GAI: Architectural ironmongery specification awards celebrate 40th anniversary

Architects and specifiers can now nominate their projects for the internationally recognised Architectural Ironmongery Specification Awards 2021. Organised by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the awards are designed to identify and reward excellence in the specification of architectural ironmongery.

Celebrating their 40th anniversary, the AI Specification Awards were postponed last year but have now returned bigger and better. Judges are assessing projects and products from over the last three years.

Entries are judged on the effectiveness of the architectural ironmongery specification and how it enhances the security, accessibility and safety of the building, while also adding to its aesthetics, functionality and longevity.

The 2020/21 awards will consist of seven categories including the Diamond Jubilee Award. This is an exclusive award for this year only to commemorate 60 years of the GAI.

This category can be entered by any projects that have previous won an AI Specification Award over the last 40 years.

Projects can be nominated for the following categories

 – Commercial and Hospitality (sponsored by ASSA Abloy)
 – Public Health and Education (sponsored by Forza Doors
 – Residential (sponsored by Frank Allart)
 – International (sponsored by dormakaba)
 – Product Design and Innovation: Mechanical (sponsored by Simonswerk)
 – Product Design and Innovation: Electronic (sponsored by ADSA)

For each category there will be a winner, second and third place. The judges will also decide on an overall ‘winner of winners’ (an award sponsored by GEZE).

To enter, projects or products must be either completed or released onto the market between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 2021.

Mario Del-Signore, president of the GAI, comments: “The Specification Awards ceremony is one of the Guild’s most highly anticipated events. The calibre of entries is always incredibly high and shows architectural ironmongery at its best.

“These awards are unique because they reward the whole specification team, highlighting the importance of the professional partnership between architects and architectural ironmongers.”

Architects, specifiers, building contractors, clients and their architectural ironmongery advisers and suppliers across the world can nominate projects from now until Friday 19 November 2021.

The winners will be announced at a celebratory lunch in Spring 2022. There is no limit on the number of entries to this year’s awards. The first entry from GAI or RIBA members is free of charge.

To nominate a project for the awards, click here. To see examples of previous awards winners, watch the awards video.

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