Arlington Announces 2025 DESIGNArlington Winners

Published on January 27, 2026

The Arlington County Board honored nine projects on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, for the 2025 DESIGNArlington awards. The biennial program recognizes excellence in architectural and landscape design and public art, showcasing the best of Arlington.

“DESIGNArlington was established to champion and recognize exceptional architecture across public and private projects,” Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said. “By celebrating thoughtful, innovative design, we affirm the qualities our residents expect in the places they live, work, and spend time.”

The winners include a fire station, a park, affordable housing, and mixed-use development. Images of the winning works can be found on the DESIGNArlington webpage.

WATCH: 2025 DESIGNArlington Winners

Excellence Awards give the highest recognition for projects that represent a comprehensive approach to high-quality design and execution. Merit Awards identify outstanding projects that successfully integrate site context and design. Honorable Mentions recognize projects that promote the expansion of Arlington County's goals in affordable housing, biophilic design, public art, historic preservation, or education.

Excellence Awards

• Metropolitan Park
  • Field Operations, ZGF Architects, Clark Construction
• The Fox Den
  • Moore Architects, PC, Metro Green, LLC, Horn & Company Landscape Architecture 
• The Grace and Reva
  • COOKFOX (Design) & Torti Gallas + Partners (Record), Clark Construction 

Merit Awards

• Terraces East
  • Cunningham | Quill Architects, PLLC, Harkins Builders Inc.
• The Wendy
  • Cooper Carry, Greystar, John Moriaty & Associates
• Fire Station 8
  • FGM Architects, Inc., MCN Build, Urban Engineering, Ehlert Bryan, Brinjac Engineering

Honorable Mention Awards

• Ballston Duplex
  • Charles Warren, AIA, MAACH Construction, United Structural Engineers, Inc.
• NOW – Rosslyn’s Pop-Up Park
  • Yellowstone Landscaping, Rosslyn BID, The Sax Agency, Monday Properties, Nestle, Friends of Urban Agriculture, Area 2 Farms, H-B Woodlawn, Sycamore School
• Stuart House
  • Moore Architects, PC, CE Rivers, LLC, DeLashmutt & Associates, LTD 

Evaluation Process

An independent panel of esteemed jurors examined each project in accordance with the County's design priorities, including visual composition and aesthetics, relationship to the context, contributions to a sense of place that defines Arlington, sustainable design and development, accessibility, historic preservation, high-quality craftmanship, and creative use of durable materials. For the first time, the jury was composed of former County staff who previously held design roles in a variety of departments:

• Gabriela Acurio, formerly a Deputy County Manager  

• Kathy von Bredow, formerly a Landscape Architect with the Department of Parks and Recreation

• Angela Adams, formerly the Director of Public Art  

• David Goodman, formerly a Transportation Planner with the Department of Environmental Services 

• Justin Falango, formerly the Chief Architect with the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development
  
  

About DESIGNArlington

DESIGNArlington is a biennial awards program, launched in 2009, aimed at increasing public awareness of outstanding design. The program recognizes design work that enhances all aspects of the County's environment, such as notable architecture, historic preservation, landscape, and public art projects. Residents, property owners, developers, and members of the design community submit nominations for new construction, renovations, additions, or adaptive re-use projects. Eligible projects must have been completed within the last 10 years.