Metal Architecture has announced the winners of its 2026 Metal Architecture Design Awards, recognizing 12 projects that demonstrate the performance, versatility, and design potential of metal in the built environment.
“These awards recognize more than outstanding buildings,” said Melanie Kowal, executive publisher. “They celebrate the vision, creativity, and collaboration that continue to advance our industry.”
This year’s honorees showcase metal’s role across civic, educational, healthcare, industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, with projects emphasizing design expression, durability, energy performance, and community-focused architecture.
The 2026 Grand Award was presented to Mesa Gateway Library in Mesa, Ariz., designed by Richärd Kennedy Architects. Its tapered panel widths and precisely resolved peaks and valleys create a roofscape that references the surrounding desert terrain while sheltering a thermally controlled public interior.
The 2026 category winners include:
- Insulated Metal Panels: K-25 Interpretive Center, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
- Metal Building Systems / Pre-engineered Metal Building Systems: Hazardous Waste Facility, Venice, Fla.
- Metal Composite Materials: Upstate Library, Spartanburg, S.C.
- Metal Renovation and Retrofit: Kingspan Insulated Panels North America’s Revitalized Headquarters, DeLand, Fla.
- Natural Metals: Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, Tucson, Ariz.
- Single Skin Wall Panels, Ribbed: Sanitation Department Building, St. Petersburg, Fla.
- Single Skin Wall Panels, Smooth: Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, Bentonville, Ark.
- Metal Roofing: Desert Wing Residence, Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Solar Integration with Metal: John Deere Manufacturing Facility, Kernersville, N.C.
The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges: Mindy Aust, AIA, LEED AP, founder of MA Architecture; Brent Schipper, AIA, founding principal of ASK Studio; Youn Choi, co-founder and design principal at pod architecture + design; and Doug Pierson, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C.
Additionally, two entries received Metal Architecture’s Publisher’s Choice Award: Froedtert Hospital Parking Structure in Wauwatosa, Wis., for its extensive use of custom-perforated aluminum panels, and Brookley Flats in Boston, Mass., where vibrant, multicolored cladding reflects the culture of its artist-community occupants.
Together, these 12 projects illustrate metal’s architectural range and reflect an increasing emphasis on material systems that address climate, occupant comfort, resilience, and contextual design without sacrificing visual ambition.
“This year’s winning projects demonstrate how metal is redefining what’s possible in architecture, combining exceptional performance with inspiring design,” Kowal added. “We’re proud to showcase the architects, manufacturers, and project teams whose work is setting new standards for innovation.”
Visit Metal Architecture to learn more about this year’s honorees.
With more than 40 years of expertise, Metal Architecture is a leading authority on the use of metal in architectural applications and building design. Metal Architecture and Metal Construction News are published by Kenilworth Media Inc., a subsidiary of Forum Media Group.
