News

UPDATE 17 June, 2021 - The Submission deadline has been EXTENDED to Wednesday, July 7th. With construction activities opening again and the return to work beginning, we have received feedback from many members and firms about their workload.

The refreshed ARIDO Awards Program is now open for submissions. Developed by the Awards Task Force, with input from the 2020 awards survey to the membership, this updated format focuses on engaging ARIDO membership equally while celebrating our diverse community of interior designers in all they do.

Winning projects and the Impact Award will be announced on September 30th, during a virtual gala.

2021 Categories and Occupancy Dates

The projects in the following categories are accepting submissions in 2021. Projects must have been completed between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020.

• WORK
• EAT+STAY
• LEARN
• CARE
• PRESERVE+RESTORE
• DISTINCT
• CRAFT

Submission Guide

The Awards Submission Guide addresses many questions you may have about the awards including:

• Important Dates & Entry Fees
• Refreshed Awards Program
• Updated Categories & Categories by Year
• Awards Gala
• Judging Process
• Impact Award
• Updated Project Submission Form

Important Dates

Final Entry Deadline: Deadline extended to Wednesday July 7th, 2021
Regular Entry Fee: $250 + HST (per entry)

ARIDO Awards Gala: Thursday, September 30, 2021

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the data entered within the online form is factual and accurate. All supporting documentation and photos must be uploaded at the time of submission.

Impact Award

Launching in 2021, the Impact Award is an exciting new component of the ARIDO Awards. It replaces Project of the Year and will have a broad spectrum of considerations, with its own criteria. The winning project must demonstrate a significant impact on an occupant or end user, neighbourhood, community, project team etc. It need not be built space. The project submission must clearly explain how it has shaped or will shape an outcome or direct benefits, and address issues such as equity, diversity, or inclusion, advocacy, sustainability, economic considerations or several interrelated issues.

Note on Photography - 27 May, 2021

ARIDO has received some feedback about the updated photo policy for the awards which prohibits design firm employees from appearing in submission photos. While the new policy is intended to further ensure anonymity and fairness during the new judging process, we recognized that many projects in the 2021 and 2022 categories may have already been photographed.

With the launch of any new program, we recognize that we may need to be cognizant that this new policy may pose challenges for members in participating in the program if enforced aggressively for the 2021 and 2022 awards submission years.

We recommend the following steps for members preparing their submissions:

• please avoid submitting images for judging which contain Principals, Partners, or Owners (PPOs) of the design firm this year,
• where photos include PPOs, please blur the faces of any individuals in photos so they are not identifiable.

Submissions that follow these steps will not be disqualified for the 2021 or 2022 awards program. Beginning in 2023, awards submissions should not contain any employees of design firms.