2026 BULFINCH AWARDS

Submission Requirements and Information

The New England Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art is pleased to announce its Fourteenth Bulfinch Awards. Named for Boston architect Charles Bulfinch (1763-1844), America’s first native-born architect and the designer of the Massachusetts State House, the awards recognize the best work of individuals and firms to preserve and advance the classical tradition in New England.

Please note the submission deadline is extended to June 18, 2026.

CATEGORIES

• Residential (New Construction) over 5,000 SF  
• Residential (New Construction) under 5,000 SF  
• Residential (Restoration, Renovation, or Addition)  
• Townhouses & Apartments 
• Commercial  
• Institutional  
• Civic  
• Ecclesiastic  
• Interior Design  
• Landscape Architecture  
• International  
• Craftsmanship/Artisanship  
• Historic Preservation  
• Small Project/Folly  
• Community Oriented Design  

ELIGIBILITY

Submitted projects must be in the six New England states, with the exception of Fairfield County, Connecticut, and must have been completed in the past ten years (since June 2015). There is no limit as to where the applicants or firms are located.

All entrants must be current active members of the ICAA.

Entrants for the Community Oriented Design category must either live and/or work in the six New England states, except for Fairfield County, Connecticut, or live and/or work elsewhere with the submission located within the same geographical boundaries.

By submitting these materials you acknowledge that you are fully authorized to submit this entry either as your own project or on behalf of the designer(s) and that you have the right to utilize all the photographs, drawings, and printed materials included in the submission.

All entry materials become the property of the Bulfinch Awards and shall not be returned. By entering, the entrant agrees that entry materials may be used at the discretion of the Bulfinch Awards and the ICAA for awards presentations and marketing related to the Bulfinch Awards.

WINNERS’ RECEPTION

To express gratitude, the New England chapter’s board will host a private cocktail party on Friday evening, the night before the award ceremony, for the Bulfinch Awards winners, the officers and board members of the New England Chapter, and the award gala’s Platinum sponsors. The winners will receive two tickets each*. This intimate gathering will be held at a nearby location yet to be determined. The board looks forward to clinking glasses with its accomplished laureates and dedicated sponsors.

* Note – It is required that all winners provide representation at the winner’s reception with the option of bringing a guest.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Category-specific requirements:

1.     Residential (New Construction) over 5,000 SF

Floor plans and elevations are required.  Square footage is defined as all finished living spaces not including garages, unfinished basements, attics, covered patios, or porches.

2.     Residential (New Construction) under 5,000 SF

Floor plans and elevations are required.  Square footage is defined as all finished living spaces not including garages, unfinished basements, attics, covered patios, or porches.

3.     Residential (Restoration, Renovation, or Addition)

The inclusion of before-and-after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged.  Entrants should clearly indicate the scope of their restoration, renovation, or addition work.  Restoration work which is limited to a single craft or object should be submitted in the “Craftsmanship/Artisanship” category.

4.     Townhouses and Apartments

Floor plans and elevations are required.  The inclusion of before-and-after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged for renovations.  Entrants should clearly indicate the scope of their restoration, renovation, or addition work. 

5.     Commercial

Floor plans and elevations are required.  Submissions can be new construction or addition/renovation work.  For addition/renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

6.     Institutional

Submissions may be new construction or renovation work.  For renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

7.     Civic

Floor plans and elevations are required.  Submissions can be new construction or addition/renovation work.  For addition/renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

8.     Ecclesiastic

Floor plans and elevations are required.  Submissions can be new construction or addition/renovation work.  For addition/renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

9.     Interior Design

Submissions may be new construction or renovation work.  For renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

10.     International

This category is for projects completed outside the United States by firms in the New England region (expect for Fairfield County)

11.  Landscape Architecture

This category is intended for all scales of landscape design from residential to urban design.

12.   Craftsmanship/Artisanship

This category is intended for individuals and companies in the allied arts (i.e. iron work, woodwork, plaster, masonry, sculpture, decorative painting, etc.).

13.  Historic Preservation 

The inclusion of before-and-after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged.  Entrants should clearly indicate the scope of their restoration, renovation, or addition work.  Restoration work which is limited to a single craft or object should be submitted in the “Craftsmanship/Artisanship” category.

14.  Small Project/Folly

Submissions may be new construction or renovation work.  For renovation work the inclusion of before and after plans and/or photography is strongly encouraged to clearly indicate the scope of the entrant’s work.

15. Community Oriented Design 

This category celebrates designs that foster a sense of community. It’s about “we” instead of “me.” The built submission can be a place, a building, a group of buildings, or a town. But it will be selected by the degree to which it joins with its context, which attracts people by augmenting pleasurable experience, maximizing opportunities for enough serendipitous connections to restore perilously absent collective consciousness.

NOTE – Judges reserve the right to not choose a winner for any particular category.

The name of the firm or individual submitting the project must not appear in the portfolio pdf, but only the Project Name. Note: Patron applications do not need to be anonymous. 

IV.    Submission Fees:

ICAA member: $175.00 per entry

ICAA Membership Requirement - You must be an active member of the ICAA (regardless of chapter location) to submit.

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