Celebrating Excellence in Design
On a night dedicated to honoring innovation, creativity, and community impact in architecture, the Birmingham Museum of Art hosted the 2025 AIA Birmingham Design Awards. Each year, the program recognizes projects that elevate design in meaningful ways—advancing both the built environment and the communities they serve.
Williams Blackstock Architects was proud to be recognized with three awards at this year’s ceremony. From adaptive reuse and historic preservation to civic design and sustainability, these projects reflect our firm’s commitment to creating spaces that connect people, foster collaboration, and serve future generations.
Auburn in Birmingham – Honor Award
The Auburn in Birmingham project earned one of the highest distinctions of the evening: an Honor Award.
The jury commended the project for its thoughtful approach to preservation, noting that it “did a wonderful job of preserving the history and integrity of this building and celebrating its structure.” By maximizing daylight from both sides and introducing connected, flexible spaces, the design breathes new life into a historic landmark while supporting Auburn University’s mission in Birmingham.
The project stands as a model for blending the old with the new. Revealing the building’s structure and honoring its historic fabric, while introducing light-filled, vibrant environments, the design creates a dialogue between past and present—an authentic expression of preservation, innovation, and design excellence.
Alabaster Police Department – Citation Award
The Citation Award recognized the Alabaster Police Department project, a civic building designed to balance security with transparency.
The jury described it as “a civic gesture that’s very open to the community,” acknowledging the design’s ability to resolve the complex challenge of creating a secure facility that remains welcoming and connected to its site.
By integrating natural light, open sightlines, and a strong civic presence, the design demonstrates how public buildings can build trust, foster accessibility, and still meet the highest standards of safety. The result is a modern police facility that reflects Alabaster’s values of community and service.
The Nature Conservancy – Mayor’s Choice Award
The Mayor’s Choice Award, personally selected by Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, was presented to The Nature Conservancy project.
Mayor Woodfin explained his choice:
“I chose the Nature Conservancy project for the Mayor’s Choice Award because it reflects the kind of smart, purposeful design our city needs. It is a thoughtful adaptive reuse project that took a severely dilapidated building and turned it into a space that serves multiple community priorities – from conservation and environmental education to long-term resource stewardship. Sustainability is a key priority for the City of Birmingham, and this building exemplifies that commitment through energy-efficient design, the use of solar power, and sustainable construction practices that reduce environmental impact while maximizing community benefit.”
This project transforms a neglected structure into a hub for environmental stewardship, demonstrating how architecture can drive both ecological responsibility and community enrichment. It stands as a testament to the power of adaptive reuse, sustainability, and purposeful design
