AISC

IDEAS Competition Rules and Guidelines

The 2026 IDEAS Awards are now accepting entries! The deadline is September 30, 2025.

There is no fee to enter the competition.

Eligibility

Any member of a project's team can submit it for an IDEAS award. However, a fabricator, erector, detailer, or other firm eligible for AISC Full or Associate membership submitting a project themselves must be an AISC member in good standing at the time of entry.
New buildings, expansions, and renovation projects (major retrofits and rehabilitations) are eligible. Sculptures, art installations, and non-building structures may also compete in the regular categories.
Building projects in the 2026 competition must be located in the U.S. and must be completed (either occupied or ready for occupancy) between January 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025.
- IDEAS|next projects are exempted from the time restriction.
At least 75% of the structural steel for the project must have been produced and fabricated in the U.S. by companies eligible for AISC full membership.
- This provision does not apply to IDEAS|next entries.
A significant portion of the framing system of a building must be wide-flange or hollow structural steel sections (HSS).
Pedestrian bridges entered in the competition must be an intrinsic part of a building and not stand-alone structures. If you would like to submit a bridge project, we encourage you to enter the National Steel Bridge Alliance's 2026 Prize Bridge Awards.

Submission requirements: project information

The online form will include space for you to tell us what makes your project special. In preparing to enter, we suggest you think about the following:

how your design advances the use of structural steel, either technically or in architectural expression
how using architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) or coordinating structural steel elements with other materials elevated the aesthetic impact of the project
how your project applies innovative design approaches in areas such as connections, gravity systems, lateral load resisting systems, fire protection, and blast protection
how innovative design and construction methods such as 3D building models, interoperability, early integration of steel fabricators, modular or prefab design, alternative methods of project delivery, and sustainability or resiliency considerations improve your project
the impact of new and evolving principles that drive the progression of modern design and project planning, such as data-driven design and the use of technology such as drones, VR, and AR for design and construction review

Submission requirements: team roster

AISC also requires information and a contact person for all of the companies that made a substantive contribution to the design’s innovation, including the owner, architect, structural engineer, general contractor, steel fabricator, steel detailer, bender/roller (if applicable), steel erector, and other key consultants.

IDEAS|next entries will obviously have a shorter roster. Please include anyone already involved in the project.

Submission requirements: project images

IDEAS entries must include between five and 20 photographs, drawings, or renderings that illustrate what makes the project innovative.
This selection must include a site plan, floor plan, and one or more sections that explain the project solution.
For completed projects, AISC recommends a selection of exterior, interior, and construction/fabrication shots as well as technical drawings and renderings. One of these must be a photograph (not a rendering) that clearly shows off the finished structure; AISC will use this image as the main promotion for winning projects.
IDEAS|next submissions should include three to 20 renderings and drawings that convey the design’s intent and innovation.
Images should be jpg, tiff, or eps files that are at least four inches wide at 300 dpi.
Filenames must include photo credit information.

The fine print

Entrants agree to abide by all rules and regulations of AISC's IDEAS Awards program as defined in this document. AISC is not responsible for errors or omissions in entries.
Firms may submit multiple building projects. Each entry will be considered separately. If multiple firms enter the same project, judges will evaluate the entries together; all submitting firms will be recognized should that project win.
By entering, you grant AISC permission to disclose information about the recipient of the award and the building project, including budget and cost details.
Firms that worked on submitted projects should expect to be asked for additional information and commentary about their projects by representatives of AISC and the media. If the fabricator is an AISC member in good standing, AISC will recognize other members of the project’s steel team who are AISC members in good standing at the time of the announcement; AISC will recognize other firms on the AEC team at its discretion. Please notify us of errors as soon as possible.
Submitted photographs and images used for exhibition or publication purposes will bear the customary photograph credit line provided; however, AISC is not responsible for errors or omissions. AISC reserves the right to use all submitted materials indefinitely to showcase the winning projects, feature innovation in the structural steel industry, and promote the IDEAS program. Submitting an entry to AISC constitutes acceptance of this policy by firms, companies, and project photographers and indicates or confirms that these submitting parties have copyright ownership or express permission to submit them; that they grant AISC a royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, and/or reproduce the submitted materials in any media; and that they agree to hold AISC harmless from and against all claims of any nature arising in connection with the submittal of materials.

Questions about anything you've read here?

Please contact the AISC Architecture Center for assistance.

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