16 Drool-Worthy Designs Win Big

Residential Architecture over 8,000 Square Feet

D. Stanley Dixon Architect | English Estate, Atlanta, Georgia

What the Jurors Say: “The project is very beautiful, and the contextual site plan deserves commendation. The architectural plan is strong and clearly rooted in the English vernacular, while the choice of materials thoughtfully reflects its Southern setting. The execution feels masterful and it stands out as a clear and compelling winner.”

Words from the Winner: “By balancing historic European traditions with a site-responsive layout, this estate sets out to serve the needs of modern life while honoring the unique architectural pedigree of the neighborhood.”

Residential Architecture 4,000–8,000 Square Feet

D. Stanley Dixon Architect | Olde Tabby Landing, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

What the Jurors Say: “In such a fragile environment, the contrast between the solidity of the tabby and the lightness of the clapboard works especially well. Together, they give the house a grounded but graceful presence. The project feels honest, beautiful, and exceptionally well suited to its site.”

Words from the Winner: “The plan of the house is deliberately simple. The interior materials emanate a sense of minimalism while remaining grounded in tradition, adding a patina to the home’s curated historical narrative. The result of this collection of structures is a timeless, yet modern home nested amongst live oaks on an untamed barrier island.”

Residential Architecture: Renovation over 5,000 Square Feet

Pak Heydt & Associates, LLC | Italianate Renovation, Atlanta, Georgia

What the Jurors Say: “What is especially remarkable in this project is the sensitivity of the addition. Although it nearly doubled the size of an already substantial house, the new work respects the existing scale, proportion, and architectural rhythm. Nothing feels out of place; each addition appears carefully considered and naturally integrated.”

Words from the Winner: “Villa Juanita could not have better owners who have a stewardship mindset and generous desire to create a home that would serve both their family and the community. The home’s renovation and addition, both the process and the completed work, was an extremely gratifying collaboration—a highlight of my career.”

Residential Architecture Under 4,000 Square Feet

D. Stanley Dixon Architect |Contemporary Lodge Highlands, North Carolina

What the Jurors Say: “The project succeeds through contrast. The exterior’s muted, almost brooding palette responds well to the wooded setting, while the interior introduces an unexpected freshness and lightness. The combination of board-formed concrete and wood is particularly sophisticated, giving the house both strength and warmth.”

Words from the Winner: “This modern mountain residence transforms severe site constraints into its greatest architectural asset. By taking on a complex landscape, the project delivers a sophisticated, site-specific narrative where rigorous engineering and playful imagination coexist.”

Residential Architecture Renovation under 2,500 Square Feet

Norman Davenport Askins, Architects | An Infill Cottage in Charleston | Charleston, South Carolina

What the Jurors Say: “The restraint makes the moments of discovery especially rewarding. Entering from the back door, one is met with a small, beautifully resolved space that immediately feels inviting, thoughtful, and quietly surprising. The details reinforce the impression that the house has always been this way. The salvaged door, finishes, and overall character feel original rather than newly imposed.”

Words from the Winner: “Rather than pursuing restoration as replication, the project approaches adaptation as a continuation of the home’s evolving story, preserving the warmth, irregularity, and lived character that make modest historic houses so enduring.”

Multifamily Architecture Over 10,000 Square Feet

Pledger Architect | A New Multi-Family Residential Block, Alys Beach, Florida

What the Jurors Say: “The architect and developer should be commended for their commitment to beauty and detail in a speculative project. That commitment is evident in the carefully considered millwork and molding package, where quality detailing carries through even at the smallest scale.”

Words from the Winner: “Prescriptive requirements related to budget, architectural character, materials, and programming had to be met. In response, we utilized the creative repetition of base floor plans, architectural details, and spatial adjacencies to help make each house feel interesting while maintaining overall cohesion.”

Residential Architecture Small Project Under 1,500 Square Feet

Tom Henry Design Company | Rose Lane, Charleston, South Carolina

What the Jurors Say: “Rose Lane is charming in its honesty and simplicity. It creates the sense of a place one could happily escape to for a weekend: modest, inviting, and well suited to its environment. It doesn’t try to overstate itself but instead succeeds through restraint. Everything is carefully and confidently done.”

Words from the Winner: “It’s not everyday that a client asks you to design a house on an impossibly small lot while using a discarded timber frame. If it weren’t for Old City Builders, New World Byzantine, and Studio Maman Interiors, this project would never have come to fruition. I believe, in a small way, our project added to the language of Charleston architecture by thoughtfully overcoming the challenges we faced.”

Residential Interior Design Over 8,000 Square Feet

Suzanne Kasler Interiors | Highland Park, Highland Park, Illinois

What the Jurors Say: “Highland Park is classic, timeless, and beautifully resolved. Bold and whimsical choices give the interiors personality without compromising their refinement. The murals are especially lovely, adding character and depth while reinforcing the house’s traditional sensibility.”

Words from the Winner: “This young Chicago family was looking for a foundation of tradition, and they wanted the house to fit in naturally with its neighbors built in the 1920s and 1930s. The client’s involvement and enthusiasm as the project unfolded made the process so special for architect Stan Dixon and me. Collaboration is really what it is all about.”

