.

exterior Rain Gathering house and pond
Robert Hutchison and JSA Architect's Rain Harvest Home implements sustainable technology. Photo by Robert Hutchison

"Recipients show the world how beauty, safety, sustainability, and comfort can come together," the institute also noted.

Among the one- and two-family custom residences were the two Olson Kundig designs, both of which are not located in the United States: the Costa Rica Treehouse in Santa Teresa and Rio House in Brazil.

exterior divine house in fog
The Divine House by Landry Smith Architect is outside of Eugene Oregon. Photo by Jeremy Bittermann

The other winning project outside the US was Robert Hutchison and JSA Architect's Rain Harvest Home in Temascaltepec, Mexico. "This design offers a house as a laboratory for water conservation," said a juror.

In Washington DC, Renovation 1662 by Robert M Gurney was selected as the only refurbished project in the custom homes category. The jury said that the home was "[a] near-perfect marriage of history and contemporary, urban living".

exterior costa rica treehouse
Olson Kundig's other winner was the Costa Rica Treehouse. Photo by Nic Lehoux

Three residences from Texas were selected, all by Austin-based Alterstudio Architecture. These included the studio's Highland Park Residence, the Pemberton Residence in Austin, and the West Campus Residence, also in Austin, with Mell Lawrence Architects.

The Divine House in Oregon by Landry Smith Architect was chosen in part because the studio "envisioned it as a 200-year or more structure".

AIA Housing Awards 2022
Robert M Gurney won with Renovation 1662 in Washington DC. Photo by Anice Hoachlander

In Boulder, Colorado, Goatbarn Lane by Renée del Gaudio Architecture claimed the only award for Mountain Time.

A project in Atlanta called aMews House is the first ground-up residential design by Alex Wu Architect. "aMews House demonstrates the role of design in transforming an undesirable, restrictive Atlanta lot into a humane and beautiful space," said the AIA about the home, which Wu designed for himself.

AIA Housing Awards 2022
Chandler Tiny Homes Village For The Homeless was one of the LA projects that addresses the housing crisis. Photo by Sky Ladder Drone

In the specialised housing category, which focused on projects that work to alleviate the housing crisis, two projects from Los Angeles were chosen. Chandler Tiny Homes Village For The Homeless, one of several similar projects by Lehrer Architects, won based on "a colorful, energetic assault on homelessness".

The other project in this category was Koning Eizenberg Architecture's Flor 401 Lofts, a project built for Skid Row Housing Trust to serve the unhoused and those dealing with mental health issues.

Projects in the affordable housing category included Ohringer Arts in Pittsburgh by Rothschild Doyno Collaborative and The Aya in Washington DC by Studio Twenty Seven Architecture. The latter was chosen because its design "conveys respect for the community and those it serves" and because of a lengthy community engagement project in the drafting phase.

Aya washington DC exterior
The Aya in Washington DC was designed by Studio Twenty Seven Architecture. Photo by Anice Hoachlander

The Housing Award, which has been active for 22 years, is presented by the AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community. See photography of the other winning projects below.

To see more from the AIA, see the winners for this year's general architecture awards. For prizes out of Europe, check out this year's Mies van der Rohe Award 2022 finalists.

The lead photo is of Highland Park Residence by Alterstudio Architecture. The photo is by Casey Dunn.

More images

AIA Housing Awards 2022
Flor 401 Lofts by Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Inc. The photo is by Eric Staudenmaier
AIA Housing Awards 2022
Goatbarn Lane by Renée del Gaudio Architecture. The photo is by David Lauer Photography
AIA Housing Awards 2022
Ohringer Arts by Rothschild Doyno Collaborative. The photo is by Ed Massery
AIA Housing Awards 2022
Pemberton Residence by Alterstudio Architecture LLP. The photo is by Casey Dunn
AIA Housing Awards 2022
West Campus Residence by Alterstudio. The photo is by Casey Dunn
AIA Housing Awards 2022
a Mews House in Atlanta by Alexander Wu. The photo is by Garey Gomez