ARIDO Awards

Since 1982, ARIDO has held an annual awards program for all Registered members. The ARIDO Awards is one of the most highly regarded honours in the interior design community.

In 2020, ARIDO halted the existing Awards Program, undertook a review of the existing program and developed a new, improved program for 2021 and beyond. The improved Awards Program focuses on engaging ARIDO membership equally while celebrating our diverse community of interior designers in all they do. The Task Force responsible for the review and redevelopment focused on three primary goals:

• Membership engagement through broader outreach and increased percentage of member engagement;
• A public facing awards program that will be embraced by a wider audience, fully demonstrates the value of professional interior designer to business and the public, and is showcased in various forms of media;
• The celebration of equity, diversity, and inclusion of ARIDO.

Recognizing there is a gap of projects submitted with the halting of the program in 2020, eligibility dates for projects in the first two years will be based on a 3 year period for project completion and occupancy. Following the 2021 and 2022 submission years, it is a 2 year period. The new program also groups select categories per year, alternating categories yearly.

As part of this refreshed awards program, ARIDO is incorporating new criteria which recognizes projects designed by members that support or addresses equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion. This may also include projects that can demonstrate support for underserved or under-represented communities, that advance community benefits or that are connected to ARIDO’s strategic mission to more inclusionary practices.