Residential Interior Design 4,000–8,000 Square Feet

The Pursley Dixon Studio | Southern Belle, Charlotte, North Carolina

What the Jurors Say: “The interiors complement the architecture extremely well. The living room is especially memorable, providing a sense of ease, scale, and quiet sophistication. All of the rooms feel fully integrated with the house, creating a cohesive and beautifully resolved whole.”

Words from the Winner: “We are incredibly honored to receive this award, particularly from an organization about which we care so deeply. Although our work may not be considered ‘classical’ in the traditional sense, we believe it honors the enduring principles of classical design through a contemporary lens.”

Residential Interior Design Under 4,000 Square Feet

Beth Webb Interiors | Little Lodge, Brays Island, South Carolina

What the Jurors Say: “Little Lodge is an especially compelling project. The interior design does more than furnish the house; it reveals what the house is about. Unlike projects where the relationship to context can feel unclear, this presentation immediately establishes a strong sense of place.”

Words from the Winner: “Little Lodge was such a special project for us—an incredible collaboration with Peter Block Architects, set within the extraordinary natural beauty of Brays Island. We wanted the interiors to feel quiet, collected, and deeply connected to their surroundings, and it is a tremendous honor to have that work recognized with an ICAA Southeast Philip Trammell Shutze Award.”

Residential Interior Design Single Room

Pierre McKell Architects | A Return to Form: A Shutze and Reid Double Parlor, Atlanta, Georgia

What the Jurors Say: “The interior is beautifully layered with a richness that feels both collected and carefully composed. The use of materials is outstanding, from the sisal to the nuanced color palette. There is an intellectual quality to the design, but it remains warm, livable, and emotionally engaging.”

Words from the Winner: “Pierre McKell Architects reimagined the interiors of this 1917 Shutze- and Reid-designed double parlor to form the firm’s first home and studio. A bold palette, dappled with treasures old and new, brings renewed life to the historical space while creating an invigorating setting for work still to come.”

Commercial Interior Design

Peace Design | J.W. Heist Steakhouse, Bozeman, Montana

What the Jurors Say: “J.W. Heist Steakhouse succeeds immediately because it feels welcoming before a single diner has entered the room. The sense of warmth gives the restaurant the character of dining in someone’s home: comfortable, familiar, and personal.”

Words from the Winner: “When approaching a space, we first honor its history and context and then create a warm, inviting environment for people to enjoy. J.W. Steakhouse is a testament to this. We are proud of our design work here and are honored to earn such a distinguished Shutze Award for commercial interiors.”

Student/Emerging Professional

Sharon Rose Yehnert | Belfast City Hospital: An Oncological Rehabilitation and Maggie’s Centre, Belfast, Ireland

What the Jurors Say: “The Belfast City Hospital project demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of traditional forms within an urban context. Beyond the footprint of the building, the overall composition conveyed a clear sense of how the architecture grows from and contributes to its setting.”

Words from the Winner: “Architecture is never neutral; it informs how we experience the daily rhythm of life. Architecture that successfully contributes to a holistic sense of place can actively improve the medical experience.”

Artisan Craftsmanship

Harper House & Company LLC | Gilded Eagles for a Civic Installation Washington, D.C.

What the Jurors Say: “Gilded Eagles deserves recognition for the beauty of its craft and for its commitment to carrying forward traditional skills in the modern world. The simplicity of that statement is part of its strength: Craftspeople working in historic traditions should be both commended and encouraged.”

Words from the Winner: “Rather than functioning as decorative objects alone, the eagles were approached as sculptural civic elements shaped through labor, material knowledge, and preservation of traditional finishing techniques. The project demonstrates how decorative arts techniques can remain relevant at monumental civic scale.”

Residential Landscape Estate Over One Acre

Stephen W. Hackney Landscape Architecture | Oak Estate, Knoxville, Tennessee

What the Jurors Say: “Oak Estate feels deeply settled within its landscape and the scale and maturity of the plantings add significantly to the context of the house. The outdoor rooms encourage movement and discovery, drawing one out from the house to wander through a sequence of spaces that feel intriguing, elegant, and effortlessly natural.”

Words from the Winner: “SWH is thrilled to be recognized again by our peers with a Shutze Award. As with all our projects, we seek to imbue our designs with a timeless and casually elegant appeal, creating bespoke settings for our clients to call home.”

Residential Landscape Estate Under One Acre

Joseph Hillenmeyer Garden Design | Birdsong Garden, Midway, Kentucky

What the Jurors Say: “This project’s greatest strength lies in the sequence of garden rooms. Each space feels distinct and carefully composed, inviting the visitor to keep moving through the garden and discover what comes next. There is a clear sense of joy in the collaboration. The garden feels shaped by a client with a deep love of plants, allowing the design to be both disciplined and playful.”

Words from the Winner: “The design, marked by distinct garden rooms, creates a garden that feels expansive in space and experience. Despite its eight distinct areas, the repetition of core materials provides a sense of cohesion. A general sense of organized pleasure forms the garden’s guiding ethos.”