The 2023 Forge Prize

The 2023 Forge Prize is no longer accepting entries. Stay tuned for details about the 2024 competition!

This competition, established by The American Institute of Steel Construction in 2018, recognizes visionary emerging architects for designs that embrace steel as a primary structural component and capitalize on steel’s ability to increase a project’s speed.

In short: We’re looking for your version of the future. What will people build with, live in, work in, or play in?

The Forge Prize is a unique opportunity to experiment with a conceptual design without limit to scope or complexity--the sky really is the limit here, and the industry is paying attention.

Three finalists will each win $5,000 and work with a steel fabricator before presenting their ideas to the judges--streamed live on YouTube. The winner will receive the $10,000 grand prize and an invitation to present before an audience of the industry's best minds at the Architecture in Steel conference, April 12-14, 2023 in Charlotte, N.C.!

“The Forge Prize empowers emerging designers to create freely with no set site and or project type. AISC supports each finalist by providing guidance from real-world steel industry leaders. This collaborative approach pushes each design’s materialization and helps further our AEC industry." 

-2020 Forge Prize judge Rebekah Gandy, AIA, LEED AP, CDT

Here’s how it works:

The Forge Prize has two stages. Three finalists emerge from the first stage, which is open to designers based in the U.S. who are either still obtaining licensure or have been licensed for less than 10 years.

These finalists each win a cash prize and are paired with a leading steel fabricator to further refine their concepts before the final round, in which the three finalists present their designs to a jury of groundbreaking architects--live on YouTube on March 18. The winning architect(s) will present their idea to the industry at the Architecture in Steel conference, April 12-14, 2023 in Charlotte, N.C., and take home the $10,000 grand prize.

The 2023 Forge Prize Presentations

Relive the excitement of the 2023 Forge Prize virtual presentations. Follow along as our finalists present three outstanding projects for a chance to become the 2023 Forge Prize winner. 

“The Forge Prize is a unique platform for emerging architects to develop innovative design concepts and collaborate with steel industry leaders to refine their ideas. The resulting proposals educate and inspire new applications using steel as a versatile construction material.”  

-2020 Forge Prize judge Matt Dumich, FAIA

Get Updates

Sign up here to receive the latest news and updates about The Forge Prize. We’ll provide news on submission deadlines, guidelines to follow, and works of inspiration to fuel your design thinking.

Questions?

Contact us at theforgeprize@aisc.org.